email market leader ExactTarget in the news

IT is about direct marketing, and email is leading that.
Size of ExactTarget deals & scope of this industry :
Read about it at Bloomberg BusinessWeek

• ExactTarget can charge a 50% premium for its email and social media customization services
• It's revenue is projected to grow 126%
• Best asset? Customization of online experiences based on consumer behavior

fusing video with email marketing

Video players can now function within email, with calls to action around and within them.  

Here are a few tips to get you started:

BusinessInsider tells us how to incorporate an email marketing app inside a Viewbix interface.

Viewbix dominates right now, but LiveClicker and others are trying to compete

Read more at: Bronto and Mailchimp

optimizing email for mobile

knowing that more than 1/4 of emails will be consumed on mobile devices, here are some tips:

1. use call-to-action buttons, not links
2. go for brief subject lines: 15-20 characters
3. stacked layout: columns won't work on a narrow screen - people can only scroll down
4. stick to one call to action:  want to drive them into stores? the email is a coupon. want them to click to your mobile site and make a purchase? the email is a single-use promo code

Supporting articles you may find helpful by:
Pat Owings - Business2Community
Ori Yankelev- Social Media Today
Adrienne Rhodes - BlueFountainMedia
Chantal Tode - Mobile Marketer

email triggers transactions...quickly

eMarketer article today reminds us that email timing does matter: reactions are virtually instantaneous.
Most activity on messages happens within 1st six hours following deployment.
10% within 15 minutes.

fighting the political clutter

Interesting attempt to be impactful during this political season.  

A candidate for US Senate opens with a one-sentence paragraph, "We’re just hours away from hitting our last -- and most important -- FEC filing deadline." A few quick facts and then only one graphic: CONTRIBUTE.

Effective?

3 email design best practices

Three email design tips:

1. F-shaped pattern: arrange most important content like the letter F because readers will first view the headline, followed by the text down the side and then the middle section last.
2. Make your copy easier to view by using contrasting colors. Dark copy on a light background is easiest to scan.  
3. Simplicity. Don't forget to be brief and keep the most important text above the fold.

push marketing: keep it simple

coupon --> smartphone -->checkout
Bill Ready asks, "What if you could whisper in a consumer’s ear that the item they’ve been looking for is now available, and put a coupon for it right in their pocket? A push notification to a smartphone does exactly that. And it can go even further with a one-click payment link that completes the purchase right then and there, without the need to visit a store – or open a laptop."
Read his complete Forbes.com piece about mobile devices shaking up e-commerce.