Social Media and Mobile Phone Usage Statistics

Here are some important statistics from a Constant Contact article about social media and mobile phone usage.

• According to a new report from eMarketer, 28 million Americans will use Twitter on their mobile phones at least monthly this year. That’s up 22 percent over 2012.
•  EMarketer also projected that nearly 100 million Americans will access Facebook via a mobile device at least monthly in 2013. That number is expected to increase 50 percent by 2017.
• Today, nearly all mobile social network users will use Facebook on their mobile device.
• 75 percent of smartphone owners are “highly likely” to delete emails they can’t read on their phone

A new Constant Contact survey, done in conjunction with  research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, provides further evidence for why brands need to be thinking about mobile when designing their marketing emails.

Possibly the most revealing piece of data collected from a survey which included responses from 1,497 smartphone users, is that 75 percent of users say they are “highly likely” to delete an email that does not display well on mobile.

It should come as no surprise that 80 percent of participants also reported it is extremely important to be able to read emails on their mobile device.

The survey also provides a closer look at the role of mobile for different age groups:

• For respondents ages 18 to 30 years, 88 percent open email  on a mobile device, with more than half confirming their smartphone is their primary device for opening emails.
• For respondents ages 30 to 39, 85 percent open emails on their mobile device with nearly half – 48 percent – claiming their smartphone is their primary device for email.
• For respondents ages 40 to 49,  74 percent confirmed they read emails on their devices, but only 35 percent of this age demographic said that their smartphone was their primary device for reading emails.

Regardless of the size of your business, the industry you work in, or the audience you serve — mobile is already influencing your email marketing and will have an even greater influence in the years to come.

That’s good news for small businesses and organizations, says Jim Garretson, mobile product manager at Constant Contact.

“The fact of the matter is that consumers are opening emails on their phones first with increasing regularity,” Jim explains. “The great thing about mobile emails is that shorter content and fewer calls to action actually perform better than complicated and dense messaging. By simplifying email marketing campaigns, marketers can take an essential and effective step towards becoming mobile-friendly.”

Understanding How Your Emails Make it to the Inbox

“Every day, 14.5 billion spam messages are sent globally, and nobody wants those messages in their inbox. As an email marketer, the thought that your recipients might think your message is spam is even worse. Once you click "send," you're often left wondering whether or not your message ever arrived. In this 35-minute webinar, we’ll show you how to improve your email marketing results by discussing:”  This article and video are from Constant Contact Blogs.

Email Vs Social Media

"The thought is that, just as we've moved away from paper memos, we'll eventually move away from email because social media simulates a much more natural conversation. And media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn presently and frequently communicate with their audience using…wait for it…EMAIL!"

Click Here to read the rest of this article

Study: 77% of smartphone-driven retail purchases happen in stores- Constant Contact

An Article from Constant Contact Blogs

 

"According to new research from Nielsen, more than three quarters of all smartphone-driven retail purchases are taking place offline.

While 42% of the 2,000 retail customers who participated in the survey reported that they rely exclusively on mobile when researching a purchasing decision, the vast majority say that they are much more likely to come in store rather than shop online.

Other interesting findings included:

·        57% of people searching on a smartphone expect retailers to be within five miles of their location

·        24% of people searching on smartphones consider local proximity of the business to be the most important search variable

·        33% of people searching on smartphones are looking specifically for retailer contact details (phone number, address, directions)

Bottom Line: While most of the talk around mobile over the last few months has been focused on the type of actions users are taking online, it’s also important to understand that what mobile users are doing offline can be just as important. The reality is that with more people researching your business on mobile—through search, social media, and even in the inbox—you have more opportunities to bring people into your place of business if you’re providing a positive mobile-experience.

Whether it’s taking control of your online listings, adopting a more mobile social media strategy, or making the change to mobile-friendly emails, there is plenty you can do right away."

Delivering relevant content is a top concern for B2B email marketers

An article from Constant Contact Blogs

"For business-to-business (B2B) marketers, being able to target the right message to the right audience is a top priority.
According to a recent report from BtoB Magazine, 47% of B2B respondents cite “delivering content that’s relevant to a segment” as the top tactic they can take to improve their email marketing efforts. Lead nurture programs (43%), content quality and volume (40%), and list segmentation (30%) were also top concerns for B2B email marketers.
As far as email marketing goals, customer acquisition is the top goal of B2B businesses. Other goals include: lead nurturing (29%), brand awareness (18%), customer retention (15%).
Bottom Line: Whether you’re a B2B, B2C, or nonprofit organization, delivering content that’s relevant to your target audience is an important part of any email marketing campaign. By delivering content that’s relevant to your readers, you’ll have more opportunities to engage your audience and to stay top-of-mind in the process.

When you consider that for 56% of consumers, irrelevant content is a top reason for unsubscribing from brand email lists, it’s clear that all email marketers need to be focused on delivering the right content to the right people every time they hit send."

Color will Make or Break your Next Email Campaign. Sound too Bold to be True?

When your email message is opened, you have a split second to make a good impression. Long before any of your words are absorbed, your reader sees the appearance of your email.

And color is the first thing that makes an impression. Will the impression be that your business is polished, professional, and trustworthy?

Or will the impression be that your business is scattered, disorganized, and hard to communicate with?

Read full article at Constant Contact.

6 Quick Tips to Improve Your Survey Response Rate

Surveying your clients and prospects is an excellent to find out what they think of your products or services. It is a good way to spot trends in your industry.  But getting people to answer the survey is hard. 

I’ve found that you have to build a reputation over time to eventually get good survey results.  Send 2-4 short surveys. Talk about the results in your social media, newsletters, web site, etc. to show how the information is being used. Be sure to explain why participating in a survey benefits your respondents. The old “What’s In It For Me?” question.   After your clients see results from the initial surveys, they will be more likely to participate in future surveys.

Read the Constant Contact article

Latest Benchmarks Prove Email Still an Effective Marketing Channel

Good news for small businesses!  I’ve been an email proponent for a long time. It’s effective. It’s cost efficient. Read this article from eMarketer to see the research results.

Note that their averages for Open Rates and Click-Through Rates are lower the Constant Contact’s.  Compare your most recent email traffic reports to see how you are doing.

7 Design Mistakes That Make Readers Trash Your Emails

It’s heartbreaking to think that people are making snap judgements about whether or not to read your emails based on a quick glance.

Click here to continue reading this informative article from Constant Contact.

QR Code in Constant Contact: "Scan-to-Join"

We can create a QR code for you that potential contacts can scan with their mobile device to quickly and easily sign up for your mailing list. Print it and display wherever your customers and prospects may see it. Once they scan the QR code, they'll be directed to a mobile-friendly sign-up form.

Check out some ideas on how you can use Scan-to-Join.

Contact Your Computer Lady to set this up for you in Constant Contact.

Facebook Case Study

The Secret Recipe for Getting 600 More Facebook Likes
Constant Contact blog post

Try Not To Do This

Excellent article about writing subject lines for your emails! This is an area where I certainly fall down. Maybe you do too in the rush of getting an email out. We write boring subject lines then complain that people didn't open our emails. 63% of readers say they open an email based on the subject line!

So read this article by Michael Katz of Blue Penquin Development and write some good subject lines!

How to Build Your Email List

Review this short list of the best ways to build a really powerful email list.  It isn't hard but you want to use every opportunity you get.  http://img.constantcontact.com/docs/pdf/List-BuildingTipsheet-SP.pdf

Constant Contact New Feature

Constant Contact has added a new feature to allow you to share emails and events directly from the Constant Contact platform on your Facebook profile, your Facebook Page and/or your Twitter feed.  One stop does it all.  Watch this video for details. 

Call Your Computer Lady (480-929-0335) today for assistance in getting the set up done and using the tool effectively.

Why is Constant Contact my #1 recommendation for Email Service Provider?

According to an independent study by the Aberdeen Group, Constant Contact customers have 36% higher open rates, 60% better click through rates, and 29% more revenue compared to users of other email marketing solutions.

Constant Contact Email Marketing Classes - FREE!

Ron Cates with Constant Contact is presenting two email marketing classes in Phoenix on June 23rd.  Ron does a GREAT job presenting the benefits and how to's of email marketing. Call me for details if you would like to attend. If you aren't sure you should be doing email marketing, go to one of these classes!!!  If you are just getting started and need to know how to do a great job, go to one of these classes!!!!

Email Subject Lines

35% of email users open messages because of what's contained in the subject line - Jupiter Research (2007)

Words that were identified as innocuous words that won't trigger a spam filter but will negatively affect your open rates: help, percent off and reminder. - MailChimp (2007)

So subject lines for your email messages are important. How do you write good ones?  Here are 3 articles to help you from experts at Constant Contact.

6 Tips for Writing Better Subject Lines
Subject Lines That Click
Subject Lines & Calls to Action

Finding Opportunity in a Down Economy

A Back-to-Basics Approach to Successful Marketing in Difficult Times.  This 14 page article from Constant Contact offers a lot of good suggestions for honing your marketing strategy and taking advantage of email marketing as a tool. Excellent read!

Finding Opportunity in a Down Economy Article

Holiday E-Cards

This Holiday, Say it with an E-card
10 creative holiday email card ideas

by Gail Goodman, Constant Contact CEO
 

Why spend money on paper cards and postage when you can send an e-card? The holidays are a perfect time to send one to the people on your list. Here are ten ideas that will help you do more than just say, "Happy Holidays" with your e-card. Instead, you'll send one that makes your subscribers smile.

1. Show your face - Include a photo of you and your staff (or you and your family, if you're a one person shop) in your e-card. This is a great way to make it more personal. You can take a traditional photo or take a fun one of  your employees decorating for the holidays, you with a set of antlers on your head, or everyone with a glass of eggnog held up, saying "cheers." A more interesting photo will get more attention!
   
2. Give a little gift - Say thank you with an exclusive coupon. Ask them to print the e-card and bring it in for 20 percent off their next purchase, or to receive a special gift. You know what kind of "gift" is valuable to your audience. Make it special and make it clear that this offer is only for those on your email list, then it truly is exclusive.
   
3. Spread some cheer -Thank your list members by giving them something intended for forwarding. Include a family and friends' discount in your e-card. An enticing offer can make your e-card go a long way and get great results. Also, you can grow your list by adding a sign-up link at the bottom of the cards.
   
4. Eat, drink, and be merry - Share a favorite holiday food or drink recipe. Most people have a number of parties that they attend over the holidays, with workmates, friends and family. And many times they need to bring something. Help them be the life of the party by sending them a recipe for a dish or beverage that's guaranteed to hit a homerun. Make it quick, easy, and enticing. Include a photo (if you have a good one).
   
5. Ask for some love (nonprofit) - In the spirit of giving, invite list members to donate to or volunteer time to your worthy cause. Do you do something special for those you serve during the holidays? Let your list members know how they can get involved.
   
6. Be wise - Instead of the standard holiday greeting, include an uplifting quote, saying, or poem that will enrich one's soul. Look for something unique and inspiring that will resonate with your readers.
   
7. Have a little fun - How about using video? It's easy to upload a video of your staff on YouTube. You can then link to it from your e-card. Record your staff singing a holiday song, just saying happy holidays or, if you have some creative bones in your body, write a little two minute script and record a funny skit. Your list members will love that you tried to do something different.
   
8. Share the warmth (nonprofit) - Include a short story (and photo) about a person your organization helped. What a great way to end the year and thank your donors and volunteers for their efforts, by giving them an example of how they are making a difference.
9. Give a tip - Serve up a few helpful tips (relevant to your audience, of course!). You can send some general holiday tips like "5 ways to cope with holiday shopping" or tips that fall within your area of expertise. For example, a financial planner may send "
   
   5 Easy Ways
   to Save Money in 2008." Think about what would be useful to your audience. Be creative. And if that's not your forte, then brainstorm with a creative friend.
   
10. Be resolved - Share a resolution for the New Year. What do you want to do better, differently or more for your customers, clients or members in 2008? What have you learned from them that you plan to act on? What promise do you wish to make to them going forward? Include a brief statement about it in your e-card.
    

Remember to keep your e-card short and simple. That's what makes it an e-card, and not an e-newsletter. The holiday season gives you a unique opportunity to communicate with your list members and to do it in a fun and spirited way!

Power of Email Broadcasts

Ron Cates with Constant Contact put on an excellent seminar today!  The first half was a presentation by Network Solutions about search engine optimization (SEO). I'll write more on that later. But I just have to share some amazing numbers Ron shared about email broadcasts. I'm including newsletters, announcements, promotions in that general "broadcast" group.

• On average, you make $55 for every $1 spent on email marketing.
• 25% of all emails change in the course of a year so you have to be continuously monitoring your database.
• 95% read their personal email at the office. So even if you're sending to a home email, it probably won't be read until they get to work!
• Best time to send broadcasts is Tuesday between 10 am and 3 pm.
• 60% say they open the email based on the "From". So if you're using some vague email address you're hurting your open rate. Use your name or the company name very clearly.
• 30% say they open the email based on the "Subject". Again, use your company brand in either company name or slogan. Also put a call to action in the subject line.
• There is a 75% higher open rate if your Subject has 49 characters or less. Subjects of 50+ characters are perceived as sloppy.
• Content is king! People read 25% slower online than they do in hard copy. So your message must be more concise and more clearly presented in broadcasts.

Your Computer Lady has been using Constant Contact for quite awhile for our broadcasts as well as our clients'.  I'd be happy to answer questions for you about their services or about emailing in general. It is a powerful tool that has a very low expense. You can ask questions here by posting a Comment. Or share a broadcast story with us!