From productivity and revenue to a deeper understanding of customer behavior, businesses are living and dying by their CRM data

The need for that data is growing, too. CRM as an industry is expected to boom to over $40 billion by the end of 2017. Meanwhile, the ROI of a well-implemented CRM system is nothing to scoff at, with oft-cited stats ranging anywhere from $5.60 for every dollar spent to $8.71 and beyond. But as is the case when dealing with heaps of data, organizations oftentimes to fall into one of two traps: Those looking at their organizations’ data are drowning in it, completely overwhelmed and in over their heads in terms of what their CRM numbers actually mean. Companies are making data-driven decisions thanks to CRM; however, they’re not focused on the most prudent elements of their business. These problems plague marketers in particular. Econsultancy notes that only 33% of…

Predictive Analytics is the future of marketing

Okay, so that title might be a tad misleading. Especially when you consider my knowledge of football is on a par with my knowledge of forensic mineralogy (a rock is a rock, right?). But I do know about predictions. The hyperbole about Predictive Analytics and its potential power to affect marketing has really ramped up in the last few months. Current industry commentary places Predictive Analytics, in terms of power and effectiveness on the far side of miracles, and in terms of its complexity, on a par with Stephen Hawking’s ‘A brief history of time’.

So, I agree with the general thrust of one of those.

The results. The results are phenomenal. They really are startling – to the extent that I’m looking at our client’s results and going back to our Head of Insight because there’s clearly a mis-type here (there isn’t).  But if we…

The introduction of GDPR may have temporarily isolated the EU customer base

Another day, another GDPR post. This is not to be taken as tongue in cheek, it is the result of a grand change in the laws that govern data privacy in the EU. These changes are having an effect not only on EU borders but around the globe. I’m going to be looking at a few examples of how GDPR has caused the global digital landscape to change. [si_guide_block id="99357" title="Download our Premium Resource – GDPR Briefing for marketing professionals" description="Our round-up and recommendations on practical steps to comply with European Union data protection and privacy legislation."/]

The fear factor

GDPR has struck fear into a lot of businesses that fall inside the EU borders with the idea of costly lawsuits being the main deterrents. It would be crippling to a lot of businesses in a PR sense and in turn, a…

Facebook advertising predictions and Facebook advertising are one and the same: always evolving. With that in mind, as an advertiser, it’s crucial to stay up-to-date with the exciting opportunities available to market your product and brand, on the world's biggest social platform.

In this article, I discuss five Facebook advertising predictions you should know about to conquer 2018. [si_guide_block id="14062" title="Making the business case for investment in digital marketing" description="Strengthen your arguments to get budget by proving the value of digital marketing to your colleagues"/]

Prediction #1: Personalized subscription products will gain more attention

It’s no secret that shoppers like personalized experiences. It’s also no secret that they like personalized products delivered straight to their door with no fuss. Think Amazon Prime Wardrobe, meal-kit delivery service Blue Apron, and Dollar Shave Club, which all provide a customized subscription box service. These services…

See the latest email marketing and automation statistics to help benchmark your current performance and plan improvements

We've recently updated our State of email marketing report, Email Marketing and Marketing Automation Excellence report 2018, in partnership with GetResponse. This year's report shares some interesting findings from an analysis based on over 500 respondents working in a senior position across B2C, B2B or both. Use our findings to help benchmark your current performance and map digital improvements. Throughout the report, we highlight the features businesses should try and start implementing straight away, whilst exploring how current marketing automation is used in the industry. The report covers a range email marketing and automation results, challenges and use of features, including: Investment in Email Marketing Evaluation and tracking Targeting Communication strategy Testing and optimization Open and CTRs based on industry Lead generation Read our summary below, or download the full report today, for free. [si_guide_block id="59002"…

Chart of the Day: Average Product Page View, Add-to-cart and conversion to sale rates for eretailers

In our compilation of average ecommerce conversion rates we compare different sources, showing the challenge of converting retail site visitors to add-to-basket sessions and sale. I'm sharing this funnel-based view of the conversion process since it also shows the conversion rates to product page views which aren't published so often: As would be expected, the number of sessions with product page views is much higher than the other micro-conversions, approaching 50 percent. This provides a useful benchmark and prompts retailers that it's useful to track conversion to product page views when making site design improvements. It also reminds us of the value of following up on interest in specific products and categories via sending personalized browse abandon emails which is the focus of the post where I…

Using urgency as a tool to drive conversions

Successful marketing strategies focus on changing the way target audiences behave. To do this well, marketers need to understand how people think. It’s no wonder, then, that the most effective marketing principles have their basis in psychology. One of the most relevant psychological principles that can be applied to eCommerce is urgency.  In this blog post, we unpick the psychology of urgency and show you nine ways you can use it to increase conversions.

How urgency influences behavior

When a task is urgent, people are more likely to act on it. Interestingly, this is even the case when the sense of urgency is artificially created. Five experiments in a 2018 study showed when unimportant tasks are characterized by spurious urgency (e.g. an illusion of expiration) people are more likely to perform them over more important tasks. This psychological principle is called the “mere urgency effect”. Marketers in…

You can add smarts to your experience in one of two main ways: either by adding human intelligence - and with it, a dose of empathy or by adding an automated form of intelligence

‘Work smarter, not harder’ has always been my mantra. While I haven’t always been able to achieve this, it’s still a noble goal. Thankfully, with the latest technologies and sales techniques, it’s now easier than ever to create smarter - and better converting - e-commerce shopping experiences. You can add smarts to your experience in one of two main ways: either by adding human intelligence - and with it, a dose of empathy, or by adding an automated form of intelligence (empathy not included?). On the human side, I’ll share how to plug in online chat agents, and incorporate some neuromarketing principles into your designs. On the automation side, I’ll discuss…

Our round-up from the inaugural digital event

Last week I attended the very first Nottingham Digital Summit, conceived, managed and led by local agency Hallam to champion digital excellence in the city of Nottingham. The event included an interesting mix of inspiration, innovation and insight across a range of digital disciplines, from UX and SEO through to content marketing and design. What’s more, the conference supported a good cause, raising over £15,000 for Framework, a Nottingham-based housing association dedicated to delivering opportunities to homeless and vulnerable people across the East Midlands. There was a lot to take in and digest from the summit and the Hallam team did a brilliant job of summarising in detail all the different sessions. I would recommend taking the time to review these individual round-ups, which also include links to the speakers and their slides. With this in mind, rather than providing a…

Both brands and consumers are stories in progress - such stories not only simplify what could otherwise be complex facts; they unite everyone in a commonly recognized purpose

Storytelling is as old as gathering beneath the evening skies around a campfire to listen to tales, which make people laugh, cry and even question themselves. People think narratively. Filmmakers like the Coen Brothers or Steven Spielberg vividly illustrate the point.

Jungian Archetypes

As a brand psychologist, I often equate the story’s ‘hero’ to the classical ‘hero’ as explained in Jungian archetypes.

Jungian archetypes are prototypes in the human mind.  Whilst they are developed, they are neither learned nor acquired.  Their core is embedded in our DNA.

Often people mistake that the hero’s purpose is to make the brand the story’s champion.  Whilst certainly gallant, like all great heroic leaders, the brand’s true purpose is to…