5 Things Consumers Want From Digital Marketers

A useful report from Exact Target who have not only researched what consumers value from digital marketers, but also applied sound thinking to suggest what to do next, a mini guide of sorts. We've taken our spin on the report below.

1. In a multi-channel world, consumers still value email

Though of course Exact Target would say that, their research with 1,500 consumers helps them to justify it. Even logically, email communications remain the easiest way to receive updates from brands whereas social channels are not (yet) achieving the same levels of reach for most of us. So what's the advice?

• The most important advice here is to have a clear purpose for each channel - why should the consumer connect on Facebook, follow you on Twitter or subscribe for email updates? Help them understand the value (for them!) in why they should become a fan, follower and subscriber - avoid the plain random "like us on Facebook" type requests.
• Ensure email remains a clear option for marketing communications at any point of data capture. Whether the visitor is requesting promotional updates or entering a sweepstake, re-state the importance of email and what the person can expect.
• Cross-promote channel benefits to customers. When you have a strategic purpose for each channel, and therefore a benefit to the consumer, it's easier to promote each channel. For example, an email opt-in box in a relevant tab on your Facebook page to receive the latest product offers or useful updates, or a Facebook link on emails to encourage joining the conversation with your brand.
• Promote social sharing. Emails are a good place to allow consumers to "share this", just as they might easily forward the email itself. Again, remember to provide that reason why.

2. Play to the strengths of various communications channels for your brand

Exact Target's research indicates 56% of email subscribers are email subscribers only, yet a large and growing overlap occurs where 32% of subscribers are also Fans on Facebook, 4% are following the brand on Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to email. This reveals opportunity to develop a considered multi-touch strategy that takes integrated email seriously, think about:

• Listening and learning from the wider conversation, be a great participant at least on your own outposts, including Facebook, and ideally use free or paid software to take a wider view, listening out for brand / brand competitor mentions. Don't forget to use other sources such as blog interactions or conversations with customer services - they're all sources of learning and inspiration.
• Co-ordinate multi-channel communications and care about the quality of those as touch-points. It's not about sales promotion in more channels (yes, you know who you are!). Don't under-estimate the value of quality dialogue and interaction when so few brands do it at all, let alone do it well. That reminds me of Hugh McLeaod's cartoon above.
• Automate the routine or mundane communications to free up time. This has never been easier, there are great tools now to at least semi automate communications for the important but mostly operational messaging. This free's up more time to do the above work and set about inspiring your audience.

3. Interactions and connections with brands increases the consumer's likelihood of purchase

37% of Twitter followers are more likely to buy, as are 27% of email subscribers according to Exact Target's research. It would be interesting to see the difference of those who are both subscribers and followers, too? Anyway - the opportunity here is to reward that attention and loyalty, and interact with people as individuals, consider:

• Digging into the data, what type of "lead" - subscriber, fan or follower - is worth more to you? Think about repeat and high value customers as well as order value. Why is that and what can you do about it in terms of rewarding their attention?
• Don't make any one channel so exclusive that not using it is a negative on the brand experience, I might not be a big Twitter user, for example. Instead, encourage a cross-channel relationship - refer back to that strategic purpose for those channels.
• Reward loyalty and support based on online interaction irrespective of the channel, otherwise it's only going to mean alienating some people and discriminating based upon channel.

4. Know and respect your consumers online habits

Exact Target found that 58% of users start their day checking email, whereas only 11% start by checking Facebook. Why would that be that case and what are the take-aways for you to think about and test?:

• Use data to understand individual channels and test the effectiveness of them. This could be as simple as what email frequency and timing gets the best open rates, for example. When do you get best interactions on Facebook - late at night, in the morning - or by doing both?
• Survey your customers - how often do they actually want to hear from you, and about what exactly, test that and monitor the changes in performance - open rate and CTR for example.
• Use data to evolve the purpose of those channels and treat them individually - if you know Twitter is predominantly used for quick lunchtime updates in the working day, then what can you do with that information?

5. 90% of consumers have been motivated enough to have broken up with one or more brands via Facebook or email

Whether it's through frustration or sheer irrelevance, the learning here of course is keeping your brand in the heart and mind of the consumer in a way that adds value, and doesn't waste time:

• Once again, remember the purpose for those channels - purpose enables you to communicate what the consumer can expect from you, if you're emailing offers once per week then say so from the outset.
• Keep content fresh and interesting, crowd-source ideas around what people will value from you - that feedback is something you'll pay a fortune for if the wheels fell off of your marketing programme so why wait until it goes wrong before you seek to learn? The tools are here now.
• Monitor the data - are important KPI's going from red to green? Recognise if particular consumer segments are disengaging from you and do something to again earn their interest.
• Learn why someone fell out with your brand, the least you can do is ensure you don't repeatedly make the same mistakes. Consider a simple email survey, anything, that allows you to extract that final, valuable piece of information.

What would you add to these 5 things - any advice or learning to share from your experience?