The trend for 2010 is for businesses to be spending more money on their online marketing efforts. That is according to a study reported by The Herman Group, Greensboro, N.C., in its most recent Herman Trend Alert.
The company cites the StrongMail "2010 Marketing Trends" report. That study found 89% of respondents believe they will either maintain or increase the amount of their marketing spending in 2010. About half of the executives said they will allocate "additional dollars" to their marketing efforts.
Specifically, 69% of those participating responded they would increase e-mail spending, while 59% said they will increase social media efforts; 69% reported they will integrate both areas. Moreover, 68% of marketers vowed to work to make better use of the data that is already available to them.
StrongMail's director of corporate marketing Kristin Hersant said marketers are becoming more sophisticated and are learning how to leverage viral marketing. "For example, using targeted segmentation to create a referral program with their top influencers, ...[those] most active with their brand", she said.
Better tools are becoming available to help marketers identify their most active customers by examining engagement metrics, the Herman Group said, adding engagement metrics measure the degree of customer involvement. These companies can also scan lists to determine which people are involved in social networks, including the networks in which they participate.
Not surprisingly, 46% of marketers reported a desire to increase efficiency by adopting segmentation and targeting. "Marketers will also increase relevancy is by using video in e-mail", added Ms. Hersant.
Marketers will use video more often to promote opportunities like webinars, training, and product education. There's also a developing technology that turns video into animated GIFs that look like a playing video. A new technology called relevance engines which makes it easier to test alternative versions of artwork and copy will become more important in 2010.
The Herman Group forecast: "wise marketers will begin by looking at their current missed opportunities to better target current customer segments. More sophisticated marketers will embrace the new technologies to make their marketing investments go farther."
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