The DMA sponsored the direct marketing response rates survey , along with Demand Metric Research Corporation, from December 2014 to January 2015 with a total of 612 responses collected, 485 of which provided usable data. The purpose of collecting this data is to track the Response Rates of different marketing avenues from a very extensive sample size. This data will allow marketers to compare their success with results from other companies and determine where to concentrate their efforts next. Below are some highlights from the report.

Mobile

Of all the samples in the Direct Marketing Response Rates Survey mobile marketing was the smallest. According to the survey graph showing the amount companies reported using each marketing medium, picture above, only 18% of companies are including mobile in their campaigns. The survey participants reported their primary use of mobile advertising campaigns are to make a direct sale (33%), followed by lead generation (26%) and driving brand awareness (26%). However, about 42% of the survey participants didn’t know the click-through rate for mobile ad campaigns, which made it hard to report on the response rates.

Email

Survey Participants did not have the same trouble reporting on their email campaign response rates, as with mobile. In fact, email retains the top spot in terms of the number of organizations that reported using it at 82% use in promotional campaigns. However, Click through rates were lowest for lead generation emails sent to prospect lists (3-4%) and highest for B-to-B emails sent to house lists (17-18%). Open rates ranged from a low of 7-8% for emails sent to prospect lists to drive traffic. Ironically, emails sent to house lists to drive traffic enjoyed the highest open rate at 23-24%.

Online Display

Slightly over half of companies report that lead generation is their primary purpose for campaigns. Conversion rates were lowest among digital media types, at between 1.1% and 1.5%, which is a 17% decrease from the previous years. The low click-through and conversion rates likely contribute to the highest CPA among digital media types in the study, ranging from $41 to $50.

Paid Search

The use of paid search has gone done almost 10% in use by companies since 2012, according to the report. Two-thirds of the survey participants who use paid search reported using both brand and generic keywords in their paid search campaigns. Conversion rates ranged from 2 to 6%, with an overall rate of 4% for branded and 3% for generic keywords.

Paid search was reported to most frequently be used by survey participants in mixed B-to-B/B-to-C campaigns (30%), followed closely by B-to-C campaigns (29%). Branded keywords in the B-to-C environment enjoyed the highest click-through rate at 5-5.9%, while generic keywords in the B-to-B environment had the lowest click-through rate at 2-2.9%.

Social Media

Social media, which was included for the first time in the Response Rate Survey, had one of the lower click-through rates among digital media types at between 2.1 and 2.5%. However, a good 37% of companies reported not knowing the click-through rates for their social media ad campaigns, so there is a significant amount of unaccounted for data.

Behind mobile, social media shows the greatest projected usage increase of this year, with 64% of survey participants indicating plans to grow social media advertising in the next year. Virtually everyone who uses social media advertising also uses mail, and over half also uses direct mail, online display and paid search.

Telephone

The primary reported purpose of telephone campaigns is almost equally split between direct sales (41%) and lead generation (37%) The response rate for telephone – between 9 and 10% – is one of the strongest of any media type in this survey, regardless of whether house or prospect lists are in use. Only 4% of survey participants report plans to decrease their tele-marketing in the next 12 months, while 36% report usage will remain steady, and 57% plan to increase their telephone usage.

Direct Mail

Over 41% of survey participants reported using Direct Mail as part of their campaigns, which is the second highest amount of any of the listed marketing types. Over half of the respondents for Direct Mail reported a monthly direct mail volume of 100,000 or less, with the median monthly mail volume falling in the range of 50,000 or less. The survey results showed that the median response rates for house lists are at 3.73%, while the median response for prospect lists is at 1.00%.

We Have All This Data, So What Now?

The data gathered by the DMA Response Rate Report 2015 shows the extent to which customers are responding to different types of marketing efforts. The purpose of gathering all this data is to help marketers plan campaigns that will get best response results for their company. The modern marketer is more likely to use more than one type of advertising, and in fact, just 35% of this study’s respondents claim to use just a single one, and that one is most often email. Gathering and providing this Response Data Report is just another way the DMA is making an effort to advance and protect responsible data-driven marketing.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the full Response Rate Report, you can do so by going to https://thedma.org/marketing-insights/bookstore/.

This post was authored by Elizabeth A. Beasley, Account Manager, Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc.

Elizabeth Beasley serves as an account manager at Beasley Direct and Online Marketing, Inc www.BeasleyDirect.com   Elizabeth manages new client on-boarding and accounts, social media, corporate presentations, corporate website, and database maintenance.  She also serves as an account manager for the Direct Marketing Association of Northern California www.DMAnc.org, managing event logistics, registration and promotion. She holds a B.A. in Strategic Communications from National University.

*DMA Response Rate Report 2015: Performance and Cost Metrics across Direct Media. Direct Marketing Association, 2015. Print.

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MORGAN HILL, CA

News Facts: Laurie Beasley, President of Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. (www.BeasleyDirect.com) was asked by the Western Independent Bankers association to speak on email marketing (including mobile email marketing) and desktop email marketing at the 2015 Education Summit and Expo, September 21-23, 2015 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Ms. Beasley’s session title will be “Optimizing Email for Desktop and Mobile Viewing: Keeping Email Users Satisfied and Engaged.”

Ms. Beasley’s session will discuss how email marketing is evolving from desktop to mobile viewing, however financial services, of all industries, must not stop optimizing for desktop viewing. While 52% of email opens happen from mobile, only 2% click on links in the email from mobile vs. 11% who click from desktop. This means financial institutions must optimize emails for BOTH the desktop and mobile viewing if they are going to maximize click through. This session will cover the essentials of how to make sure email marketing is effective no matter where customers are viewing, responsive email design and cross brower compability. About us:

Laurie B. Beasley is co-founder and president of Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. Beasley Direct is a Silicon Valley direct marketing agency that has managed search, email, online, and demand generation campaigns for nearly 100 companies. Ms. Beasley serves as President of the Direct Marketing Association of Northern California www.DMAnc.org. Laurie manages the eMarketing Roundtable for the BMA Northern California www.NorCalBMA.org. She is also an instructor of online marketing at UC Berkeley Extension and teaches for the Online Marketing Institute www.onlinemarketinginstitute.org. Ms. Beasley frequently speaks on online marketing and demand generation topics for marketing organizations, including the DMA, BMA, AMA, Tech Council, and the Online Marketing Summit.

Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. (www.BeasleyDirect.com) is known for bringing the latest marketing strategies to online and direct marketing. Beasley Direct provides services in email marketing, search engine optimization, social media, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, website design, media planning, direct mail marketing, lead generation and nurture campaigns, and database management. Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. helps clients in both B2B and B2C marketing. Beasley Direct Marketing is privately held and headquartered in the Silicon Valley suburb, Morgan Hill, California. For more information, go to www.BeasleyDirect.com or call Laurie Beasley, President, at 408-782-0046 x21 or email lbeasley@beasleydirect.com.

Western Independent Bankers www.wib.org was established in 1937 and is the premier networking and educational organization for community banks in the West, connecting leaders from a wide geographical area to engage in focused exchanges of experiences that typically don’t take place elsewhere. WIB informs, educates and connects community banks with the resources and services to achieve the highest standards of personal and organizational performance. WIB has 180 bank members and 130 community bank service providers.

The post Laurie Beasley, President, Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. Will Speak on Email Marketing (including mobile email marketing) and desktop email marketing at the Western Independent Bankers 2015 Education Summit & Expo. appeared first on Beasley Direct and Online Marketing.

By John Thyfault, Vice President of Search & Social Strategy, Beasley Direct Marketing

 Local & Mobile SEO Go Hand-in-Hand

One of the great advantages of the Internet is global reach. For the first time in human history, anyone can send a message that potentially will be seen in every corner of the earth. It was only after we came down from this global high that we realized that most business is transacted locally, and we needed a way to make Internet searching effective at the local level. After all, 30% of all searches have local intent, and most of these searches are also commercially related—that is, the searcher intends to spend money.

This brings mobile SEO into play. Fifty-nine percent of all local-intent searches are performed on a mobile device, usually while the searcher is on the go, and often when the searcher is ready to purchase. So optimizing local search marketing also means optimizing mobile search.

In late 2014, Google began sending notices via Webmaster’s Tools, identifying issues for mobile search. In late February of this year, Google announced it will be incorporating mobile SEO ranking factors into mobile phone searches—meaning that if your site isn’t mobile, your site will not rank well on mobile searches and your traffic will suffer. (See our blog posting, “Get Your Mobile Site Ready: Google Making Changes to Mobile Algorithm.”)

Google noted the following common errors in the way mobile sites are set up. All of them make mobile searching more difficult and frustrating:

• Blocked JavaScript
• Unplayable content
• Faulty redirects
• Mobile-only 404 error notices
• App download interstitials
• Irrelevant cross-links
• Slow mobile pages

Most B2C local searches have a strong geographical component because the searcher is usually looking for the nearest location where they get can the product or service that you are offering. They do not want to wait for shipping of products and are looking for local help that can be accessed in person.

On the other hand, most B2B local searches are for professional services and products, so the geographical components are often focused on a service area instead of a store. For example, the searcher seeking “Bay Area copier repair” would be seeking a site that promises to have their local copier technicians arrive in a timely manner.

Best Practices in Local SEO

Google’s local search algorithm, known as Pigeon, brought more traditional factors into the local mix such as links and on-page content, and gives more importance to directories.

Google My Business (AKA “Google Places for Business” or “Google + for Business”)

Google My Business is the current incarnation of Google+/Google Places business focused pages. This has been a constantly shifting interface for the business owner to use over the last four years. It requires regular attention to build your visibility and assure its shelf life. Google My Business is the ideal place to add content so that Google can see it immediately. Business information, product and service offerings, and physical address need to stay current on your Google My Business page. The reviews that your customers post and the +1’s that they click will all help to drive your site up in the search results. You can also use Google My Business to post local news and events for your business that Google will instantly see and work into their search results.

To help your site appear on Google’s map thumbnail in the search results add a Google map page to your Google My Business page. Once that is done, copy the link from the Google My Business map and embed it as the map on your main website.

Remember not to use reviews or +1’s on your site from Google My Business. Google frowns on this practice as creating “duplicate content” and will treat the copying of the +1s and reviews from your Google My Business page to your site as a form of plagiarism, discounting the value of them on both your Google My Business page and your website.

Directories

Getting listed on directories thus becomes even more important. While directories assume greater importance and value under the new changes, it is still important to assure that the directories are curated and subject-specific. Google discounts directories that are a mishmash of unrelated business and services, or full of broken links and no-longer-extant businesses. However, even very locally focused directories are useful—neighborhood associations, local charities or a directory of businesses specific to a particular neighborhood, for example.

Once you’re in a directory, do everything you can to rank well within the directory. Local directories can get listed high in the Google search results when they are quality, relevant directories. Analyze the sites that are ranking well, learn from what they are doing successfully in the directory’s eyes, and use this data to drive your site to the top of the directories—and in turn, to the top of Google search results. This is called “Barnacle SEO,” with your directory listing being the barnacle on the much bigger “ship” that is the directory. Your listing “lives” on the ship and travels with it to the bigger Google search results. You can find some great best practices on barnacle SEO at Moz’s WhiteBoard Friday webcast.

Reviews

Reviews are extremely important in helping to boost your ranking locally and on mobile. Get reviews on your social media, such as Google My Business, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Third-party reviews on sites such as Yelp! are key drivers in the Apple (iOS) Maps app. There are tools out there to help you maximize the impact of reviews. Look into BazaarVoice and similar services.

Be sure not to duplicate content from one review site to another, as this makes it appear that the reviews are not from genuine consumers. Also, never engage a service that promises hundreds of great reviews. Search engines are smart enough to detect fake reviews through similar language patterns, and this will work against you, not for you.

Claim Your Social Media Territory and Work It

Social media is a hungry beast. You have to feed it all the time for it to be successful. Obviously, you can’t participate in every social media platform out there—nor should you. Pick the ones that are most likely to reach your audience. In B2B, these would likely be Facebook, Google my Business, LinkedIn and Twitter. For B2C, you might add others such as Pinterest or Tumblr.

Social media (if properly cultivated) is also a great, no-cost way to send out announcements and invitations to local events.

Consistency Is Key to Local & Mobile SEO

Google rewards sites that show local events, items that will interest the intended audience, and consistent new content. Work at refreshing site content frequently (and remember, it’s not all about you; it’s about your customers).

If your site is set up to generate sales or leads, that is a promise to your customers that you will respond quickly. Make sure you don’t break your promise.

Interact with your customers every chance you get. This demonstrates commitment to customer service and builds preference and loyalty.

For more information on local search marketing, read our guide Optimizing Local Search Marketing.

* * * *

This post was authored by John Thyfault, Vice President of Search & Social Strategy, of Beasley Direct Marketing. Contact John at jthyfault@beasleydirect.com.

John Thyfault, VP Search and Social Marketing, Beasley Direct Marketing

John has more than 18 years of marketing, sales and product development experience, and he brings a proven track record of successful campaign, program and product development expertise. His knowledge of search engine optimization and marketing, combined with an in-depth understanding of customer identification, market analysis and segmentation, allows him to deliver high returns on our client’s marketing investment for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business markets.

Prior to working with Beasley Direct, John was Senior Client Services Project Director at ThirdAge.com, a first wave baby boomer lifestyle and community website. At ThirdAge he successfully led major client sponsorships for Fortune 100 companies in healthcare (Tylenol), financial services (American Century), technology (Intel & IBM) and consumer products areas (Revlon & Viactive). He was responsible for strategic and tactical goal setting, project management, new product creation and web site production. John previously worked in Channel Marketing and National Account Sales for IDG Books Worldwide, the publishers of the immensely popular “…For Dummies” book series. Additionally, he managed the wholesale distributor sales channel for Tor/Forge Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

John is active in local marketing associations, including the Direct Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association and is currently serving on the board of directors for the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association.

John has taught search engine marketing fundamentals extensively. He has led workshops for the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association, Northern California Direct Marketing Association (DMAnc.org) and the Business Marketing Association. He also teaches Search Engine Marketing at (UCSC’s Silicon Valley Extension).

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