Loyalty programs are important nowadays as there is stiff competition among companies to win customers. According to a research by Gartner, it was found that 50 per cent of customers cited loyalty programs as the key differentiator between brands. It also shows that these schemes play a key part in the decision process, and therefore right type of engagement is vital in building long-term relationships with customers. Brands also need to consider consistency of message with consumers now using a number of different ways to communicate with providers. In this article by Adam Goran (Divisional Director for Customer Engagement at Grass Roots Group), writes about some key rules of engagement that brands should follow to revive their customer loyalty programs. To know more, follow:  http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/customer-experience/how-not-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-key-rules-of-customer-engagement/1206

Today’s consumers are always connected by mobiles. According to a report by Forbes it was found that 90 percent of mobile searches lead to action, more than half lead to sale, and 74 percent of people use their mobile phones for shopping. Mobiles are used for connecting with consumers to stay ahead in competition and is also used to enhance consumer loyalty. Companies can tailor their mobile marketing by using subscriber data – known as “mobile context” – to offer messaging that drives customer behavior. Mobile context means mobile usage patterns, shopping behaviors and brand affiliations to build a model that predicts what offers will motivate a user. To know more, follow article link by Todd Thayer (Syniverse Vice President of Product Management, Enterprise and Intelligence Solutions): http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/mobile-digital-marketing/for-better-customer-engagement-it-s-time-to-go-mobile/1202

According to advertising industry, effective frequency is the number of times a person is exposed to an advertising message before a response is made and before exposure is considered wasteful. In advertisement industry, finding the optimal frequency of an ad is the key. In mobile advertisement industry, repeated exposure to ads, specifically at key points in the purchase cycle can positively change consumer awareness and over exposure can create negative sentiment. In case of mobile ad, higher frequency is needed. To know more, follow: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-advertising/re-defining-mobile-advertising-frequency/1205

An organization can convert information into customer intelligence to strengthen relationships and maximize profits by integrating Knowledge management (KM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Knowledge management (KM) is the practice of identifying, capturing, distributing, and using information for a company’s benefit and CRM is all about data. The more information a CRM system receives, the better it performs. When a CRM system is integrated with the KM system, it creates an environment in which employees can share insights for the benefit of the company and the customer and customer knowledge remains with the company regardless of turnover or job changes. KM integration helps only if the database is properly maintained and employees actually use the application. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/knowledge-management-can-make-your-crm-project-a-success-64662

Nowadays organizations are adapting mobile as a marketing channel to meet the needs of consumer behavior. To increase customer loyalty, organizations are making mobile specific sites, device optimized applications, innovative user experiences. But, due to fragmented landscape, multiple operating systems, consumer identification, privacy and security features marketers cannot reach their target customers. These challenges will always be there for marketers but time has come to explore different avenues. So, location based marketing has become important to marketers. To know more about location based marketing, follow  Pravin Kumar Shanmugam (Digital Consultant at Mindtree)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/add-location-in-to-your-existing-marketing-strategy/1200

Mobile plays an important role in today’s marketing world. So, we need to answer some questions like timings to push mobile messages, how long the notifications be and what should be the messages. In a recent survey it was found that the average click rate—defined as the percentage of users who actually clicked a push notification upon receiving it from an app—was 5.5% across all messages and the click rate for individual notifications varied widely based on the content of the messages and when they were sent. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26511/best-practices-for-sending-mobile-push-messages

Earlier it was easy for marketers to advertise as there were few TV channels, newspapers and magazines. In this digital age, marketers need to identify and communicate benefits to consumers. Greg Satell writes in his article about some principles that will guide the marketers in today’s world. Read more at: : http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/16/4-principles-of-marketing-strategy-in-the-digital-age/

Organizations must sell their products in such a way that it improves the lives of people and to do that you have to make a person feel – not think. Emotional branding is all about feeling and that feeling doesn't even need to be directly connected to the brand. Jeannette de Beauvoir (principal at Harbor Marketing Associates), writes in her article about some tips on how to launch an emotional branding campaign for your company or product. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26405/five-tips-for-effective-emotional-branding

In a recent survey it was found that 64% of respondents believe mobile is a critical channel for engaging customers and 39% of respondents say they have either not tried to integrate their mobile strategy or do not have a mobile strategy to begin with. To know more, follow: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26504/the-state-of-mobile-marketing-strategy

Online sales is a common phenomenon nowadays. Companies need to focus on some strategies to boost online sales. One of the most important strategies is to make sure your online store design is appealing. To get more tips about online sales, follow Veronica Maria Jarski (senior writer at MarketingProfs)’s article link: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/26526/14-marketing-tactics-to-drive-online-sales-and-apps-to-execute-them-infographic

A recent report from Burst Media, found that 53% of US consumers will use a mobile device to research or purchase products this holiday season. Among these active mobile shoppers, 59% say they will use their devices to assist in making holiday online purchases, and 46% say they will do so to help with offline purchases. It was also found that consumers with smartphones/tablets also plan to use their mobile devices during the holiday season to compare product prices (62%) and read product reviews (54%). Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26468/mobile-shopping-behavior-during-the-holiday-season

Social amplification is a very useful tool for marketing strategy. But what is social amplification? Social amplification helps brands to amplify the reach of organic content and grow a community of loyal customers. It also helps brands reach the right audience through social networks. Jennifer Landry (freelance writer) in her article writes about paid social amplification. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/26513/how-to-use-paid-social-amplification-for-your-brand-infographic

In a recent report from FOLIO and Lyris, it was found that 54% of companies in the publishing industry say list growth is a major email marketing pain point. Other top email pain points include dynamic content (42% cite as an issue), list maintenance (41%), mobile optimization (33%), analytics (33%), content automation (29%), and segmentation (30%). Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26493/publishers-top-email-marketing-pain-points

Definition of customer loyalty is changing as the digital revolution is helping consumers to be more media literate. Nowadays a mobile app can make a real difference. Apps allow us to create a shopping and loyalty experience where a brand demonstrates their promise. Apps can also learn about customers by phone and usage data, and can communicate through a personalized message. To know more, follow: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-apps/growing-loyalty-through-apps/1179

To measure CRM one must choose the right metrics. It is the most important decision you will have to make when you launch a CRM program. Metrics should be meaningful i.e. they should relate directly to the outcome desired. It should also be achievable. To know more, follow: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/making-crm-metrics-work-64584

Consumers provide their opinion about their experience to various sources based on a single transaction. Business organizations can take steps to ensure their customer relationships accommodate consumer preferences, opinions, and requests without any hesitation. So, Flexible customer relationship management is a must for increasing business revenue, preserving brand awareness, and managing business reputations.  It must involve automated marketing and advertising campaigns, premium customer service practices, and comprehensive accountability for all customer interactions. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/customize-your-crm-system-for-flexible-customer-relationships-64581

In a recent survey by Econsultancy Multichannel Retail it was found that online shoppers want more flexibility in delivery options. It was further found that a fixed date for delivery was the most popular choice (31%), followed by next day delivery and the ability to collect from stores (both 24%). The most important process in any digital marketing is customer fulfillment. Consumers want smarter delivery options. To make timely delivery, flexibility is needed on behalf of eCommerce firms and delivery fleets, as well as innovative technology that can accept deliveries on the behalf of consumers even if they are out. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/e-commerce-digital-marketing/fulfilment-the-final-frontier-for-digital-marketers/1180

Focus groups and social media monitoring tools make it easy for organizations to collect data and consumer responses. There are a few drawbacks connected to brands that marketers need to keep in mind when measuring the success of campaigns. They are- sentiment, dilution and differentiation. To know more, follow the article by Ben Hookway (CEO of Relative Insight) at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/three-critical-things-to-keep-in-mind-with-brand-language

Real-time marketing (RTM) is the latest trend in the world of digital marketing. But, we need to know what is RTM. Real-time marketing (RTM) is the practice of brands and media companies jumping on social trends to join conversations with consumers. In RTM, brands join conversations to become part of the trend. Read more about RTM, follow: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/social-media-marketing/trendology-the-data-behind-real-time-marketing/1147

Marketers can understand customer behavior and also tell how consumers act at the point-of-sale. At the same time, they also want to analyze vast volumes of data to analyze and segment different groups and target customers and prospects. Read more about tips that will help marketing departments to deliver successful big data projects at Yves de Montcheuil (VP of Marketing at Talend)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/mining-for-gold-5-top-tips-for-marketers-to-get-the-most-from-big-data-projects/1146