David's Direct Marketing Forum

Education Sector Tops 2011 Online Giving Growth

2012-02-23T10:44:00.001-08:00

Education fundraisers provide a lesson on the value of year-round online effort in Blackbaud Inc.'s latest report on 2011 online giving. The report showed overall online giving up 13% on a year-over-year basis (after removing international giving's Haiti earthquake skew), but education organizations led the pack with a 40% rise from 2009. Most fundraisers still count on a seasonal spike, with October-December online giving accounting for almost 35% of 2011 donations, but Steve MacLaughlin, Blackbaud director of Internet solutions, noted, "It is possible to build an online giving program that avoids the make-or-break, end-of-year fundraising crunch. This is evidenced by the education and healthcare sectors that have benefited from concerted online fundraising efforts during other parts of the year." For details, see
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Online-Giving-Nonprofits-Grew-bw-2040041820.html

Europe Privacy Law Would Curb Online Data Use

2012-02-21T10:22:00.001-08:00

Europe is considering a broad new law on online data privacy. The proposed law would force Internet companies like Amazon.com, Google and Facebook to obtain explicit consent from consumers about the use of their personal data, delete that data forever at the consumer’s request and face fines for failing to comply, reports The New York Times. The European Union data protection program would regulate all companies doing business online in the EU's 27 member states, not just those based there. It would bascially pull the rug out from under Internet companies' ability to use personal data, the key to their online advertising profits. For details, see http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/technology/europe-weighs-a-tough-law-on-online-privacy-and-user-data.html

ComScore Debuts Tool to Validate Online Ad Delivery

2012-02-16T10:05:00.001-08:00

Uncertain digital ad delivery is a big issue for online marketers, as shown by a recent ComScore Inc. study that found 31% of ad impressions are never seen by consumers. Now ComScore has introduced a tool to address the problem it uncovered: Its Validated Campaign Essentials will provide an unduplicated accounting of ad impressions to ensure that ads can be viewed, served to the appropriate targets and delivered in a "brand-safe environment." For more, see http://www.internetretailer.com/2012/01/18/comscore-introduces-validated-campaign-essentials

Keep Consumers Within Facebook to Lower Ad CPC

2012-02-14T12:29:00.001-08:00

Looking for way to trim the cost of Facebook ads? Increase your in-network appeals. Marketers running Facebook ads that don't drive a consumer outside of the social network have seen cost-per-click (CPC) rates drop by up to 45%, according to a new study released by Facebook marketing firm TBG Digital. Meanwhile, the average CPC for U.S. ads served on Facebook increased by 10% from the third quarter to the fourth. For more, see
http://www.dmnews.com/study-lower-cpcs-for%2520ads-that-keep-consumers-within%2520-facbook/article/223357/

Digital, Direct Spending Forecast to Surge in 2012

2012-02-09T11:03:00.001-08:00

The latest Winterberry Group forecast has good news for every marketing channel in 2012. But the most optimism is reserved for direct and digital spending, which is projected to rise by 5.2%, to $227.2 billion -- driven by mobile (up over 50%) and social network services (up over 33%). Even direct mail holds its own, remaining the largest marketing spend category at $46.9 billion in 2012. For more details on the marketing industry outlook, see http://chiefmarketer.com/multichannel-marketing/direct-digital-spending-2012-0118rhl1/index.html

Over 30% of Online Display Ads Go Unseen

2012-02-07T09:09:00.001-08:00

There's an alarming amount of waste in online ad spending, according to new comScore research. The comScore study of campaigns by a dozen major brands found 31% of ad impressions are never seen by consumers. Why? Many online display ads are placed on parts of the web page that are never viewed by consumers. Ads classified as "in view" ranged greatly by site, from only 7% up to 91%. "This dilutes the impact of campaigns for advertisers and represents a drag on prices to publishers," said Magid Abraham, comScore CEO. "Conversely, some ads below the fold are quite visible and deserve more credit." For more details, see http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2139876/report-31-display-ads-unseen

Homeless Charity Mailing Reaps $45,000 in 4 Days

2012-02-02T12:21:00.001-08:00

Nonprofit marketing kudos are in order. A direct mail campaign to previous donors on an e-mail housefile raised $45,000 in four days for The Wheeler Mission, an Indianapolis-based charity aiding the homeless. The nonprofit dropped 9,000 pieces on Dec. 28 and got a 3% response rate. For more details on the charity's marketing plans, including expanded e-mail, see http://chiefmarketer.com/direct/non-print/Wheeler-Direct-Mailing-Raises-forty-five-thousand-in-Four-Days-lar2/

You Know Mobile Is Hot When Even USPS Is a Fan

2012-01-31T13:44:00.001-08:00

Everyone is riding the mobile bandwagon -- even the USPS. If you are an e-mail marketer, take note that mobile e-mail open rates were up 34% in the second half of 2011, and rose a whopping 73% for iPads, according to the latest Return Path study. For details, see http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/11667.html . And if postal mail is your channel, well, the U.S. Postal Service has added a new app to its suite of mobile services for you. The new app allows iPhone and iPad users to scan barcodes on shipping labels with the device's camera for convenient tracking of packages and other mail. See http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2012/pr12_003.htm

Consumers Prefer Direct Mail to E-mail Marketing

2012-01-26T11:45:00.001-08:00

Despite the rise of digital marketing, consumers prefer direct mail over e-mail for receiving marketing messages, according to a new study by multichannel marketing company Epsilon. Direct mail trumped e-mail in almost every product category, including health, financial services, insurance and travel. Direct mail also was the favorite option across age groups, extending to the 18- to 34-year-old, digital-savvy demographic. For more details, see http://www.epsilon.com/download/consumer-survey-results-reveal-direct-mail-most-preferred-channel-receipt-brand-communicati

Sir Speedy and PIP Use PURLs to Sell PURLs

2012-01-24T11:53:00.001-08:00

Franchise Services Inc.'s brands, Sir Speedy and PIP Printing and Marketing Services, are using custom-printed direct mail pieces to promote their services -- including use of a personalized url (PURL). "We're using PURLs to sell PURLs," explained David Robidoux, Franchise Services vice president of marketing. Ten times a year, the company drops around 160,000 mailers on behalf of 350 to 400 franchise locations, with each generally submitting 500-1,000 prospects. Each mail piece is customized with PURL response mechanisms, and some mailers even showcase three response channels — PURLs, QR codes and telephone numbers personalized to the location nearest the recipient. To read more, see http://chiefmarketer.com/direct/print/direct-mail/custom-mailing-purl-pi-sir-speedy-1208rhl2/

Charitable Giving on the Rise in Last Months of 2011

2012-01-19T11:06:00.001-08:00

Approaching New Year's Eve, charitable giving was already up 15% for December 2011 compared with the same month of 2010, reported the Network for Good, a site that enables donors to contribute to more than 10,000 charities nationwide. That positive December report didn't even include an anticipated spike of last-minute donations in the year's final 48 hours. It also followed a 20% November-over-November donations rise. In the end, 2011 donations will still lag the pre-recession level of 2007. But, given positive economic trends, the year-end growth hopefully signals continued recovery of charitable generosity in 2012. For details, see http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/30/pf/holiday_money_donations/index.htm?iid=SF_BN_River

USPS to Offer Credit Billing to Direct Mailers

2012-01-17T12:25:00.001-08:00

At last the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has a reason to praise the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Regulatory Commission has granted a USPS request to allow postage credit billing to direct mailers rather than requiring postage prepayment. For now, the credit lines will go to large mailers who enter into negotiated service agreements with the USPS, but the DMA is urging expansion of the ruling to aid all direct-mail marketers. To read the actual ruling, see http://www.prc.gov/Docs/79/79321/Order1099.pdf

Adding Social Sharing to E-mail Boosts Clicks 115%

2012-01-12T11:52:00.001-08:00

Looking for another reason to integrate your marketing channels? Well, the latest study from GetResponse, based on analysis of its database of client campaigns, found that adding social sharing options into e-mail content boosts click-through rates by a whopping 115%. E-mail campaigns that urged recipients to share content saw more than a 5% click-through on average, while messages lacking social integration got just 2.6%. What social platforms work best? Campaigns including LinkedIn sharing options led with a 9% click rate, followed by Facebook (5.4%) and Twitter (5%). For more, see
http://www.brafton.com/news/study-social-sharing-boosts-email-marketing-engagement-115-percent

Forecast: Higher-Ed Marketing Soars Into the 'Cloud'

2012-01-10T12:03:00.001-08:00

2012 will see cloud computing expanding its role in higher education markets, predicts Enrollment Rx President Lawrence Levy. While his prognostications may be self-serving, since Enrollment Rx is an innovator of cloud-based CRM for higher-education clients, including California State University, his forecasts are based on some undeniable technical trends. Mobile and social media innovations are among Levy's top drivers for cloud adoption at academic institutions. The current generation of students already relies on their smart devices and social networks like Facebook to communicate, share and get information, Levy points out. With the cloud delivery model, institutions gain immediate access to innovations that vendors develop, making it a natural fit for extending main systems like CRM to mobile devices and social networks in a low-cost, low-resource way, Levy asserts. For more details of his technical forecasts for the education market, see
http://markets.financialcontent.com/prnews/news/read?GUID=20355342

Survey: 'Engage' to Avoid 2012 Fundraising Stall

2012-01-05T09:48:00.001-08:00

U.S. fundraising appears headed for a stall in 2012, according to a survey by U.S. agency Fenton and research firm GlobeScan. The firms questioned U.S. and U.K. donors of at least $20 to charity in July 2011. The survey found 65% of U.S. respondents planned to hold their giving to the same level in 2012, and 17% planned to cut donations this year. How can nonprofit marketers escape 2012 doldrums? While traditional media was rated as the best way to attract new donors, social media was seen by existing donors as an important way to prime the pump, epecially if the nonprofit can engender passion for its cause and trust in its management. Rob Anderson, managing director of Fenton’s New York office, commented: "In today’s economic climate, nonprofits and charities must effectively engage people on the impact and timeliness of their work to stand out from the pack and raise the level of trust and support from existing and potential donors. These findings confirm that, if they haven’t already, nonprofits and charities must adapt to the age of engagement." For survey details, see donors.http://www.fundraising.co.uk/news/2011/12/06/us-and-uk-donors-039plan-give-same-or-less039-charities-2012

2012 Doomsday? Not for E-mail, Says Expert

2012-01-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

The end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 may spell doom to some -- but not for e-mail marketers, opines e-mail expert David Daniels in his forecast column for ClickZ.com. He predicts that e-mail marketers will continue to profit in the year ahead, but bottom-line pressures will mean a new focus on behavioral segmentation, on cross-channel success measurement, and on the penalties of beating dead-horse e-mail files. Marketers will also have to keep an eye out for more sophisticated hacker attacks as well as election-spurred legislation to address cyber-security. For his complete forecast, see http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2134717/2012-email-marketing-predictions

E-Commerce Hits New High in Holiday Retail Sales

2011-12-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

E-commerce sales climbed to $35.3 billion for the November-December holiday season through Dec. 25, up 15% compared with the same time period last year, according to the latest comScore report. Not only did Cyber Monday e-tail sales increase 22% year-over-year, online sales even rose Christmas Day as consumers loaded up new devices with digital content purchases. Overall, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates holiday retail sales will be up 3.8%, above the 10-year average but behind the 5.2% of last year. E-commerce was a key driver, with the NRF finding that the average consumer planned to do 38% of holiday shopping online. Also, price-shopping via mobile devices played a greater role this year, agreed comScore and the NRF. For more details, see http://www.dmnews.com/report-e-commerce-sales-up-this-holiday-season/article/221020/

Experts See Mobile 'Revolution' in B2B Marketing

2011-12-27T10:05:00.001-08:00

Looking for a b-to-b New Year's resolution? Put more money into mobile marketing! According to a new forecast by Berg Insight, the global mobile ad market will expand six-fold between 2010 and 2016, taking mobile advertising from 3.8% of worldwide ad spending to 15.2%. For more see, http://b2bnewsportal.com/ That backs up recent opinions at "The BtoB Forum: Mobile Marketing," where experts cited current b-to-b mobile success stories, from small shops to aircraft giant Boeing Co., and urged companies to invest now for the coming "revolution." Per keynote speaker Karsten Weide, VP-research, digital media and entertainment at IDC: "Even today, our research indicates that more than 50% (of users) access the Internet through a mobile device. And by 2015, it will grow to 90%, when more people go online via their mobile device than on a computer. It's nothing less than a revolution. It's going to be a total seismic change in how we use the Internet." For details, see http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111116/EVENT02/311169990

E-mailers Know Data Counts, But Few Use It Well

2011-12-22T10:22:00.001-08:00

Emailvision's recent survey of global online marketers reinforced the continuing commitment to e-mail marketing (90%), but many of the 700 interviewed also admitted they failed to do even the most basic targeting! For example, only 20% personalize all e-mail. The majority (85%) said the consumer data they have acquired is not being put to use effectively, if at all. Only a little over half (55%) were satisfied with their ability to undertake basic targeting and segmentation. For more detail on the survey, see http://www.bizreport.com/2011/12/email-marketers-realize-importance-of-data-few-using-it.html

67% of Small Firms Won't Boost Social Media Spend

2011-12-20T09:51:00.001-08:00

While 88% of small businesses say they think an investment in social media helps the bottom line, two-thirds don't want to put more money toward the channel in 2012, according to a new report by SocialStrategy1 and Office Arrow. A survey of 343 execs at firms with less than 10 employees found 67% don't plan to increase social media spending next year. Why the ambivalence? Many say they are overwhelmed by demands on time and personnel. For more report details, see http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/small-business-social-media-study_b15921

Study: Over Half of Social Media Marketing Ignored

2011-12-15T10:03:00.001-08:00

As many as half of all social media marketing campaigns are going unnoticed globally, according to a new study by TNS, a global research consultancy. In fact, in developed markets, 57% of consumers say they don't want to engage with brands via social media, rising to 60% in the U.S., notes Matthew Froggart, TNS chief development officer. As a result, misguided strategies are creating "digital waste" that pollutes social media channels and makes it even harder for branding efforts to be heard. Froggart advises that, while the study found great potential for brand engagement on social media, companies need to more carefully craft their digital campaigns. For more detail, see http://www.tnsglobal.com/news/news-04A0B352BC1F43A49A27338D6BEDC006.aspx

Online College Uses Postcards to Rocket Enrollment

2011-12-13T10:45:00.001-08:00

Here's an impressive example of direct mail outperforming online for education marketing: Lakewood College, a two-year nonprofit online school, vastly increased its enrollment levels of military-affiliated students with a postcard marketing program this summer. Starting with a 10,000-piece drop in June and following up with 30,000 pieces in July, Lakewood enrolled 300 students, according to Tonya Higgins, president of the 525-student, Lakewood, Ohio-based institution. That compares to just 45 students recruited from the military last year when the school relied on online ads, search and PR. For details on the postcard campaign, see http://chiefmarketer.com/direct/print/school-postcard-effort-makes-enrollments-surge-1026-lar2/?YM_MID=1268168&YM_RID=jan%2540lexinet.net

Online Giant Google Is a Global 'Snail Mail' Leader

2011-12-08T11:06:00.001-08:00

Here's an eye-opener for all those who preach that digital marketing is making "snail mail" obsolete: High-tech icon Google invests significantly in low-tech direct mail. In fact, Google is one of the largest direct mailers globally, using direct mail to attract new clients and grow revenue. For a peak at Google's direct mail tactics, see http://www.thedirectmailman.com/direct_mail_answers_for_p/2011/08/how-google-uses-direct-mail-marketing-to-grow-its-business.html

DMA Urges USPS to Drop Exigent Rate Hike Plea

2011-12-06T11:15:00.001-08:00

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), Association for Postal Commerce, Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, and MPA-The Association of Magazine Media, have joined to ask the Postmaster General to withdraw the Postal Service (USPS) request for a $2.3 billion exigent (above inflation) postage increase. This increase would be over and above the announced inflation-capped postage increases scheduled for Jan. 22, 2012. The DMA warns that just the possibility of an exigent rate hike casts a "pall of uncertainty" over mailing plans that can lead to cuts in mail volume and thus USPS revenue. The USPS just ended fiscal 2011 with a smaller net loss of $5.1 billion, down from $8.5 billion in 2010. While first-class volume fell, shipping service and standard mail volume climbed. For the DMA release, see http://technews.tmcnet.com/news/2011/12/06/5974718.htm

Some Subject Line Tactics Boost E-mail Opens

2011-12-01T12:53:00.001-08:00

Worldata Research has found several e-mail subject line tactics significantly boost open rates. For b-to-b offers, putting the recipient's company name in the subject line increases open rates by 22%, for example. See http://listpriceindex.com/ Meanwhile, "where have you been?" in a subject line to contacts can boost open rates by 34%, Worldata reports. But you need to be patient as you monitor consumer response, the company adds. In sending consumer acquisition e-mail, over 30% of click activity occurs after day 3 of a deployment.