Companies are giving importance to their online presence. But, the online presence of any business must attract  prospective buyer. But, how a company communicates is important. Nowadays, marketers use different technologies like marketing automation, content management systems etc. to market themselves. But, still some marketing effort of some companies fails. Columnist Mary Wallace in her article writes about four of the biggest reasons why online presence is failing to drive sales. Read more at: http://marketingland.com/online-presence-failing-4-reasons-138017

Authenticity is very important for any brand and it relates to how you are perceived, and how much t potential and existing consumers rust you. But, companies must have a definition for authentic brand. According to author Lucy Rendler-Kaplan, “an authentic brand is one that is relatable, doesn’t seem like a large corporate entity but does business on a personal level, and is one that I feel comfortable spending money on because I feel I can trust in the company and the people that make up the company.” She also suggests few strategies about how to measure where your brand stands. They are:  Don’t be afraid to show your brand’s personality; use images; keep scheduled posts to a minimum; be available; admit when you’re wrong; and tell true stories. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/lucyrk78/2015-08-13/7-ways-build-authentic-brand

With tons of data available with marketers to measure the impact of their business, one thing that need to be kept in mind is not to get entangled in measuring everything. Measuring something that does not have the capability to influence your corporate strategy isn’t a good idea. Knowing what your business is trying to achieve and then deciding on marketing metrics is foremost.  Steve Robins, principal of Solution Marketing Strategy, in an article in TechTarget provides the following points of advice to detangle your metrics:
• Separating strategic KPI’s from nonstrategic metrics
• What to measure?
• Operationalizing KPI’s
• Metrics predict the future
• Finally, looking at best practices
For more insights into this piece follow the link:  : http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/feature/Dont-get-tangled-in-marketing-metrics?utm_medium=EM&asrc=EM_NLN_45313060&utm_campaign=20150716_Spend%20management:%20Were%20SAP%27s%20procurement%20acquisitions%20really%20worth%20$15%20billion?_jbiscobing&utm_source=NLN&track=NL-1815&ad=901719&src=901719

Everyone uses smartphone nowadays. According to a research it is estimated that 2.1 billion people use smartphones. Marketers are trying to please these mobile using consumers with personalized geolocation targeting and content localization. Marketers are now focusing on geotargeting. Brands are now tweaking their national marketing campaigns on a store-by-store basis, localizing emails and regularly sending notifications about in-store promotions though multi-channel and geolocation marketing. Columnist Andy Lombard hi his article link explains why geomarketing is becoming essential for marketers. Read more at:  http://marketingland.com/even-biggest-brands-can-get-hyperlocal-geolocation-targeting-135849

According to a research by Gartner, it was found that marketing executives are three times more likely to lead strategic growth initiatives in 2016 than they were in 2012. Corporate managers are now focusing on customer experience and they think mobile is best to know about this. But, mobile should not be looked as a channel and it requires a different approach. “Mobile eliminates the notion of channels by blurring the distinction between the physical and digital worlds. E-business professionals who treat mobile as just a channel will fail,” Forrester analyst Julie Ask says in a report. Mobile apps deliver utility and valuable experiences that bind people to brands. Columnist Brent Hieggelke in his article link writes how to bridge mobile engagement gap between high and medium performing apps. Read more at:  http://marketingland.com/getting-grip-mobile-engagement-gap-133357

Nowadays, marketers are using technology to plan, create, manage, automate and monitor campaigns. Companies must have a strong marketing technology foundation so that it helps them to optimize productivity, maximize return on investment and create competitive advantages. Columnist Paul Roetzer in his article shares tips on how to increase phttp://marketingland.com/10-questions-guide-marketing-technology-strategy-135591

It is the age of neuromarketing and it is developing fast. It was first developed in the 1990’s by the psychologists at the Harvard University. Nowadays, it is playing an important part in the marketing industry. But, we must first know about neuromarketing. It is a study of consumer behavior relative to marketing practices. But, the use of specialized equipment, like FMRIs, EEGs and advanced bio-metric sensors makes it special. These tools are used to study the consumer’s responses to various marketing stimuli like - sensorimotor, cognitive and affective responses. Columnist Jeremy Smith in his article writes about some neuromarketing principles. Read more at: http://marketingland.com/6-neuromarketing-principles-always-true-137206

According to a research by Gartner, it was found that 79% of marketing departments maintain capital budgets mainly for technology. Marketing technology is emerging very fast. It was also found that 61% of the companies want to increase the proportion of technology, and spend more on marketing communications.  So, companies must have a good marketing technology strategy. Author Kavin Dodson (VP of Data and Marketing Strategy for Beckon), writes in his article link about how to gather the right stack for a business. Read more at:  http://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/making-sense-of-your-martech-stack/

Wholesale distribution salespeople are often outside the office. So, they need basic functions like recording contact events, storing e-mail communications, and creating activity reports in their laptop which in a nutshell is called CRM system. Nowadays, the mobile CRM app is making their work a little easier. David Gillman (analyst with Studio B) writes in his article how mobile CRM is changing wholesale distribution. They are: Instant access to customer history; Predictive analytics; Fast order processing; better sales management. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/4-ways-mobile-crm-is-affecting-wholesale-distribution-68472

Sales pipeline helps in revenue forecasting for the sales department. It defines the distinct stages of your sales process. CRM tools also help in analyzing prospects in each pipeline stage and also determine whether a lead needs additional encouragement. There are also some features which will help in optimizing the sales pipeline. They are: clearly defined sales pipeline, Integrating CRM Information, Identifying customers leaving the pipeline, and Lead Scoring Criteria. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/optimizing-your-sales-pipeline-with-crm-68441

CRM software and automated marketing software together helps companies to develop leads in a more systematic way. This combination allows users to analyze a potential buyer’s interest so that companies can help users at every stage of buying. But, companies are facing difficulty in lead generation and good quality. According to the author Eric Scott Johnston (an analyst with studio B), businesses can improve lead generation by focusing on these areas: upgrading technology, improving content quality, and developing the metrics. To know more, follow the link:  http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/3-ways-to-improve-automated-lead-generation-68473

In business, one not only has to keep a track on competitors and a close watch on the market but also keep a tab on what the customers are feeling, and how they are responding about their products in social media. Luckily with the advancement of data analytics many such tools are available and are becoming popular. One such marketing tool is a search engine which searches any social mention of the topic in social media. These platforms enable a business leader to evaluate customer sentiments and use it for business development. Read more at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-demers/7-marketing-tools-to-find_b_7605262.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in

Every business needs a set of loyal customers. The loyal customer varies from one to the other in the field of business. There are customers who are satisfied but are not loyal and can be termed as dangerous customer. They don't really love or hate you. There are customers who are loyal to your loyal program. There are customers who are loyal to your procedure, but not to your products. There are customers who enjoy convenience of our business for some definite reasons. The customers may not like you sometime but they are loyal to whatever they do. A bunch of customer gets attracted only when there is a low price of the products or the process involved. And lastly there are some wise customers who all are loyal to whatever you do. The process or the product process doesn't even matter to them and hence they will stick to the process whatsoever. Read more at: http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/six-types-of-loyal-customers-01294343

The rapid growth of e commerce has been a hot topic in recent years. With e- commerce flourishing, digital marketing has also become popular. New technologies are emerging and helping companies to sell their product and find new customers through web marketing. Marketers have found a way to boost digital marketing. They are using behavioral triggers. This is a way to find out the customer’s internet search history, particularly window shopping details and detects the customer`s potential demand for a particular product and links them with the seller through pop up ads or banners.  To know more, read: http://www.cio.com/article/2941358/marketing/digital-marketers-look-for-behavioral-triggers.html

The key to sustain and attract customer is to present the worth of your product. The grace to attain and greet your customer is the primary step to impress the customer. One should be inquisitive i.e. the customer needs should be identified and customer should be given the maximum priority and importance for the moment. The knowledge about the organization and its working should be precisely known so that one can properly answer to the doubts of the customers. A proper teamwork is needed to collaborate and consolidate the working process so that the organization stays more organized and presentable to the customers whatsoever. There is a need to present the structure and information of the company in a decent and nice way so that customers get the right impression. After the whole process, the selling process should be closed and the customer should be thoroughly valued by the organization.  All you need to do after the whole process is to follow up with the customers to analyze and coordinate with the customers on a continuous basis. Read more at:http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/7-ways-to-wow-your-customers-01279642

Customers today are aware about social media, and are willing to try stuff out and maybe even write a review based on their experiences with a brand. In an ideal world blog reviews should take care of it provided the product is good. Sadly, the world is anything but ideal.
The success of a product does not depend solely on its quality but rather on the advertising that goes behind it. The traditional ways of advertising are costly and often beyond the financial reach of new companies. This is where social media marketing comes in.
Here is a guide to get your marketing strategies take flight:
• Start your product launch campaign with research: Before you start developing your products, try to gauge what your target audience will actually notice and respond to.
• Plan a campaign that creates interest: Make sure that the campaign keeps the interest of fans high and urge them to actively participate in them.
• Video – your most effective marketing tool: It is estimated that by 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic, and video-on-demand traffic alone will have trebled.
• Involve influencers: Influencers are people with followers and fans who quickly respond to any endorsements and recommendations.
• Celebrate the revelation: Celebrate the campaign by rewarding fans who participated, with special gifts and rewards.
• Don’t kill the buzz: Case study videos are a great way to keep the buzz, around your campaign for a while. Read more at:


For more information visit:
http://www.germin8.com/blog/6-steps-to-social-media-marketing-success-product-launch-for-startups/

Recently, email marketers are using the coupons. It was found in a research that 71% of the population say coupons sent in emails very useful.  Email coupons can work very well as a promotional tool and can be effective when they are personalized by product preferences. Jordie van Rijn (author) in his blog writes how we can improve the usage of coupons to improve business. Read more at: http://blog.getresponse.com/making-your-email-coupons-work-harder.html

While data has always played a part in ad campaigns-like whether a potential customer was more likely to see an ad on billboards, TV, or radio-big data has enabled a new era of advertising. With the advent of big data, brands can finally turn to actual numbers and metrics to make decisions-and use technology to help automate those decisions. Specifically, the programmatic advertising industry has deployed big data technologies so that companies and brands can be more precise about who exactly they're targeting. They can rely on exact data generated from GPS on mobile devices, social networks, actual purchasing behavior, and direct customer contacts, and analyze it to pinpoint their target audience. By analyzing this diverse data stream along with 1st-party advertiser data, we can play the right advertisement at the right time for the right person. It’s no longer a question of whether or not you want to utilize big data—it’s a question of how you utilize it.
For more information visit:
https://www.mapr.com/blog/how-big-data-advancing-programmatic-advertising#.Vb-xSPmqqko

Customers are delighted to get gifts for companies. But, some companies fail to do so in a consistent manner. Companies might begin with good intentions, but sometimes they lose their way. Jake Sorofman (a former CMO), writes in his blog how companies sometimes fail to keep consistency. For more information, visit: http://blogs.gartner.com/jake-sorofman/in-customer-experience-consistency-is-the-new-delight/