Brafton: Rising mobile email access improves open rates

Brafton News Content Marketing

Rising mobile email access improves open rates May 3rd 2012, 13:30 A report from Return Path suggests that growth in smartphones and tablets has changed the way Americans access their personal and professional emails. The company's study found that emails accessed on mobile devices grew more than 82 percent in March 2012 compared to March 2011. Return Path also said that mobile email access is set to surpass emails opened on webmail providers later this year. Webmail refers to cloud-based email providers, such as Gmail or Hotmail. While these services are used frequently as smartphone apps, this access refers to mobile use rather than standard webmail access. The growth of smartphones is nothing new, as the market has steadily risen in the last handful of years. However, reports that demonstrate mobile's takeover of certain areas should have marketers paying attention. With mobile becoming the preferred channel for receiving and reading email, developing internet marketing material that can be accessed seamlessly is vital for success moving forward. In general, the mobile web's role in most tasks has resulted in a demand from Americans that any site they hope to visit be entirely accessible to them from their smartphone or tablet. Even as open rates from mobile devices grow, companies hoping to launch successful email marketing campaigns must not take the content within their messages for granted. Brafton recently reported that click-through rates in 2011 dropped compared to 2010 even though open rates increased. Companies must include high-quality content marketing material in their messages and ensure it will function properly when loaded on a mobile device. Media files: nearly-100-million-americans-will-connect-to-the-mobile-web-this-year_3333_800583003_0_0_14010361_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: Twitter’s updated Discover tab rewards targeted social content marketing campaigns

Brafton News Content Marketing

Twitter's updated Discover tab rewards targeted social content marketing campaigns May 2nd 2012, 19:56 In its official blog, Twitter detailed a series of adjustments it has recently made aimed at making its Discover tab a greater portal to content that appeals to users. For businesses using both content and social media marketing, the Discover feature can help brands reach their followers' relevant Twitter connections with site content shared socially. One of the main goals of social media marketing is to increase visibility and industry influence. As Twitter adds updated content discovery elements to its site, it becomes even more valuable to companies. According to Twitter' blog post, the indicators used to deliver content to users via the Discover tab was already quite detailed. However, new signals included in the process Tweets that have been retweeted or mentioned frequently by users. This could help marketers extend their Twitter reach to followers of followers - and Brafton has reported that the similar friend of fan reach offered with Facebook marketing exponentially increases brand exposure (though Facebook is undeniably a larger platform.) Should a Twitter user be interested in one of the most discussed topics, they will now be able to click a "View Tweets" button, which shows the conversation surrounding the story. Similarly, in its effort to make its mobile applications mimic the desktop experience as much as possible, the Discover feature will become more capable on Twitter's various smartphone apps. This element of the update is not rolled out yet, Twitter said it should be coming in "the next few weeks." While the Discover feature's evolution will help companies appeal to a greater audience, one of Twitter's most effective uses for social media marketing is gaining traction among businesses of all sizes. Brafton recently reported that 60 percent of companies active on the site are using it to improve their customer service capability. Media files: drop_twitter.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: Bing rolls out new, clean SERP design: Can it lure Googlers?

Brafton News Content Marketing

Bing rolls out new, clean SERP design: Can it lure Googlers? May 2nd 2012, 18:25 Bing has rolled out a new-look SERP that some have compared to Google's older model. SEO marketers should note that the visual updates are accompanied by some "changes under the hood" that aim to provide more relevant results, but Bing's announcement focuses on how it wants to give users more navigable content ... and the company seems to undermine Google search updates. The most obvious reason for the adjustment is to bring users back to the simpler days of Google. Of course, it could also be off-putting for users who prefer Bing. The company claims it wants to "[remove] unnecessary distractions, and [make] the overall experience more predictable and useful." A quick perusal of the new Bing SERP reminds users of Google SERPs before the company's massive adjustments of the last couple years. While photos, maps and video content will all still appear on SERPs, the move to make its pages simpler has resulted in more white space. Bing is also countering Search, plus your World updates by putting all social data into one designated area on a page. "Putting all our result annotations and social data in one consistent spot makes the page easier to use and understand," said Sally Salas, Bing's principal group program manager. Bing's treatment of social data is a stark contrast from social annotations included alongside all results for logged-in Googlers. While Google argues that adding Google+ data to results is essential to "surfacing recommendations at the moments that matter," Bing seems to think users prefer clutter-free results. (And it's worth noting that 45 percent of searchers said they didn't like the idea of social data impacting their search results - at least at the initial launch of Search, plus Your World.) Bing is also streamlining the above the fold portion of users' screens, shifting the related searches to the bottom right of the pages. Now, users will only see additional search options when they are finished scanning the initial paid and organic results - making it more valuable for brands to have content marketing campaigns that put them toward the top of Bing SERPs. Other changes include moving different search options, such as Image or Local, above the query box instead of in tabs directly above results. While numbers for April have yet to be released, Brafton recently reported that Bing fielded 15.3 percent of all search engine queries in March. This compares favorably with its position one year ago as it has grown by 19 percent in terms of total searches. Media files: bing-was-the-only-search-engine-to-gain-share-this-month_3333_800552465_0_0_7034819_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: Study: Email marketing campaign clicks rise with trending news topics

Brafton News Content Marketing

Study: Email marketing campaign clicks rise with trending news topics May 2nd 2012, 15:41 A report from Elite Email suggests that companies using email marketing should apply the same concept of trending topics that improves website content to their email campaigns. The study found that seasonal and timely email content generated greater open and click-through rates when compared to other messages. Elite Email cited a lawncare company that ups its email efforts during the late winter and early spring. According to the report, focusing on spring lawncare tips resulted in an 8 percent higher open rate and 11 percent greater click-through rates. The data demonstrates that using certain seasonal topics can help companies improve the appeal of their email messages, and it highlights the demand for timely website content. Fueling a site with new and trending content then sharing headlines via newsletters is a great way to bring subscribers to business sites (where there are opportunities for them to convert). Including links to news content marketing campaigns in email marketing messages that discuss timely events in the context of how they matter to prospects can help improve readership. In the coming weeks, companies can look to national holidays, such as Mothers' Day and Memorial Day, to create content that relates these events to their businesses. In the past, Brafton has highlighted a number of events and holidays that businesses used in email and broader content marketing campaigns to provide interesting and timely angles for articles or blog posts. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Valentine's Day both presented businesses with opportunities to leverage timely events into their marketing campaigns. Media files: working-from-home-e1335971009684.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: Mobile paid search traffic between 15 and 25 percent for most industries

Brafton News Content Marketing

Mobile paid search traffic between 15 and 25 percent for most industries May 2nd 2012, 14:30 A report from DataPop relayed by Search Engine Land found that mobile paid search traffic accounts for between 15 and 25 percent of clicks for most industries. As paid clicks continued to rise from smartphones and tablets, it's clear that search's growth will likely continue due to mobile increase use. According to CEO Jason Lehmbeck, increased mobile search activity has helped some online-only retailers compete more effectively by being more proactive in mobile search. However, many companies relying on both the web and in-store sales have fallen behind by neglecting search marketing altogether. In certain industries, especially those relying on local business, paid mobile search traffic accounts for nearly 50 percent of all paid clicks they receive. While the mobile share of paid clicks is not this high for most businesses, developing an integrated search engine marketing strategy will help companies drive traffic and visibility. Brafton recently reported that some companies believe mobile search to account for 30 percent of increasingly large search traffic. A successful search strategy will focus on several different elements, including local search and SEO. Brafton covered some of the top mobile search tips discussed at ad:tech San Francisco and while driving paid search and organic rankings is different, there are common strategies to successful effort in each. Among the most effective tools for any company targeting users on a variety of internet-enabled devices is content marketing, which will help appeal to search crawlers and offer a strong user experience to website visitors. Brafton recently highlighted the efforts of Landmark Bank, which leveraged branded content to provide informative material for existing customers and prospects and used these pages to support paid search efforts. After launching the campaign, the bank saw organic search traffic increase by 30 percent and PPC clicks jump by an astounding 360 percent. Media files: nearly-100-million-americans-will-connect-to-the-mobile-web-this-year_3333_800583003_0_0_14010361_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: Growth in enterprise iPad use drives B2B content marketing reach

Brafton News Content Marketing

Growth in enterprise iPad use drives B2B content marketing reach May 2nd 2012, 13:30 A report from Good Technology found that the iPad is becoming increasingly popular within enterprises, along with other Apple mobile devices. More than 97 percent of the enterprise activations handled by Good Technology in the first quarter dealt with the iPad. With the Apple tablet's status as one of the leading tools for mobile search and accessing news content, this could be a boon for B2B marketers. Brafton recently reported that tablet users typically look for more news content once they start using the device. Thirty-four percent of Pew respondents said that they regularly read news content on tablets. While users certainly access countless other kinds of content on their mobile devices, reading news is becoming an increasingly popular task for tablet owners partially because the mobile web makes it easy to constantly check for industry updates. As the devices become more integral to business operations, B2B companies can leverage the trend by creating news content marketing campaigns that appeal to their target audiences. With more companies investing in tablets for their employees, the amount of research for purchase decisions that takes place on these devices will likely increase. Developing articles that demonstrate value to B2B buyers will help marketers improve mobile traffic to their sites and drive more prospects through the conversion funnel. Users of Apple's iPhone and iPad are more likely to conduct searches than users of any other operating system, including both Windows and Apple's own Mac OS. Good also reported that the iPhone is growing in popularity as part of enterprise smartphone deployments. "...(T)ablets, combined with proactive, company-owned iPad deployments, are driving rapid growth in the size and number of new deployments among our customers," John Herrema, Good Technology's senior vice president of corporate strategy, said in a release. "This includes significant growth in the number of Good users who have both a smartphone and a tablet, with the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 as the most frequently occurring combination." Brafton recently reported that Apple's mobile devices are accounting for substantial search activity. The company's mobile operating system, iOS, accounted for the greatest percentage of search activity as part of overall web access. Apple's mobile customers are using their iPads and iPhone to search the web at a much greater rate than their competitors. As these devices become more prominent throughout the enterprise, SEO-focused B2B content marketing campaigns could help improve site traffic, web leads and conversions. In general, smartphones and tablets are quickly replacing their precursors, feature phones and laptops, for both consumer and enterprise use. Brafton recently reported that the global smartphone market, for example, grew more than 42 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year. Media files: the-ipad-accounts-for-nearly-all-tablet-traffic-in-the-united-states_3333_800538219_0_0_14009845_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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Brafton: 60 percent of businesses say social media marketing improves customer service

Brafton News Content Marketing

60 percent of businesses say social media marketing improves customer service May 1st 2012, 20:28 A report from thinkJar and Sword Ciboodle suggests that customer service is among the areas most likely to benefit from active use of Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. According to the study, 60 percent of companies in the U.S. and the U.K. are using social in part to improve their customer service. ThinkJar and Sword Ciboodle found that 60 percent of companies polled are using both Facebook and Twitter to answer questions from customers and address feedback. Eighty-five percent of companies use at least one of the two channels. Larger companies that field a substantial number of queries from customers have found that social can help alleviate the strain of call centers or other parts of the business dedicated to customer service. Forty percent of these companies said that they have been using social media marketing as part of customer service for at least two years, while 53 percent said they have implemented it in the last two years. Many made the move toward social client support after noticing that competitors are especially active with social media marketing, but marketers are advised to take a more proactive approach. According to Esteban Kolsky, principal and founder for thinkJar, too many companies are lagging in social strategies despite the channel's growing popularity among consumers and other businesses. "What's important for every organization to realize is, while social channels are constantly evolving, they are not new anymore," Mitch Lieberman, vice president of market strategy at Sword Ciboodle, added. "The most successful customer service program will happen for businesses who incorporate social into their overall customer engagement practices. Brafton recently reported that companies launching social media marketing campaigns have increased conversions by as much as 400 percent. Using social for customer service is just one element of social outreach that has helped companies improve their engagement with prospects and existing clients. Media files: business-team-e1335203846393.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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