Integrating Social, Mobile and Email for Maximum Impact

by Claudia Bruemmer

Our article about Mobile Marketing got a lot of interest from wholesalers and general merchandise vendors last month. While integrating social, mobile and email campaigns can yield great results, we know many merchants are not yet using integrated online marketing campaigns. Therefore, we’d like to provide information about social, mobile email integrated campaigns for your online marketing strategy as these media are used daily by consumers and marketers alike.

Facebook has over 750 million members, and 50 percent of them log in every day. Twitter has 200 million account holders delivering 350 billion tweets every day. Chatting, tweeting, texting and conducting business on mobile devices is rapidly becoming the norm. Email is also very popular and still considered the lifeblood of successful Internet marketing. Integrating mobile, email and social media is the best way for wholesalers and retailers to get the best results for their online marketing campaigns.

However, a lot of marketers don’t know how to integrate mobile into their overall marketing efforts despite the fact that integrating traditional web and mobile tools provide maximum impact. There are many mobile services providers that can help. Some providers commented about their services on the article page.

We would also like to call your attention to a selective list of mobile services providers compiled by Website Magazine, which published a list of “Top 50 Movers and Shakers in Mobile Services.” This list shows some popular mobile advertising networks such as AdMob and GreyStripe, as well as mobile analytics solutions such as Bango and AppFigures. Solutions for retailers included Digby and DIY mobile website designers such as mobiSiteGalore and site.mobi.

High-impact, mobile text marketing tools such as SMS, combined with social media and email in a well-integrated, multi-channel campaign, can yield stellar results. The technology is available that allows B2B and B2C marketers to create very effective campaigns that can drive them to the head of the pack.

Consumers are become increasingly channel-selective, using SMS for some campaigns and email or social media for others. Therefore, offering multiple options can make the difference between keeping your customers engaged and losing them to competitors.

For instance, Trumpia emailed me about a clothing retailer client that sold $60,000 worth of merchandise in three hours with a multi- channel campaign designed to spread the word about a Special 4th of July Offer to 1200 VIP customers. The campaign resulted in a 20 percent redemption rate with 232 customers taking advantage of the promotion. The retailer sent its special VIP sales alert via SMS Mobile Text, Instant Messages and Email less than 24 hours before the big sale.

Giving your customers and prospects options for communicating with you is one of the best ways to capture key data, increase message relevancy and boost revenue. Yet many marketers, including wholesalers and retailers, offer limited options to their customers beyond email.

According to recent research (Silverpop), only one out of four companies surveyed offered Twitter and Facebook options, and only one out of ten provided the opportunity to sign up for an SMS messaging program or download a mobile app. When you offer your customers different channel options such as SMS, this empowers them and gives you another touch point for connecting.

Keep in mind that your customers are always on the go. While the dominant social media channels are Twitter and Facebook, YouTube is a close third, due to widespread interest in video. LinkedIn is also an excellent choice for certain types of campaigns. Lastly, as Google Plus develops and gains more users and momentum, it will join the list of social networks you can consider for your integrated social, mobile, email campaigns.

Share and Enjoy

Buddy Media Raises $54 Million To Fuel European Expansion

Buddy Media, a company that provides a platform for brand marketing and management on Facebook, has raised a whopping $54 million in a Series D round led by GGV Capital and joined by Institutional Venture Partners, Bay Partners and new investor Insight Venture Partners.

This round of funding comes after a $28 million Series C, which was announced in two sections last October — first, the company announced $23 million in funding, led by Institutional Venture Partners and joined by existing investors Greycroft Partners, Bay Partners and Softbank Capital. That announcement was followed by a $5 million cash investment from WPP, which bills itself as the world’s largest communications services group, less than two weeks later.

CEO Michael Lazerow says that the funding will be used to fuel expansion in Europe and to double the size of the company’s staff, AllThingsD reports.

European expansion was accelerated last month when the company opened its European Headquarters in London, bringing on Luca Benini, a senior executive from Comscore, as Managing Director, Europe.

Buddy Media‘s employee headcount was at 40 employees in 2009 and has since grown to nearly 200.

The company reports that it added nearly 200 customers in 2011 and more than doubled revenue since the end of 2010. According to reports, the company is now valued at $500 million, as of its latest financing round.

Facebook marketing has become an essential component of social brand management. Buddy Media hopes to be the go-to platform for brands engaging in Facebook marketing. With a favorable valuation, a growing client list and booming revenue, Buddy Media is poised to do just that.

Disclosure: Buddy Media is a sponsor of Mashable

Share and Enjoy