Marketing Mashup: Top takeaways of 2013What we’ve learned from interviewing more than 200 marketers throughout the year

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Speakers

Daniel BursteinDirector of Editorial Content

MECLABS

@DanielBurstein

Pamela Markey Senior Director of Marketing

MECLABS

@PamelaMarkey

Black & White Headshot

Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, and Pamela

Markey, Senior Director of Marketing, MECLABS, discuss the

top takeaways from 2013.

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How would this webinar best serve you?

A. Go fast and get through as much as possible.

B. Take it slow and cover topics more thoroughly.

Poll Question:

Takeaway: Social media connects peopleIn summary, LinkedIn isn’t the place for push marketing; it’s a place for peers to connect with other peers.

Using LinkedIn InMail

• 1 sponsored message• Every 60 days• 3 message series

Sponsored InMail

3 Objectives:

1. Attract2. Engage3. Convert

Results: Opens and clickthroughs

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800

Send 3

Send 2

Send 1 1,700 Opens

1,100 Opens

140 CT

100 CT

Both sends had approx. 7,000 recipients

1,547 Opens

50 CT

Takeaway: Customers should be the center of your sales strategyIn summary, not just a funnel for sales, but truly connect the customer to the system.

The external lead capture was dependent on manual sales acceptance. No connection to systems, no closed-loop feedback.

SALESSERVICECUSTOMER

2010

1,200 400

The external lead capture was dependent on manual sales acceptance. No connection to systems, no closed-loop feedback.

SALES

2010

400

LEGALFINANCECOMPLIANCE

Debbie’s Approach

1

2

3

Audit and Discovery

Program and Process Development

Change Management

Audit and Discovery

SALESSERVICECUSTOMER1,200 400

Not Connected to Service Work Flows

External Website Outside Oversight

No Closed-Loop

Audit and Discovery

SALESSERVICECUSTOMER1,200 400

Not Connected to Service Work Flows

External Website Outside Oversight

No Closed Loop

Remove External Website

Tie to ERP/SAPBuild into Service Work Processes

CUSTOMER

SERVICE

SALES

The Goal

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Results: Leads submitted

Results: Revenue per lead

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Takeaway: Treat social media as single part of a whole strategyIn summary, don’t treat social media as its own separate entity.

Email and Facebook are strategically, operationally and

tactically aligned(or should be)

Feature popular Facebook products in email

Integrating social media into email.

What interests a customer’s peers?

Image testing

Try email images with high CTR in Facebook posts

Try images that drive high Facebook engagement in email

Take what worked in 2013, and create a clear plan for 2014.

Need help creating the perfect deck for your 2014 marketing plan? Marketo has a great free customizable PPT template for your marketing plans!

http://marketo.com/planning

Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of useful contentIn summary, “free content” isn’t free for your customer. Time is valuable.

Why content marketing?

PrintAdvertising

SocialMedia Mobile

Marketing

DirectMail

Trade Shows

SEO

Optimization

PPC

Webinars

EmailMarketing

CONTENT

0% 40%10% 20% 30%

10%

20%

30%

DEG

REE

OF

DIF

FIC

ULT

Y

LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS

Lead Generation Benchmark SurveyFielded January 2012, N=1,915

MarketingSherpa

Comparing difficulty of content marketing

73%

66%

57%

57%

54%

51%

44%

41%

40%

40%

37%

37%

29%

29%

28%

21%

20%

20%

25%

29%

37%

37%

35%

43%

46%

49%

53%

50%

46%

59%

51%

48%

49%

52%

54%

54%

2%

4%

6%

6%

12%

6%

11%

11%

7%

10%

17%

4%

19%

23%

23%

26%

26%

26%

Images

Press Releases

Social Media

Webpages

Customer Reviews

E-newsletters

Mobile Web Content

Articles

Blogs

Microsites

Digital Magazines

Podcasts

Webinars/Webcasts

e-books

Case Studies

Whitepapers

Online Video

Mobile Apps

Not Difficult Somewhat difficult Very difficult

Please indicate the DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY (time, effort and expense required) in creating each type of content

Lead Generation Benchmark SurveyFielded January 2012, N=1,915

MarketingSherpa

You pay with help, you receive attention and trust

Your Company

Customers Share of Mind

Trust

ContentRelevantHelpful

Entertaining

Selling Free Content: Excerpts

Selling Free Content: Excerpts

Takeaway: Use a content strategyIn summary, creating content doesn’t have to be hard; use what you’re already doing in an intentional way.

But it’s hard.Content works.

It doesn’t have to be!

Repackaging capabilities/extend use

Build a Strategy Around Content

John, I believe this is an important article for you

to read …

See our presentation and learn about …

Maybe you saw us on …Or

heard our podcast interview of a client

Project Management: Workflow and transparencyProject

Notification Form submitted

by Nat’l MktgLeaders

Project Kick-off Call and

project brief completed

Project set up and assigned in

Project Management

platform

Work Begins: Content & Graphic Design, Digital Media,

Demand Generation, Social Media, PR, Advertising, etc.

Implementation

Tracking of Results –

Analytics and Automation

Software

Ind

ust

ry/L

OB

GTM

S

This is how marketing support requests are submitted to GTMS. Depending on project details selected, GTMS team leaders will be notified of the support request.

MROI analysis with industry/LOB

Leaders

Best efforts will be made to align resources to specific LOB/ Industry, this may not always be possible unless teams are willing to adjust project due dates.

NOTE: Project Tracker used to manage overall planning. Project Management platform used to manage GTMS support elements.

GTMS Teams will review Project Tracker reports to plan for resources and manage workflow.

Go To Market Services team members brief and/or advise on strategies, and help refine based on previous data and experience.

Ongoing approvals from SMEs and Industry/LOB Leaders throughout process coordinated by National Marketing Leaders.

Yes

No – Single area of support needed – Small project

Scheduled by Production Manager

Multi-aspect GTMS

project?

• Forms remove poor communication

• You can educate

• Help requesters think ahead

Starting the Project

Takeaway: Orient your customersIn summary, whether it’s email, social media or a landing page, make sure it clicks for your audience.

75% Increase in Open Rate120% Increase in Clickthrough Rate

Webinars became the second driver of sales behind free trial offers.

Average Open Rate Average CTR

2008 17% 5%

2013 30% 11%

!

Adobe Results: Evolution of webinar marketing

Promoting Webinars: Old strategy

Email Landing Page

Email

Landing Page

Follow-Up

Promoting Webinars: New strategy, implementing process

Promoting Webinars: Down the funnel

“Best Practices” or “Solution” webinar

“Product” webinar

Competitive comparison

Marketing PlayeLearning Play

Trial/ training

webinars

37% eLearning moved from “Solution” to

“Product” webinar

23% marketing moved from “Solution” to

“Product” webinar

Takeaway: Analyze your social media audienceIn summary, determine the best ways to reach out and connect with your customers.

SAP’s challengeUnderstanding how social media works around the world

ACT LOCALLY

The Social DNA of SAP• 716,000 fans

(combined)

• 270,000 followers • 553,000 followers (combined)

• 1.46 million video views

SAP Community Network:•2,500,000 members

•20,000 new posts per month•4,000 new blog posts per day

• 77,000 views

SAP Social Engagement in 2012:•140,000 likes, comments, retweets, etc.

•1,400,000 clicks

SAP in Social Business

SAP found by utilizing social business

techniques, customers are now more informed when they

engage with a salesperson.

Sales team

• SAP team focused on Slovakia Banking, which had its own social media presence with a small following

• Consolidated into a SAP Finance Channel to promote many conversations and cross-educate on topics

• Steering people away from “small microcosms” and toward broader communities

Example: SAP Slovakia Banking

Before:Overly specific, alienating and dividing audiences

After:Unifying, bringing in people

of diverse interests

Example: Latin America

34 different social media accounts

Language is important, not country

20% Promotional material vis-à-vis80% value added info

4 Facebook accounts 4 Twitter accounts

2 LinkedIn accounts

Consolidate to engage with a wider audience, create good content,

educate

24 accounts shut down over 6 months

No real strategy

Takeaway: Relate to your audienceIn summary, use personas to identify with the customers that visit your site.

Education

K12

Creating a page structure that accommodates customer interest

Audience

“Spock Project”: The four personas

www.openroadmedia.com

Humanistic Methodical Competitive Spontaneous

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt http://www.flickr.com/photos/kthttp://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_onehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one

Audience: Personas

Education

Buy nowCase studies; White papers

Testimonials

Pricing information; Industry articles

Targeting content for personas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one

Targeting content for personas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt

Targeting content for personas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one

Takeaway: Test your email sendsIn summary, there is always something to improve, optimize or eliminate – never stop improving.

What impact can testing have?

Testing = Constant ImprovementLittle improvements add up

• Improving 1% here and 2% there isn’t a lot at first, but over time, it adds up

Test Every ElementQuestion: What footer language should we use to reduce unsubscribes?

Variation: Recipients Unsubscribes

Unsubscribe/Recipient

Significant difference in unsubscribe/recipient

578,994 195 0.018% None

578,814 79 0.014% Smaller than D4

578,620 86 0.015% Smaller than D4

580,507 115 0.020% Larger than 3D and 4D

No, really. Test every element.Running tests in the background via personalized content

Example: Subject lines

version Subject line

v1s1 Heyv1s2 Two things:

v1s3 Your turnv2s1 Heyv2s2 My opponentv2s3 You decidev3s1 Hey

v3s2 Last night

v3s3 Stand with me today

v4s1 Heyv4s2 This is my last campaignv4s3 [NAME]v5s1 Hey

v5s2There won't be many more

of these deadlinesv5s3 What you saw this weekv6s1 Hey

v6s2 Let's win.v6s3 Midnight deadline

Each draft was tested with three subject lines

One subject line would usually be common across all drafts, to help make comparisons across messages

Test sends

Example: Best vs. worst versions

version Subject line donors money

v1s1 Hey 263 $17,646v1s2 Two things: 268 $18,830

v1s3 Your turn 276 $22,380

v2s1 Hey 300 $17,644v2s2 My opponent 246 $13,795v2s3 You decide 222 $27,185v3s1 Hey 370 $29,976

v3s2 Last night 307 $16,945v3s3 Stand with me today 381 $25,881

v4s1 Hey 444 $25,643

v4s2 This is my last campaign 369 $24,759

v4s3 [NAME] 514 $34,308v5s1 Hey 353 $22,190

v5s2There won't be many more

of these deadlines 273 $22,405v5s3 What you saw this week 263 $21,014v6s1 Hey 363 $25,689v6s2 Let's win. 237 $17,154v6s3 Midnight deadline 352 $23,244

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

ACTUAL($3.7m)

IF SENDINGAVG

IF SENDINGWORST

Full send (in millions)

$2.2 million additional revenue from sending best draft vs. worst, or $1.5 million additional from sending best vs. average

Test sends

Takeaway: Use words strategicallyIn summary, study the psychology behind the words you use in PPC ads to ensure that you’re relating to your customers.

Effects of psychological mapping on paid advertising

… highly empathetic, social, caring, worried. Thus, wanting a more formal, highly

educated service with high interaction.

Highest Performing Branded Ads (>1000 Impressions

Lowest Performing Branded Ads (>1000 Impressions

Ad CTR Ad CTR

Bayside Marin - Recovery 21.84% Bayside Marin Clinic 0.97%

Not Your Ordinary Health Program. Rehab Shouldn't Stop Your Career.

Health Recovery Center. Call Now. For Top Executives Seeking Comfort.

Bayside Marin Center 6.98% Bayside Marin Clinic 1.09%

We Provide Private, VIP Recovery. Rehab Shouldn't Stop Your Career.

Your Own Room, Beautiful Facility. Your Own Room, Beautiful Facility.

Bayside Marin Center 6.18% Bayside Marin Clinic 1.11%

Rehab Shouldn't Stop Your Career. Alternative Health Recovery Center.

For Top Executives Seeking Comfort. Very Private & Exclusive. Call Now.

Bayside Marin Center 4.97% Bayside Marin - Official 1.14%

Everything You Need to Recover. Exclusive Treatment Recovery Center

Private Room, Chef, Healthy Living. Private Chef, Pool, Gym Call Now.

Bayside Marin Center 4.32% Bayside Marin Treatment 1.23%

Alternative Health Recovery Center. Everything You Need to Recover.

Very Private & Exclusive. Call Now. Private Room, Chef, Healthy Living.

Testing Phase: Behavioral Psychology

“Clinic”Quick

Cheap Informal

Less educated personnel

“Center”

ExpertiseFormal

Educated personnel

Research

Connotation creates a 3X difference in CTR.

The difference is understanding the psychology of the words.

Effects of psychological mapping on paid advertising

Experiment ID: Sierra TucsonTesting Phase: Value Proposition

Background: An addiction and mental health rehabilitation facility.

Objective: To increase the clickthrough rate.

Primary Research Question: Which PPC ad will obtain the most clickthroughs?

Test Design: A/B split test

Research Notes:

Experiment: Sierra Tucson (value proposition)

Sierra Tucson Care CenterConsidered a Top Recovery ClinicGet a Free Assessment. Call Now!

AZ Alcohol Detox FacilityExclusive, Luxury Rehab Facility.

1 Clinical Staff Per 3 Patients.

Branded Non-branded

Company Logic

We have the most doctors, therefore we have the best care.

Experiment: Controls

Customer LogicI am afraid to send my husband away to someone who will not

care for him like I will.

Sierra Tucson Care CenterConsidered a Top Depression

Clinic. Traditional & Alternative Therapies

BrandedAZ Alcohol Detox Facility

Considered a Top Addiction ClinicTraditional & Alternative

Therapies

Non-branded

Experiment: Treatments

Branded PPC Ads

Conversion RateNon-Branded PPC Ads

Conversion Rate

Control 0.31% 0.13%

Treatment 44.2% 4.41%

Relative Difference 14,000% 3,300%

• 14,000 % Increase in CTR for Branded Ads• 3,300 % Increase in CTR for Non-branded Ads

By incorporating customer logic into PPC ads, the clickthrough rate on PPC ads, both branded and non-branded, skyrocketed.

Experiment: Results

Takeaway: Start small on website redesignIn summary, even small changes on your website can make a big impact.

firstSTREET Radical Redesign

500% Increase in sales using split testing on website redesign

Little budget

Little time

No coding or graphic skills

“firstSTREET meets Apple”

• Where, what and why answered

• Big visuals, big type (old eyes)

• Thought sequence subheadings (benefit phrasing)

• Strong call-to-action

• Incentive and ROI

• Minimize anxiety

• Long page layout

The Redesign

Control

• Navigation options

• Subheader copy

• Image on left or right

• Longer copy

• Different copy

• Guarantee seal vs. words

• Incentive and ROI

• Minimize anxiety

• Thought sequence Oops!

The ResultsThe treatment

is a winner!

• Crushed a veryweak control

Up 3,566%

• Conversion rate now acceptable in the absolute

Einstein said the compounding power of money is the eighth wonder of the world

• Pessimist

What a difference a year can make• Initial sales rate per period 10 • Original site testing gains 30% 13• Radical redesign (only counting 1X) 100% 26• Price disclosure no gain 26• Add-to-cart buttons 15% 30• Thought sequence 46% 44• Headline test 30% 57

Over a 5x increase in one year … and still growing!

Compounding Success

Takeaway: Optimize thought processesIn summary, use your resources to test and optimize thought processes for your customers.

SAP Testing Results

27% Increase in incremental sales leads

20% Digital marketing budget savings

“

“

My passion is ensuring digital adds measurable value to sales pipeline and revenue – if not, what's the point?– Shawn Burns

Testing Resources

Team

In-Market TestsControl

Spotlights section on SAP.com

In-Market TestsTreatment

62% more engagement (aggregate results across tests in 7 different countries)

Regional Preferences

433% better engagement in China than in the U.S.

Thank You!

Daniel BursteinDirector of Editorial Content

MECLABS

@DanielBurstein

Pamela Markey Senior Director of Marketing

MECLABS

@PamelaMarkey

Marketing Mashup: Top takeaways of 2013What we’ve learned from interviewing more than 200 marketers throughout the year