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WHITE P A P E R
Web 2.0
Engagement Marketing
5 Steps to Unrivaled Results
For some, this shift from marketer-centric to customer-centric messag- data, but they often lack the resources and necessary integration
ing poses unique challenges that can sometimes make online market- between applications to make it happen. While tools for creating
ing seem more like a minefield than a discipline. But the availability of one-to-one messaging are available, marketers find most to be too
exciting new tools, tactics and strategies for developing highly relevant complex, difficult or time-consuming to use.
messages is actually making it easier than ever to create and execute
even the most complex campaigns. For engagement marketers who connect with customers using
e-mail as a key part of their messaging mix, the medium’s success
How is this possible? The next pages will explore the Internet phenom- is its greatest hindrance. Even though most messages are broadcast
enon known as “Web 2.0” that is reshaping the Internet and helping or only minimally personalized, email marketing still brings a $57.25
marketers deliver the types of highly relevant communications recipients return for every dollar spent, according to the Direct Marketing
demand. This Silverpop white paper will also share five techniques for Association.1 So since even the most basic email campaigns are
staying competitive and achieving high returns in a Web 2.0 world. highly profitable, it becomes easy to relegate sophisticated tactics to
the list of “things to do later.”
What is Web 2.0?
A lack of any set standards makes the term difficult to pin down. Some But engagement marketing programs high in relevance and low in
say Web 2.0 speaks primarily to the inherent nature of the Internet as effort are possible. New tools and little-used tactics that draw on Web
a social medium. Others say it refers to a second phase of architecture 2.0 technologies can take your campaigns to new levels of success.
and application development for the Web.
The term is used most often to describe the ongoing transition of the Key Characteristics of Web 2.0 Applications
Internet from a collection of read-only Web sites to an interactive,
• Allows users to control their own data
interlinked platform emphasizing reciprocity and facilitating sharing and
collaboration between users. This new generation of Web-based com- • Software as a service, not a packaged product
munities and hosted services encompasses technologies such as blogs, • A rich, interactive and user-friendly interface
wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts, application program interfaces (APIs) and • Cost-effective scalability
interactive online services such as eBay and Google Maps.
• Architecture of participation
When marketers attempt to understand the rules for success in a Web • Harnessing of collective intelligence, i.e., ability to hyper-link across
2.0 world, they soon recognize that there exists exciting opportuni- Web sites, or post customer ratings and reviews
ties for those who understand its nature and successfully harness its
Source: Tim O’Reilly, “What is Web 2.0,” Sept. 2005
capabilities. They recognize the value of implementing sophisticated
campaigns that incorporate Web analytics, dynamic content or survey
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Engagement Marketing Solutions W H ISURVEY
TE PAPER
www.silverpop.com 1-866-SILVPOP (745-8767) © 2009 Copyright Silverpop. All rights reserved. The Silverpop logo is a registered trademark of Silverpop Systems Inc. 3
Engagement Marketing Solutions W H ISURVEY
TE PAPER
Your marketing technology provider should have well-established must look beyond opens and clicks. Fortunately, a few sophisticated
partnerships in place to facilitate any necessary technical integra- engagement marketing platforms now offer reporting and analytics
tion between platforms. Major marketing technology providers can that let marketers easily consolidate massive volumes of raw data
enable a process for regularly updating your email database with the into relevant, simple and actionable information. Analyzing the re-
wealth of customer-rich data available from various other marketing sults of your campaigns can help you learn the answer to questions
platforms. that can boost results. For example:
3. Talk to customers individually • How do the open, click and conversion rates of frequent pur-
chasers compare to those of occasional purchasers?
Individualized messages go beyond basic personalization. Incorpo- • Are there geographic differences in results?
rating Web 2.0 technologies allows marketers to deliver completely • How do demographics such as gender, income level and age
different messages for each recipient within a single campaign. impact someone’s likelihood to forward a message or click on a
Engagement marketers are familiar with this technique—it’s called specific link?
dynamic content. But not all dynamic content engines are the same.
Some can handle only a few elements; others manage thousands or As online marketing databases morph into highly efficient, integrated
millions. Some dynamic content engines support only one element data warehouses, they are increasingly able to quickly analyze millions
per message while others accommodate unlimited
Engagement elements.
Marketing And,
Solutions of responses on virtually any dimension and produce an unprecedented
most importantly, some require highly technical and complex setup. level of insight and detail for marketers. By analyzing responses, you can
However, a select few solutions make it no more difficult to implement dramatically improve targeting and deliver highly relevant messages that
dynamic content than it takes to create the message itself. generate much higher response rates and returns.
Because dynamic content allows you to build messages piece by 5. Build Brand Along with ROI
piece based on specific recipient characteristics, it is one of the best
marketing techniques for improving targeting, controlling frequency As marketing programs continue to shift to the online medium, tra-
and driving relevancy all at the same time. Whether you send to your ditional branding efforts are taking on new complexities. In addition
entire list or a subset of your list, dynamic content allows you to to to generating tangible returns, every message also creates a brand
send fewer messages and get better responses. impression, and email’s ability to inspire brand recognition and
loyalty as well as generate sales will have far-reaching implications
And yet, despite a proven ability to lift response and increase for companies and marketing organizations.
relevance, marketers have shied away from incorporating dynamic
content into their messaging because of its complexity and difficulty, To build a strong brand through engagement marketing, consider
opting instead in many cases for simple segmentation techniques (if these best practices :
they segment at all). But marketers working with one of the select
number of sophisticated marketing technology providers have found • Use your brand name in the email subject and/or “from” line.
that integrated platforms take away much of the pain, leaving all of • Position your company logo prominently, and make sure that it
the gain of dynamic content. In fact, JupiterResearch found that 44 is always visible within the preview pane.
percent of email marketers using an ESP incorporate dynamic content • Use imagery and colors that evoke your brand consistently
into their campaigns, compared to just 25 percent who use in-house across marketing channels. Engagement marketing campaigns
applications.2 Marketing technology providers like Silverpop have that look and feel like the company’s other online and offline
streamlined the use of dynamic content with rich user interfaces, campaigns can enhance recognition and boost the results of
making it easy to create and insert rules, preview messages and save, multichannel marketing efforts.
import and export rulesets. • Above all, establish and cultivate trust. Your customer’s inbox is
cherished online real estate. Always deliver relevant messages,
Dynamic content delivers substantial benefits, particularly in a Web and at an appropriate frequency.
2.0 world, where consumers demand higher levels of relevance than
ever before. Marketing campaigns based on dynamic content help Conclusion
companies enhance customer relationships, loyalty and lifetime value.
As you develop and cultivate an enterprise marketing strategy for the
4. Dive into Analytics Web 2.0 world, keep these five key takeaways in mind:
The online marketing world revolves around data. If you want to • Within a permission-based relationship, marketers can gather and
understand more specifically how your mailings are performing, you use attributable data to build unprecedented customer insights.
www.silverpop.com 1-866-SILVPOP (745-8767) © 2009 Copyright Silverpop. All rights reserved. The Silverpop logo is a registered trademark of Silverpop Systems Inc. 4
Engagement Marketing Solutions W H ISURVEY
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• Unlike traditional broadcast- and direct-marketing techniques, In today’s era of two-way online communication, a marketing message
engagement marketers can use this detailed data to create is an invitation to begin or continue a conversation, and is a vital tool for
messaging that customers find individually meaningful. building lasting and profitable customer relationships. Email and other
• By drawing on a rich store of attributable data, engagement software-on-demand solutions are making this not only possible, but
marketers have the ability to actually give customers what they even easy for marketers. The new Software-as-a-Service models have
want, and to do so in a way that is transparent and welcomed. freed marketers from the shackles of the IT department and created a
• Data is becoming easier to bring together and act on through new environment in which marketers don’t have to be technologists to
techniques such as incorporating Web analytics or survey data into use technology. Web 2.0 technology is allowing marketers to create,
the email database. execute and measure campaigns more quickly, easily and efficiently
• The availability of powerful and usable marketing applications than ever.
finally is giving marketers the ability to create complex campaigns
quickly and easily, enabling them to realize the promise of one-to- FOOTNOTES
one relationship marketing: high lifetime ROI and strong customer 1. “Power of Direct,” Direct Marketing Association, October 2006
engagement. 2. “The ROI of E-mail Relevance,” JupiterResearch, May 2005
Visit us at www.silverpop.com
Complex email campaigns rich with graphics and high relevance build
customer loyalty and achieve high returns. But as busy tacticians, many
marketers don’t always have the time, ability or tools to get the job done
efficiently and effectively. In fact, most engagement marketing solutions
simply don’t offer the advanced capabilities needed, or are too difficult
and time consuming to use with any regularity. Or, they can’t scale to
meet the growing demands of your marketing program.
Exploit the Full Benefits of Dynamic Content Silverpop Engage 7.2 removes the impediments keeping you from
While most email marketing solutions make including dynamic content being as productive and effective as possible. Visit
in messaging a complex hassle, Silverpop Engage 7.2 streamlines the www.silverpop.com to see the demo today.
www.silverpop.com 1-866-SILVPOP (745-8767) © 2009 Copyright Silverpop. All rights reserved. The Silverpop logo is a registered trademark of Silverpop Systems Inc. 5