Different devices, different circumstances, different content

comScore recently released new insights on consumer video consumption usage on tablets. The main insight tht they gather is that the majority of tablet users watch video on their device. The report finds: 

Tablets have quickly reached a critical mass in the U.S. with 1 in every 4 smartphone owners using tablets during the three-month average period ending April 2012. The study also found that tablet users were nearly three times more likely to watch video on their device compared to smartphone users, with 1 in every 10 tablet users viewing video content almost daily on their device.

When looking at the content consumption more than half of tablet users watched video and/or TV content on versus just 20% of smartphone users. It's not a shocker that a device with a bigger screen gives a better experience and therefore gets more video usage.

Source: comScore. June, 2012. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2012/6/Majority_of_Tablet_Users_Watch_Video_on_their_DeviceWhat this means for marketers

When a brand is creating great content it has to think of how it's distributing that content. When coming up with a distribution strategy (whether that's via a QR code on package, via social media, :30 TV spot, etc.) there are a few things to keep in consideration and questions to answer:

• Different devices What device will they be using (smartphone, computer, tablet)?
• Different content Where will this person be watching this video (in aisle, on the couch, on the bus, at work)?
• Different circumstance What do we want the person to do after they consumer the video (share, comment, enter a sweepstakes)?

• Are people on the go or are they at home?
• Will this be a planned interaction or a spontaneous interaction?
• Will sound be necessary to get the message across or is it mainly visual?
• How long is the video?

Watching video is one of the dominant activities people do when they're connected. Depending on the device and circumstance will dictate Their engagement and interest level. Plan accordingly.

PS - You might want to follow us on Twitter, we tweet really cool stuff.

What we're reading - May 31, 2012

Afraid you won't have anything to read this weekend? Well fear not, because here's a round up of some of our favorite articles we've read this week. Enjoy! (PS - You might want to follow us on Twitter, we tweet really cool stuff! :)

• Video highlights of Tim Cook at the All Things D conference via MacRumors
• Mary Meeker's 2012 internet trends report via All Things D
  • Here's our key takeaways for marketers from the report, btw
• Why startups need to hustle via Mashable
• How people look at your Pinterest boards via Mashable

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Quick steps to improve your email effectiveness

Image: JoelGoldstein.com

Email continues to be one of the most important communication channels you can use to keep in touch, and upsell, your customers. But are you using it to it's full potential? Below are some steps you can implement immediately to increase its effectiveness.

List Segmentation

If you have a list, for example, with 100,000 subscribers chances are that they did not all signup at the same time. This is even more true if signups come through the product registration. A simple way to deliver the most interesting and engaging content to these subscribers is by segmenting the list. You can put subscribers into different buckets such as: 

• Registered product type
• Interests (offers vs. news vs. industry thought leadership)
• Sign-up date
• Location 

Content is not one-size-fits-all and the more targeted the content you can deliver you will better results such as: open rate, click-through-rate (CTR) and ROI.

Subject line testing

Taking the same approach that not all content is appropriate for all people, this goes for subject lines. ASubject lines are one of the most important things in doing email marketing, but are also one of the easiest things to test. Some factors you can test in the subject lines are: 

• Personalization (i.e. first name)
• Subject line type 
  • General (example: Your June 2012 newsletter)
  • Offer specific (example: Save $XXX through Friday!)
  • Headline specific (example: Learn why [xxxxx] is important to your business)

Every industry and every list is different so the only way to find out which subject line is the best for you is to test. Most email service providers (ESPs) have this functionality built into their platform so you can, and should, start subject line testing today.

Connect with social media

Email and social media are first cousins if not siblings. If people are interested in your email communications (because we've been subject line testing, segmenting our lists and creating engaging content) we can help promote other channels that help drive sales.

Do you have an awesome blog? Great then the click-through on the article should go to the blog. Have a cool promotion starting on Facebook? Have the user click through to Facebook. Also including the icons of other social networks you're on are great so people can go to where they want. 

With email you can direct people to where helps you get conversions from either new or existing customers. If your open rate and CTR aren't 100%, then there's always room to test, learn and then test some more.

What are some techniques that help you improve your email effectiveness?

What we're reading - May 25, 2012

Here are some articles we've read recently and wanted to share them with you (if you haven't read them already). If you find some time in between naps and grilling out this long memorial day weekend, enjoy!

How search, social media and content accelerate your business via Social Media Examiner

• Here's our take on that subject too :)

How Apple rumors spread via TechCrunch

• Just for fun, how you and Apple can have the same marketing department

A look at smartphone users in the U.S. via Nielsen

Is your landing page copy outsmarting your prospects? via Crazy Egg

These are just a few of the things we're reading. You might want to follow us on Twitter, we tweet cool stuff.

The importance of engaging content

Content marketing is quickly becoming one of the most important factors in today's digital landscape. If you're not creating content, you're not doing digital marketing. With digital marketing channels so closely integrated, it's important that customers and prospects get the answers they're looking for.

Let's take a look at the benefits on engaging content in three important areas:

Social Media

Engaging content in social media should be a given. When it comes to social it's all about the content and not the channel (Facebook vs. Twitter vs. Pinterest etc.). Think of content as social currency and the better the currency, the more likely it's going to be shared. Your customers should be your biggest brand ambassadors and you must give them tools (great content) to be able to evangelize for you.

When you are developing your social content strategy keep in mind that you don't need different content for each social channel, but you can repurpose content to make your budget stretch further.

Search

It's likely that most of the traffic to your site is going to come from organic search. Engaging content will get shared and, more importantly, linked to so it shows up in search results. Knowing the keywords that are important to your company should be strategically inserted. Content that educates and interests your customers and validates your industry knowledge are critical.

An article on Social Media Examiner titled "How Search, Social Media and Content Accelerate Your Business" that talks about this specific topic. One of our favorite lines in there is:

You must publish, you must tell stories and you must become interesting to your customers so that they find, like and trust you.

That has never been more true because creating great content and ranking high in search will lead to an increase in...

Customer Acquisition

It's important to know which channels are driving the most direct conversions, but it's also to know which channels are assisting in those conversions. For example, let's say most people may convert the most when they come directly from paid search, but they may need 4 visits to your site before converting. It's critical to know where people are coming from the three times before they convert.

Search and social media may not be the last touch for someone before they decide to purchase, but they will most certainly play a role in the decision making process. You need to be where your customers are (Social) and show up when they have questions (Search).

There's a new tool in Google Analytics called "Multi-Channel Funnels" and it shows the tops paths people take before they make a conversion. 

Keep an eye on where people are coming from so you can make strategic decisions on where to be and where to put your great content.