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2022: A Year in Review…

by DataDigital MarketingMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNewsOffline StrategyUSPS

Here’s what we think: 2022 was anything but 2020-Too. If you caught our post last December, we were cautiously optimistic about this year. Bricks-and-mortar continued to hold their own, marketers weathered the storm of privacy concerns and iOS updates and navigated more media channels than ever before.

When we look back at 2022, there are some key trends that come to mind… and get us excited for 2023! Let’s review:

  • Paper Is on Its Way Back!

In July, we reported that paper supply remained tight, and prices were continuing to climb due to steady demand, reduced capacity, and high input costs. Today, demand is softening somewhat, prices are holding steady, and paper is generally becoming more available. Whereas most paper mills have been on allocation or even moratorium, these supply restrictions are easing and the global paper shortage that we have been experiencing is abating. 

That said, so much capacity has come out of the market in the past decade that pricing is expected to remain at elevated levels, especially if demand stays steady in the first half of 2023. Graphic paper supply will continue to decrease in the coming years as mills continue to diversify their product mix. Several mill conversion announcements have already been made that will significantly impact supply going forward. Aligning with strategic suppliers will be paramount for end-user customers.

As direct marketers, we believe in the power of offline media. In fact, marketers have combatted paper challenges with increased use of direct mail, clever interplay between offline and online efforts, innovation with page count and circulation, and more. We’re excited to see where offline media goes in 2023.

  • Shifting Consumer Behavior

While we haven’t been surprised by many trends that have soared in popularity in 2022 – the power of personalization, volume of online shopping and an interest in sustainability – there is inarguably power in consumer behavior. In many cases, changed interests and values have resulted in brands shifting their retail strategy and product innovation.

However, what has also resulted in brands’ shifting strategies? Inflation. “Inflation has driven up the cost of all goods by 8.2% between September 2021- September 2022,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (source: Nerd Wallet). It’s important to note that inflation has affected some categories more than others, such as food versus clothing prices. Will there be any relief in 2023? Will supply chain issues resurface? We’ll all have to stay tuned.

  • Data Is Everything

At Media Horizons, our “secret” is placing emphasis on intensive data and analytics to grow our clients’ businesses. Today, online to offline attribution is a major pain point for many companies. That said, without a quality attribution model, upper funnel media has been intensely impacted. Check out more reasons why data (and attribution) are everything!

  • The Future of Paid Social

In 2022, Facebook and Instagram targeting saw a greater impact from Apple’s privacy restrictions that went into place in 2021. Advertisers have had to experiment with a variety of targeting tactics, including broader targeting and more tightly targeted ad copy.  

Audience targeting challenges will continue into 2023, but Facebook and Instagram’s automated targeting has been yielding success in the absence of audience targets that have been removed.

We recommend that advertisers test newer Paid Social platforms like TikTok and BeReal. to see what kind of traction they can get, and diversify their ad formats, such as expanding to Instagram Reels.

  • Postage Updates on the Horizon

In 2021, the industry saw two significant postal changes resulting in double-digit increases for catalogs (Marketing Mail flats) and near double-digit increases for Direct Mail (Marketing Mail letters). In case you didn’t catch the exact percentages, get familiar with them here. The USPS has recently announced their next increase, which will take place in January.

There’s never been a better time to be strategic about your direct mail strategy. Consider changing to a different format – encourage creative thinking with your vendors – and add innovation to your strategy accordingly. Stay tuned for our next “Tom Says…” in which we’ll share everything that you need to know about the USPS updates.

When we look back at trends from this year and ahead to 2023, there is one key theme that comes to mind: omnichannel. The value of an omnichannel strategy is unmatched. If your media mix does not include both online and offline channels (that are working together!), your brand is not as strong as it could be. Be the change and future-proof your business. Connect with us in 2023 to propel your business forward.

 

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Tom Says… Here’s What You Need to Know About the USPS Today Part II

by Direct MailMarketing StrategyNewsUSPS

We’re excited to share Part II of our conversation with Tom VanWestrienen of Eliezer Consulting. In follow up to last week’s conversation, we wanted Tom’s perspective on how to handle these USPS updates. For example, are there any opportunities that these changes could present? How can brands adjust to these changes in a positive way? Here’s Tom’s take:

Q: Since it will affect the above formats, how can brands prepare / update their DM strategies accordingly?

Consider changing to a different format. Updating the physical make-up of a piece can move it to another, less expensive rate class. At this juncture, creative thinking while partnering with your vendors on strategy would provide the best overall outcome (we’re talking response rate and cost-efficiency!).

Q: What are some other opportunities that these increases present?

Are you fully utilizing opportunities offered by your printer? Processes such as co-mail or co-bind can reduce postage by improving sortation levels and increasing discounts. Additionally, the USPS offers several promotional discounts which can reduce postage by 2-4%/piece (See 2022 promotional calendar here). The USPS is also continuing the promotional discounts in 2023 with discounts up to 5%.

Q: What are some tips for preparing for the all-important holiday season?

Make sure that every customer is using cooperative mailing programs to minimize postage costs. Co-mailing for flats & periodicals and commingling for letters are cooperative mailing programs that should be used whenever possible. Also, the USPS offers mailing incentives that are too good to pass up. Today, the USPS offers a 4% immediate postal reduction if a direct mailer is using their Informed Delivery program. This program started August 1st and runs through December 31st. The USPS offers other incentives throughout the year and for minimal effort, these savings really add up. We can help you utilize and manage this!

Q: Do you think that we expect any leniency / decreases in early 2023?

Unfortunately, we do not anticipate postage reductions in the future. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is operating the USPS as a business, and as outlined in the Delivering for America plan, he is focused on achieving financial stability and service excellence at the USPS. 

Q: Tom, can you describe today’s catalog and direct mail market in one word?

Challenging – but there are solutions that help navigate increased postal costs! Let’s have a conversation. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

We hope you enjoyed the first of our quarterly USPS updates from Tom! Each quarter, he’s going to describe the catalog and direct mail market in one word… we’ll see where we net out around this time next year! We’re excited about what the future holds for offline marketing and look forward to partnering with you. For now, that’s what Tom has to say!

 

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Tom Says… Here’s What You Need to Know About the USPS Today

by Direct MailMarketing StrategyNewsUSPS

Would you have ever thought the USPS would be such a hot topic? We didn’t! However, the last few years have proven to be challenging when it comes to postal rate increases and how they affect brands’ catalog and direct mail strategies. That said, with challenge, often comes opportunity and reward.

We sat down with Tom VanWestrienen of Eliezer Consulting to get his take on the latest hikes. Not only are the changes daunting, but they can be difficult to understand. Tom is here to tackle some of the tough questions, and hopefully help future-proof your offline strategy. He’s seen it all in his 35 years working with catalogs and direct mail.

Q: What are the latest USPS rate increases for catalogs and direct mail?

The industry saw two significant postal changes in 2021 resulting in double-digit increases for catalogs (Marketing Mail flats) and near double-digit increases for Direct Mail (Marketing Mail letters). On July 10, 2022, the USPS again increased postal rates on average by 8.5% for flats and 6.5% for letters. While these are averages across each class of mail, one really needs to understand the changes on each postal sortation level to fully comprehend how the postage increases impact a customer’s mailing.

A few examples of this are in the August 2021 increase: Larger catalog mailers who consistently achieve high density and saturation sortation levels saw increases in these categories in the range of 11% – 14%, but the USPS impact the Marketing Mail flats class was published at 8.5%. On the latest July 2022 increase, non-profit flats saw significant increases in the range of 11% – 18%. Also, heavier catalogs approaching 16 ounces saw much smaller increases in the range of 2% – 4% with the latest postal increase.

The USPS has also recently announced their next increase, which will take place on January 22, 2023.  Marketing Mail letters can expect an increase of 3.3% while Marketing Mail flats should expect an increase around 6.3%, but just like the 2021 increase, the USPS is hitting high density and basic carrier-route sortation levels more significantly. This results in surges much higher than the announced flat increases for direct mailers who regularly achieve these sortation levels.

Q: Why are there increases for catalogs and direct mail?

To achieve financial sustainability, the USPS is now allowed to pass along two increases annually, one in late January and the other in early July. 

The USPS now determines postal increases based on four factors:

  • – Consumer Price Index (CPI) impact
  • – Address density impact
  • – Retirement funding for its workers
  • – Underwater products in compensatory classes

Current underwater products include Marketing Mail Flats, Marketing Mail Carrier-Route Flats & First Class Flats, which is why their rates are being increased.

Each increase will include some or all the components depending on specific rules around when or how they can be applied to postal increases. We expect that in the next couple of years, the USPS will annually pass along one large increase and one lower increase as they work to become more financially sustainable. Past increases based solely on a CPI factor are no longer in place. Underwater classes will see at least a 2% surcharge on postage to normalize pricing to cover costs.

Q: How will this affect print production and circulation planning?

While costs continue to escalate, direct mailers have been hit especially hard these past few years. One would think that there will be circulation and/or page reductions to help minimize these escalations. We would also expect direct mailers to change the formats of their programs. While overall catalog costs have elevated significantly in the last three years, letter mailing may still be an attractive alternative for direct mailers. “Slim Jim” and letter sized all-inline formats should become more popular because the cost to mail these types of products are much more affordable.

 

Stay tuned for Part II of our conversation next week! In our follow-up conversation with Tom, we discuss how brands can prepare for the all-important holiday season and update their DM strategies for 2023 based on the upcoming USPS changes. Be sure to check in next week!

 

Printing,House.,Checking,The,Print,Quality,And,Accepting,Color,Proofs.

How Marketers Are Responding to the Global Paper Shortage

by Direct MailMarketing StrategyNews

Direct marketing is arguably the way forward. To be an effective omnichannel brand, print marketing efforts should be included in your strategy. In fact, did you know that there is 400% effectivity of marketing campaigns that combine print and digital ads? (source: Finances Online)

Additional Stats to Keep in Mind:

  • – 95% of people under 25 read magazines
  • – 82% of consumers trust print ads the most when making a purchase decision
  • – 70% of households with income over $100K are newspaper readers
  • – 92% of 18–23-year-old adults say it is easier to read print than digital content

Most importantly, 80% of consumers acted on targeted printed mail ads, and 77% of consumers said that print drives higher levels of recall (source: Finances Online).

As you know from last week’s blog post, we are experiencing a global paper shortage. So, even if you want to launch a direct mail or print marketing campaign, can you do it? The answer is a resounding yes.

A Few Ways That Marketers Are Responding to the Global Paper Shortage:

  • – Page count and circulation fluctuations
  • – Increased use of direct mail (less paper)
  • – Clever interplay between offline and online efforts
  • – Digital natives turning to print in new ways (NTF, trigger, loyalty, and retargeting campaigns)
  • – Short and long-term adjustments to marketing cadence
  • – Willingness to try new things

What’s Next:

Traditional ad spending set to increase, which is a demand driver. After 10+ years of decreases in traditional ad spending, marketers are predicting an increase of 1.4 to 2.9% in traditional media. Traditional channels – TV, radio, and print – outperform digital channels in terms of reach, attention, and engagement, relative to costs. In fact, the top five most trusted ad formats are traditional with print advertising at 82% and direct mail at 76% (TV and radio as well) (source: MediaPost).

Tips for Smart Paper Buying:

  • – Make quick decisions
  • – Be open to grade substitutions and alternative substrates
  • – Look for the “sweet spots” such as basis weight, finish, location, and trim
  • – Improved forecasting and budgeting
  • – Level ordering
  • – Assess whether inventory programs make sense
  • – Spot vs. contract buying
  • – Maintain a sourcing strategy
  • – Pay your bills

Container prices are decreasing – specifically marginally by 0.1% to $7,625.56 per 40ft. container (source: Drewry’s composite World Container Index).

We are hopeful for a more balanced market in 2023. In the meantime, ask us about our tips for smart paper buying!-old 

paper industry

A Status Update on the Paper Industry

by Direct MailMarketing StrategyNews

Today’s paper market themes include price increases, mill allocations and late deliveries, low inventory at the mills, rising input costs (pulp, labor, energy, chemicals, freight), machine conversions, surcharges, and port congestion and container shortages.

Where We Are

  • – Global pulp prices are up 20% in the last four months. (source: RISI Fast Markets)
  • – Input costs are still on the rise.
  • – U.S. trucking market is softening slightly.

How We Got Here

  • – Pandemic
  • – Issues with supply & demand
    • Port congestion
    • Schedule reliability
    • Warehouse congestion
    • Container imbalance, congestions, and chassis shortage
    • Rail car shortage (especially in Canada)
    • Trucking challenges
  • – Rising input costs
  • – Supply chain issues

Forces Impacting Paper Logistics / Supply Chain

  • – Russian invasion of Ukraine (impact of Russian sanctions)
  • – Economic uncertainty:
    • Weakening consumer confidence
    • Inflation and rising interest rates
    • Reversal of quantitative easing
    • Phasing out of COVID-19 stimulus
  • – U.S. midterm election
  • – ILWU contract negotiations this summer
  • – Additional COVID-19 lockdowns in China
  • – Potential strikes and associated logistics congestion
  • – Energy costs

Understanding where we are and how we got here is imperative in determining how we can move forward. Stay tuned for next month’s post featuring how marketers are responding to the global paper shortage. There will be bonus tips for maximizing your brand’s success.

 

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Strategic Marketing Leader, Mark Friedman, Offers Catalogers and DTC Brands Tips For Making 2022 Their Most Successful Year

by Digital MarketingDirect MailMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNews

Recently, we sat down with strategic marketer, Mark Friedman, who has driven growth in the competitive digital marketing space for 25+ years. From Brooks Brothers to Warnaco–where Mark ran businesses for Speedo, Calvin Klein Underwear, and Calvin Klein Jeans–to Steve Madden, FullBeauty Brands, and Amerimark Holdings, Mark has led the charge in driving traffic to stores, websites, or phones, and optimizing conversion of that traffic for both offline and online brands.

In our latest discussion with Mark, we talked about how marketers can maximize their success in 2022. With so many macro factors at play–from the supply chain, pandemic, and consumer behavior to new technology–the playbook is being rewritten both for catalogers and DTC brands.

According to Mark, here are ways that catalogers and DTC brands can make 2022 their most successful year yet…

1) If you’re digitally native and not currently using DM, test it out!

Testing any form of Direct Mail (DM) will optimize your omnichannel strategy. You may try different forms, or just one–either way, direct mail increases customer engagement and therefore, will help drive response and brand awareness.

If you have already been in the mail with catalogs (or currently are!), you are likely experiencing the stress of paper shortages and press concerns. DM is a viable solution for this problem–and we can support the execution. 

2) Analyze “changed” consumer behavior.

As we all know, COVID-19 has created new customer behavior, changed brand loyalty patterns, and increased digital adoption. However, several brands have reported that the new customers acquired during the pandemic are similar to those they had been acquiring in the past.

This tells us that current customers are incredibly important. What are you doing to retain all these customers? It is especially important to focus on customers who have not purchased a second time.

Overall, we recommend strengthening your marketing message o those who have not yet purchased a second time. In fact, we have a new solution that can help you with exactly this. Connect with us to learn more.

3) Double down on new customer acquisition.

As we just discussed, retention is always an important factor. But, even if you move the retention rate significantly, most businesses are still going to need 60-70% of their buyers in any given year to be new.

The most successful DTC marketers are successfully employing a broad media mix including paid search (brand and non-brand), display, affiliate marketing, retargeting, social (organic and paid), email and SMS, and marketplaces.

4) Realize that online is everything.

While some brands may view themselves as “offline” or “catalogers,” the web is where everyone needs to be. Of course, there have been several changes recently with the iOS 15 updates, Facebook adjustments, and more, but it is important to think about all the data that is still captured online. With more first-party data, loyalty programs can excel, preference centers can strengthen customer relationships and optimal site speed will not only drive higher conversion, but the customer experience will be enhanced. There is an opportunity for offline brands…online. 

5) Reevaluate your shipping methods.

The rising prices from shippers and increased number of backorders cause more split shipments and packages per order and therefore, the net freight expense as a percentage of your net sales is likely going up.

Brands must manage the current situation. You may do this by revising the value of a free shipping offer and the hurdles you use. Look at the methods for how you ship. If you have stores, how are you leveraging the store fleet (i.e., ship from store) based on where shipping costs may be lower? This may even help reduce the ship time for customers.

6) Be realistic about today’s supply chain and pivot.

Order earlier than you ever have before. Often, you cannot make changes once the orders have been placed due to lead times. Some questions to ask: Can you accept backorders? If not, can you build that capability?

Now is the time to focus on the innerworkings of your brand. What can you afford to shift? What is not adding to your success right now? Answering these questions honestly and realistically will benefit your bottom line.

7) Rely on your building blocks and best practices.

When in doubt, always rely on your foundational building blocks. Nobody knows your business better than you. Therefore, you can determine what to change and continue most efficiently. From this standpoint, it is all about the details. For example, can you extend a contract for a reduced price? Are there services that you can do without? Two words: Be relentless.

We hope you enjoyed Mark’s insight for how to add success for your brand this year. No matter your product or service, the recipe is the same. Whether we’re talking about macro trends, your unique strategy or tried and true best practices, Mark believes “the devil is in the details.” That said, we’re looking forward to collaborating this year and beyond!

Happy,Kid,Looking,Ahead.,Smiling,Child,With,Spyglass.,Travel,And

Bring It On, 2020-Too

by Direct MailMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNews

As we enter the New Year, we can’t help but think of the newest popular saying: “2020 – too.” Get it? Beginning last month, several news outlets published their marketing predictions for this year by looking back at 2021 successes and failures as well as industry-leading brands. From increased customer loyalty to an emphasis on personalization, marketing in 2022 is surely unprecedented. Can you believe we’re using that word again?

Rather than add to the list of articles about predictions (though we are always happy to share if you are interested!), we thought it would be helpful to provide current scenarios and what they mean for your marketing strategy in the next few months and beyond.

Current Scenario 1: Brick-and-mortar closures due to not enough employees available to work.

This is likely due to several factors, but mainly people contracting COVID-19 (or having experienced exposure) and that people have found new work elsewhere. Reuters reported a record 1.35M COVID-19 cases on Monday, January 10th, which was the new single-day high (source: CNBC). Additionally, a record 4.5M Americans quit their jobs in November (source: SHRM). Whether this is a result of finding higher paying jobs, relocation due to the pandemic, or something else, bricks-and-mortar are suffering the consequences.  

What This Means for Your Marketing Strategy: Your target audience may not be what it once was. People are adapting to bricks-and-mortar closures in different ways. Some are becoming more brand loyal; some are finding other solutions and some are developing new habits. It may be time to revisit your house file, reevaluate your top earning channels and discover new marketing tactics (PS: Are you familiar with our New to File Direct Mail program? It helps with exactly this. Reach out here to learn more).

Current Scenario 2: Privacy Concerns, Apple’s iOS Updates, and More…Signal Upcoming Tech Changes.

From privacy concerns and Facebook’s policies changing social media, technology modifications like Apple’s iOS updates affecting email marketing, Google’s algorithm adjustments affecting SEO, to Instagram’s new focus on video, marketers’ tech stack is shifting.

What This Means for Your Marketing Strategy: Marketers must rely on partners–to be the most cutting-edge, to understand the latest laws and best practices–to continue driving your omnichannel strategy forward.

Current Scenario 3: More Channels for Consumers Than Ever Before

Since 2020 (and arguably even before), there has been a theme of disruption. The pandemic stimulated widespread digital adoption, facilitated changed consumer behavior, and impacted the supply chain. Each day, we are dealing with the impact that these changes have had on our businesses.

What This Means for Your Marketing Strategy: Marketing will continue to be a challenge. In fact, Forbes reported: “Marketing is getting harder, and there’s no end in sight…numerous disruptive changes have dramatically impacted marketing and advertising in the last several months.” However, while people are consuming more channels than ever before, marketers may also utilize this opportunity to test new channels, find new customers and thus, drive success.

In looking at the above current scenarios, we hope your mind isn’t spinning, but if it is, lucky for you we understand the marketplace. With our 30+ years of industry experience, we know the ins and outs of this landscape. At our core, we are flexible and adaptive, which is how we help our clients daily. While we do not know what the future holds, we do know how to grow your customer base and thus, revenue using our building blocks: open communication, sharing and collaboration, innovation and problem solving and personalization. We look forward to collaborating with you this year

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Building Blocks for Creating Authentic Customer Relationships Through Branding & Content

by Digital MarketingMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNews

As marketers, we all have our “secret sauce.” In terms of building authentic customer relationships, we’re inviting you to “taste test” ours! Brand, content and storytelling are the ingredients in our recipe.

Measure & Mix:

1 Great Brand

  • An important element of branding is about building a positive reputation.
  • The best brands find balance between their own character and customer needs.
    • – Make sure to get ahead of these needs – appeal to the ‘needs’ they don’t even know they have.
    • – You may do this with tools like surveys. Using surveys, you can discover details that customers may not be articulating through shopping behavior, but you may infer based on responses.
  • Emphasize empathy and determine how it can play a bigger role in your customer journey.

Stir In:

1 Perception Identity

1 Price

  • Understand brand archetypes: these will help define a brand’s role in the marketplace and in the lives of customers by creating a human connection.
    • – Archetypes are directional and not prescriptive.
    • – Finding the right archetype can develop a role in the marketplace as well as customers’ lives.
  • Create a consistent and compelling brand identity, so you can always tap back into this as you develop consistent communication.
  • If your brand identity is meaningful enough, then brand evolution may occur as well.

For added flavor, here are some suggested enhancements for brand identity:

  • Authenticity
  • Differentiation
  • Consistency
  • Presence
  • Relevance
  • Understanding
  • Price
    • – How you price your products is key to bringing your brand to life. It determines your reputation within the marketplace and customer perception

Bake:

4 Organizational Content Framework

1 Hero

1 Hub

1 Help

1 Heart

  • Combine large and small moments to help convert prospects or increase engagement with existing customers.
    • – Hero content: Huge moments like big campaigns, pop-up events which are usually larger investments 1-2x per year.
    • – Hub content: High impact, medium moments that demonstrate industry expertise, increase prospect engagement and drive conversion, such as videos, white papers, and new product launches.
    • – Help content: Always-on, small-scale content designed to solve customers’ job to be done. Content such as social posts, customer service interactions, help communications (explainers, demos, etc.), SEO strategy and retargeting, team culture, customer and community stories, and surprise moments increases brand affinity, drives conversion, and improve retention. Typically, brands spend a lot of time and effort in this area.
    • – Heart content: Medium moments balanced with Hub content. These are highly impactful and designed to demonstrate empathy and increase retention with existing customers. Examples include small-scale, intimate events as well as social media events. Overall, brands are solely trying to enhance customer relationships in these moments.
  • By understanding your content ecosystem, a brand will strengthen its customer journey.

Serve valuable content to facilitate stronger customer connections & enjoy heightened marketing success!

Information sourced from Mailchimp eCommerce Masterclass Series. 

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Building Blocks for a Marketable & Profitable Holiday Promotional Strategy

by Digital MarketingMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNews

The power of promotion is real – especially during the holidays. Usually once October begins, the promotions hit. This year, it feels like they started in September!  Not only do promotions aid in differentiating your brand from competitors, but consumers rely (and look forward) to the upcoming promotional season. Most importantly, promotions are extremely impactful for closing the year strongly in terms of revenue.  

With the help of Mailchimp, here are some building blocks for building a marketable and profitable holiday promotional strategy.

  • (1) Lay the foundation. Establish your everyday product prices within a sensible margin target. Understand your pre-product shipping costs and their impact on your profitability.

Tip: Pay close attention to inventory throughout the year – especially leading up to the holidays. Encourage increases in Average Order Value (AOV) and Units Per Transaction (UPT) early on.

  • (2) Offer a variety of promotions. Before offering a promotion to your customers, you want to ensure that you understand your shipping costs (as mentioned above). Overall, any promotion should start with healthy, everyday pricing. Here are couple of ideas: coupon codes for existing customers or new prospects, free shipping, dollar-off and percent-off discounts, “buy more, save more” options, and limited time offers.

Tip: 79% of customers are more likely to buy online if they are offered free shipping (source: (Walker Sands, The Future of Retail 2018).

  • (3) Don’t forget about marketing your promotions. If you market your promotions in advance of the holiday season, they will likely drive even more revenue. There are many effective ways to market your promotions to drive revenue before the holiday rush, such as pop-up forms to build your captive audience and email segmentation (i.e., communications to existing customers with early access to your offers). Try not to neglect organic and paid social. Tactics like increasing the frequency of your organic posts and executing in-market and look-a-like audience targeting will impact your sales.

Tip: Email is still considered to be one of the most profitable channels in terms of ROI. If you are worried about open rates due to the iOS 15 update, check out our response to this news. There are many other reliable metrics that will measure your success.

For as many “do’s,” there are as many “don’t’s.” While promotions can drive success towards the end of the calendar year, they should be maintained. Make sure that you do not “set it and forget it.” Promotions are meant to get people to spend more money or help you win new customers. Therefore, we recommend monitoring the length of your promos, be mindful of timing, and most importantly, evaluate the performance of your promos in real time.

Information sourced from Mailchimp eCommerce Masterclass Series.  

 

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Building Blocks for Increasing Online Holiday Sales

by Digital MarketingMarketing StrategyMarketing TrendsNews

Last week, we reported on tips for preparing your digital marketing efforts for the holiday season. This week, we promised a follow-up on selling.

Now that you have prepared your campaigns, it is almost time to sell your merchandise. Here are some tips to amplify your revenue based on successful sales: 

  • (1) Build Your List(s) With Promo Codes

Every brand marketer’s goal is to capture a consumer’s email address because it facilitates a 1:1 connection and is a cost-effective (it’s free!) way to communicate with them. Here are some ideas to help capture even more email addresses with your marketing campaigns:

  • – Sign-up forms from platforms like Mailchimp.
  • – Promo codes to incentivize customers to offer up their email addresses.
  • (2) Increase Site Traffic & Conversion By Creating a Sense of Urgency

We all know that being familiar with your customers is key. It ensures marketers are getting the right messages to the most relevant customers. Moreover, if the messaging is effective, interactions with merchandise increase. Here is how you can enhance these interactions:

  • – Use time sensitive countdowns to build urgency, i.e. “Only 12 hours remaining!”
  • – Send abandoned cart emails with low inventory notifications (try to be honest about this!).
  • – Utilize on-site inventory flags, i.e. “Only a few left!”
  • – Promote shipping cut-offs to create urgency for the holidays. Not only will merchandise have a better chance of arriving on time, but this will help your products get off the shelves sooner.
  • (3) Continue the Conversation & Further Grow Conversion

Continued engagement is all-important. Once you have captured a consumer’s email address and they have browsed your site and/or purchased, stay in touch! Here are couple ways you can do this:

  • – As noted above, send abandoned cart emails, but make them feel personal. 
  • – Did you know that you can drive 34x more orders by sending personal emails vs. bulk emails? (source: Mailchimp)
  • – Enlist the help of retargeting ads.
  • – Ensure you are not marketing sold out items.

While selling for the holiday season technically begins Thanksgiving weekend, it feels like it has already started. By the time December hits, there is so much to be learned not only for the next holiday season, but for Q1 2022. In December, we’ll be back with tips and tricks for learning from selling season.

Information sourced from Mailchimp eCommerce Masterclass Series.