123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Does Following Brands on Social Media Lead to Purchase?

Most brand marketers know either intuitively or by actual results that social media is a great engagement tactic, but they question whether or not social media directly impacts on sales.

According to recent research cited by eMarketer, the likelihood of brand purchase varies by different generations when they follow brands on social media. Gen X U.S. Internet users lead the way, with 67 percent of them saying they are "likely" or "somewhat likely" to purchase a brand that they follow on social media. For Millennials, that percentage drops to 60 percent, and for Boomers, it is 51 percent.

Gen Xers and Millennials are twice as likely to follow brands on social media as Baby Boomers, according to the research. The reasons for following brands also vary by generation: Gen Xers follow brands for contests and deals, Millennials for entertainment and information, and Boomers for deals and information.

1 Minute Advice: Take a "Fresh Look" at Customer Loyalty

The influence of the digital world, along with changing customer expectations, is having a marked effect on customer loyalty. The old ways of looking at customer loyalty, including offering customers incentives to continue to make purchases, are not enough any more. In fact, a new report from Accenture Strategy based on a survey of more than 25,000 consumers suggests there are new factors that drive customer loyalty.

The survey indicates that 55 percent of U. S. consumers express loyalty by recommending the brands and companies they love to family and friends. Over a quarter (26 percent) think brands should do everything possible to earn their loyalty.

Robert Wollan, senior managing director, global lead of Advanced Customer Strategy at Accenture Strategy, says, “New ‘languages of loyalty’ have emerged, driven by brands experimenting with creative digital experiences, which have changed the dynamics of customer loyalty today. ...The traditional ‘low price’ and ‘reliable service’ mechanics are no longer as effective at driving loyalty. ...It’s time for organizations to take a fresh look at loyalty.”

The report suggests there are five "languages of loyalty" that marketers must understand today:

1. Tokens of affection
2. Get to know me
3. Thrillseeker
4. If you like it, I like it
5. Hook me up.

Read about each of these five languages here.

1 Minute Advice: Video Gives Marketing a Big Boost

One of the hottest marketing mediums last year remains sizzling this year. Now that mobile devices have largely broken the download barrier, video is the new darling of marketers. A survey conducted by Wyzowl in late 2016 reveals some compelling data points about video marketing, such as:

• 83% of businesses believe that video gives them a good ROI.
• 97% of businesses said that their explainer video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.
• 91% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service.
• 78% of businesses that have used Facebook Live, said it was an effective marketing tool.
• 95% of consumers believe that a video should be less than 2 minutes long.

If you aren't using video as part of your marketing media mix, you could be missing a critical component. For more about video as a marketing medium, get a copy of Wyzowl's "State of Video Marketing" report here: http://info.wyzowl.com/state-of-video-marketing-2017-report 

1 Minute Advice: Consumers Rely on Multi-Channels

If there is one major trend marketers need to understand going forward this year, it may be this: More than ever, consumers are becoming less dependent on any single channel and are, instead, relying on multiple channels to get information, make decisions, and buy products.

A new survey from Kibo Software, a company that concentrates on the consumer experience, asked over fifty questions of nearly 3,000 consumers from the U.S. and United Kingdom. The consumers were fairly evenly distributed across the 25 to 65-plus age groups, with a smaller percentage from the 18 to 24 age group. One important conclusion of the study: "Consumers don’t look at online and in-store as different channels. Instead, they use them in conjunction, with a significant 94% of consumers stating that they do research online before visiting a store." In 2016, according to the survey, 80 percent of consumers were "less inclined to visit a store if the website didn't provide current product availability."

The survey also revealed that, when it comes to purchases, 76 percent of consumers regularly price-check against competitors. In addition, 92 percent of consumers say that interactive content influences them to make a purchase. Product reviews are an important factor in influencing online purchases, according to 82 percent of consumers, as is a "simplified shopping cart experience," noted by 78 percent of consumers.

A significant concern for marketers relates to brand loyalty among consumers. While brands work hard to ensure that their customers remain loyal, the survey found that 70 percent of consumers think price is the most important factor when making purchases online. Only 12 percent said the most important factor was the product brand.

For more information, visit https://kibocommerce.com/, or download the complete report at the link below.

Download 2017-consumer-trends-report

Every eGuide: Half Price from March 5 through 11!

March 5 through 11 is "Read an eBook Week." To celebrate, 123 eGuides is making every one of our informative eGuides available for half price... just $1.50 each.

123 eGuides are a series of authoritative guides published exclusively in electronic format to provide maximum value at minimum cost. 123 eGuides employ the magic of three, based on the simple principle that virtually anything can be accomplished in three proven steps.

123 eGuides are designed for today’s reader who wants information in a quick, convenient, easily readable format. Each 123 eGuide is intended to provide a functional overview rather than a detailed roadmap. Every 123 eGuide always includes additional resources if the reader wants to learn more.

To purchase any of the following eGuides at half price, just click on the title's link below and enter the code RAE50 when you check out. Your eGuide is available in a wide variety of formats, including PDF. This special half-price offer is only available from March 5 - 11.

Low Cost/No Cost Marketing 123
B2B Marketing 123
Branding 123 Second Edition
Sales Leads 123
Product Launch 123
On Your Own 123