Market research

SUMMARY: Social media and user generated content are the newest -- but not the only -- ways to engage customers and get their opinions. Online surveys are still an effective way to pinpoint what your customers want from your site -- and what they want improved.

Read how a jewelry marketer used a simple online survey to uncover ways to expand services, improve the website, and increase sales as much as 4.5% in some categories. Includes creative samples of the entire survey. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: Inbound marketing gives companies the power to attract customers without advertising. The strategy is based on modern trends -- easy access to publishing, the prominence of search engines, the popularity of social media, the power of A/B testing, and others.

The inaugural edition of our new Inbound Marketing newsletter dives into the trends, tactics and strategies that make inbound marketing effective. It includes case study data, expert analysis, stats on tactics, and more… read the complete article

SUMMARY: There is often reluctance to fix a machine that’s not broken. But when the machine is wasteful, minor tweaks can bring greater efficiency without sacrificing performance.

See how a menswear retailer brought their catalog circulation issues under control, realized huge savings, and invested in customer acquisition. Includes six lessons from their experiences. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: The all-new MarketingSherpa 2012 Executive Guide to Marketing Personnel conducted research with 1,646 marketers to help CMOs and marketing managers understand the challenges around building an effective marketing team.

Download your 7-page excerpt of that research. The free excerpt covers these key discoveries from the research:
o People issues dominate marketing department challenges
o Most organizations lack people strategies
o Marketers wear multiple hats but have few guidelines
o Marketers depend on assessment accuracy … to a point read the complete article

By Anne Holland, President

20 years ago, I put together my very first direct marketing campaign. The tiny publishing company I had just joined was in a cash crunch. This campaign *had* to work so we could meet payroll.

It was quick and simple. I wrote the copy and had the Kinkos around the corner print the fliers. Then, I personalized each one with sticky labels that I had printed on my little inkjet printer with our... read the complete blog post