Each Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT, marketers from around the world join the ExactTarget user community on Twitter for a conversation about trends and campaign ideas across the interactive marketing industry. We call the virtual coffee chat theNexus Café.
Our guest this week was Anna Cole, eCommerce Business Manager from Carhartt. Anna helped us create a use case earlier this year around how Carhartt has leveraged ExactTarget's integration with Adobe Sitecatalyst via Adobe Genesis to generate a 3x higher click-through rate. The success in the integration inspired last weeks chat on "Sending the Right Message to The Right User".
Here's a recap from our discussion:
@ETNexus Q1 In a world wide web of a million websites what are the main drivers that send you back to specific sites?
- @JL_714 A1 design always - content not always king i.e. SI has great content, but pushdown/takeover ads can be brutal
- @acwiley23 A1 I go back to sites that send me emails that I am interested in. I may not click on every email but it keeps the site in mind.
- @gina_mueller A1 Email deals! you give me 20% off & free shipping I’m browsing. Free Returns I’m buying now! Customer experience is everything
- @Candicelyn A1: inspiration, products I love or products I use/buy regularly, pretty pictures or interesting articles
- @Hamerstadt A1: Usually it's needs based, but if the message/time is right - the company's communication (email/mobile/social) will drive me.
- @isimma A1 the right mix of design and content. Some sites have great/interesting content but the site is an eyesore/not user-friendly.
- @amandaberkey A1: Email design that's fresh and interesting! I appreciate mobile optimization (web/email)! I rarely have time on my PC at home.
@ETNexus Q2 What websites really pull you in? And why?
- @acwiley23 A2 I like sites that have video, reviews, etc. & that offer marketing spots that lead me to other items that I am interested in.
- @HippieBookworm Q2 Amazon and iTunes because they use what I've already purchased to send me deals I'm more likely to take advantage of.
- @csabbarese A2, good ? and I realize, I do most of my browsing on mobile these days, not many look good or easy to nav on an iPhone!
- @TargetCastTalks A2 Industry Style... adage (cleaner layout) beats media post (cluttered content)
- @cparkin70 A2: I'm motivated to check out sites that my friends /colleagues are interested in. Keeping me there is all about content!
- @Hamerstadt A2: Websites that do more than just sell products. I love inspiration, sneek peaks into company cultures, infographics, etc
- @coskier A2: http://t.co/L7YGJ8gd, Pinterest, sites that are high on visual quality. As an amateur photographer, that is important to me
@ETNexus Q3 How should a beginner get started with setting up email personalization?
- @acwiley23 A3 Analyze your list to understand your subscriber. What have they told you in the past, opened, clicked & converted on?
- @coskier A3: See what data they have, or can get, that can make a meaningful difference. Planning is key
- @cparkin70 A3: First step - pay attention to the signals customers are sending. They expect the info shared to matter and be used wisely.
- @Hamerstadt A3: Send product content customized to their specific needs or this could happen... :) http://t.co/uarGybdj #b2b
- @karengragg A3 @ExactTarget #sff research – 79% of top 100 retailers did not personalize email after online purchase. Is this easy or hard?
- @karengragg A3 Retail Touchpoints Exposed | ExactTarget http://t.co/nAseLZNh via@exacttarget
@ETNexus Q4 What types of behavioral data should be included in personalization?
- @acwiley23 A4 Purchase history, browse history, and past performance of emails.
- @coskier A4: Open, click, conversion. Opens/ clicks (engagement) is becoming a spam measure at some ISPs.
- @Candicelyn A4: Only the data that you actually have
@ETNexus Q5 Anyone have any good stories or opinions on what types work best?
- @acwiley23 A5 Targeted email, banners & site content on browse history works great. Don't go overboard so you don’t appear creepy.
- @karengragg A5 Abandoned cart emails are always very effective, especially if they are timely and help lure me back
- @cparkin70 A5: Multiple data points combined(browse, prior purchase, social graph, etc. create more a relevant and personalized experience.
- @cparkin70 A5 It’s our job to build digital experiences that are personalized to the digital self of each consumer we want to reach.
@ETNexus Q6 What do you use to collect information from your users?
- @acwiley23 A6 We use opt in forms, social media, contests, survey’s, reviews, and purchase history.
- @karengragg A6 Rich web analytics data like SiteCatalyst @AdobeDigMktg is very important too, linking behavior across all touch points
- HippieBookworm Q6 we use opt-in forms, profile forms and purchase history
- @cparkin70 A6 ALWAYS opt in methods. Be the good shepherd of your customers' data. They expect it to matter, so show them it does.
@ETNexus Q7 What are good measurements for analyzing personalization campaigns? Any specific examples?
- @acwiley23 A7 Before you start any campaign you need to define your success metric, for us we look at engagement and sales
- @ryanleecox A7: actionable measurements. you want to be able to see them engage/do something to prove personalized campaign successful.
- @karengragg A7 Stating the obvious but have a control non-personalized email for benchmarking - measure performance through to conversion
- @cparkin70 A7 combination of metrics from open, click through, engagement (browse), and value (average order) as examples
@ETNexus Q8 Can email personalization help grow a company’s contact list? Why/why not?
- @acwiley23 A8 Definitely! Sending the right message will increase retention. Also if the email resonates then FTAF activity increases.
- @karengragg A8 Not an expert, but if something is really relevant I'm more likely to share with friends who have the same interests
- @HippieBookworm A8 Yes it can! The more relevant and personal, the less unsubscribes and the more referrals you get.
- @cparkin70 A8 YOU BET! Word of mouth from friends and peers regarding their own quality experience will help drive
Join us next time!
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