When it comes to marketing, one of the biggest challenges faced by businesses is driving traffic and generating leads. With so many different marketing techniques available, it can be overwhelming to determine which approach is right for your business. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the concept of cluster marketing and its benefits compared to segmentation. By understanding the differences between these two approaches, you can make an informed decision on which marketing strategy is best suited for your business.

What Is It?

Cluster marketing translates to just what you would think. It involves grouping and clustering the data within marketing into distinct clusters of categories. This is to gain a competitive advantage.
It is no secret that knowing your target audience is the first step to gaining success in the field of marketing. However, you cannot look at each and every customer on their own. It is simply too much information to process and organize effectively. Additionally, on the other side of the spectrum, it is ineffective to organize your individual audience members into unspecific and broad groups. Because those consumers will not feel as though their individual wants and needs are being heard.
Clustering itself is a process of using machine technology and algorithms to locate relationships between the various areas of research and overall data of the market in order to create new market segments.
This may sound similar to market segmentation; however, it is very different. Segmenting the market involves simply identifying different demographics and psychographics within the market and separating those characteristics into different target audience groups. From there, you can then adjust your marketing tactics to whichever segmented group (example: women over age 50) based on their wants, needs, and interests.
With clustering, however, the process is very different. While segmentation simply organizes your audience into common groups based on their characteristics, clustering actually creates new groups by finding a common relationship between these various segmented groups.
In order to get a better grasp of cluster marketing, let’s take a look at an industry that thrives with it: the retail industry.

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Video by GeeksforGeeks

The Basics of Cluster Marketing

Cluster marketing is a unique type of marketing that involves grouping customers with similar characteristics. This approach allows businesses to target their marketing efforts to a specific group of people who are more likely to be interested in their product or service. Cluster marketing takes advantage of the idea that individuals within a group tend to share common traits, behaviors, and preferences. By identifying these clusters, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to cater to the specific needs and wants of each group.

The Concept of Segmentation

On the other hand, segmentation is another marketing approach that involves dividing the market into smaller groups based on shared characteristics. Similar to cluster marketing, segmentation allows businesses to target their marketing efforts to a specific group of people. By dividing the market into smaller segments, businesses can gain a better understanding of the needs and wants of each group. This knowledge can then be used to develop marketing strategies that are tailored to the unique preferences of each segment.

Benefits of Cluster Marketing

Now that we have a basic understanding of cluster marketing and segmentation, let’s explore the benefits of cluster marketing in more detail.

1. Convenient and Time-Efficient Analysis

One of the main advantages of cluster marketing is its convenience and time efficiency. Conducting in-depth market research can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. However, cluster marketing provides a convenient way to group customers without the need for extensive research. This approach is particularly beneficial for businesses that are just starting out and do not have a lot of data to work with.

2. Identification of New Markets

Cluster marketing can help businesses identify new markets that they may not have considered before. By grouping customers based on shared characteristics, businesses can gain insights into the needs and wants of each group. This knowledge can then be used to develop marketing strategies that are tailored to the unique preferences of each cluster. Identifying new markets can open up new opportunities for growth and expansion.

3. Improved Customer Service

Understanding the different needs and wants of customer groups is essential for providing excellent customer service. Cluster marketing allows businesses to gain insights into the preferences and behaviors of each cluster. By tailoring their customer service efforts to each group, businesses can enhance the overall customer experience. This, in turn, can lead to increased sales and a loyal customer base.

Benefits of Segmentation

While cluster marketing offers unique advantages, segmentation also has its own set of benefits. Let’s explore them in more detail.

1. Focused Marketing Efforts

Segmentation allows businesses to focus their marketing efforts on specific groups of people who are more likely to be interested in their product or service. By dividing the market into smaller segments, businesses can save time and resources by not marketing to individuals who are not part of their target audience. This focused approach can lead to more efficient marketing campaigns and higher conversion rates.

2. Identification of New Opportunities

Segmentation can help businesses identify new opportunities that they may not have considered before. By gaining a better understanding of the needs and wants of each segment, businesses can develop new products or services that cater to the unique preferences of each group. This allows businesses to stay ahead of the competition and capitalize on untapped market potential.

3. Enhanced Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service requires a deep understanding of the needs and wants of your target market. By segmenting customers into different groups, businesses can more easily cater to their individual needs. For example, a clothing store can create separate sections for men, women, and children, ensuring that each customer group can easily find what they are looking for. This personalized approach to customer service can lead to a better shopping experience, increased sales, and customer loyalty.

How the Retail Industry Uses Cluster Marketing

Many retail companies use cluster marketing to figure out groups that are similar or different from each other. They may collect information regarding household incomes, family size, location, and household occupations from consumers. With that information, they can connect it to a computer algorithm. It draws conclusions such as family sizes that are smaller tend to be higher spenders and vice versa. In doing this, retailers are able to avoid wasted marketing of highly expensive, newer products on segments of big families. These big families are likely to prefer buying discounted versions of products.

But how does a marketer really achieve clustering? How does one even know where to begin with all of the technology and complicated algorithms out there?  If you are faced with a task beyond your current expertise, there is always the option to seek external assistance, and we recommend that you do so. There are many services, including EduBirdie can help with marketing assignment. These experts can help navigate the complexities of the field, allowing you to embark on your “Cluster Marketing” journey confidently.  But if you want to try to do it on your own, luckily, we have you covered. Here is a simple list of steps to take as you begin:

Organize Your Data: Maximizing the Potential of Effective Data Sourcing

The cornerstone of any successful data-driven strategy lies in the meticulous organization and sourcing of data. Imagine your consumer data scattered across various platforms like Google Analytics, Facebook, Paid Search, and more—a scenario that presents a formidable challenge without a cohesive and structured system in place.

When data is sprawled across disparate platforms, making coherent sense of it becomes an arduous task. A lack of organization leads to inefficiencies, rendering valuable insights buried under a mound of unstructured information. This is where a well-structured data organization strategy comes into play, serving as the bedrock for informed decision-making and targeted marketing efforts.

The experts in the field, often employed by marketing essay writing services and professional agencies, leverage a meticulous approach to data organization. Their methodology transcends mere data accumulation, focusing on creating a systematic framework to swiftly access and utilize pertinent information.

At its core, effective data organization revolves around creating comprehensive records detailing the specific locations and formats of essential information. This proactive measure prevents complexities from the outset and lays the groundwork for streamlined analysis.

This process could involve employing various tools and systems, ranging from simple yet robust Excel spreadsheets to more sophisticated solutions such as automated marketing dashboards. The objective remains constant: to centralize and structure data in a manner that facilitates swift and insightful interpretation.

A structured data organization approach not only simplifies the data mining process but also amplifies the effectiveness of subsequent analyses. It sets the stage for a more agile and responsive decision-making process, empowering businesses to extract actionable insights that steer marketing strategies towards success.

Remember, the efficiency of data sourcing and organization directly influences the efficacy of subsequent data-driven endeavors. By investing in a structured approach to data organization, businesses can navigate the vast landscape of consumer data with agility and precision, ensuring that every piece of information contributes meaningfully to informed strategies and optimized outcomes.

Expanding upon the importance and methodologies of effective data organization can significantly bolster the understanding of this crucial aspect of data-driven strategies. Feel free to adjust or customize it further to suit your requirements!

Lastly, you need to establish how you are going to visualize the data that your marketing algorithms and reports have revealed. The data is useless if you and your team cannot accurately and clearly see what the numbers are showing. It may be through presentations, graphs, interactive displays, tools for data visualization in marketing, or more. Whatever you choose, make sure the clusters are concise and clear so that you can gain as much insight as possible. 

Ultimately, the reason why cluster marketing is important is that it allows you to take advantage of the new technology and algorithms we have been given while also saving your marketing team resources and time in the long run.

The Role of Data Visualization

Data visualization acts as the conduit through which the insights derived from cluster marketing are brought to life. It’s the art of presenting complex information in visual formats—graphs, charts, and diagrams—that are easily digestible and comprehensible.

Imagine sifting through massive datasets to uncover nuanced consumer behavior patterns. Data visualization transforms these intricate data points into intuitive visual representations. It allows marketers and decision-makers to grasp the essence of clusters, making it easier to identify trends, correlations, and outliers that might otherwise remain hidden in spreadsheets and databases.

Benefits of Cluster Marketing and Data Visualization

1. Precision Targeting

Cluster marketing, combined with data visualization, enables precise targeting. Businesses can identify and understand distinct consumer clusters, leading to highly targeted and effective marketing campaigns.

2. Enhanced Personalization

By visualizing consumer clusters, businesses can personalize their marketing efforts. Tailoring messages and products to specific groups increases engagement and fosters stronger connections with consumers.

3. Strategic Decision-Making

Visualizing clustered data aids decision-making. Marketers can identify trends and opportunities, allowing for strategic adjustments and resource allocation for maximum impact.

Implementing Cluster Marketing and Data Visualization

Implementing this powerful combination involves several crucial steps:

1. Data Collection and Analysis

Gather comprehensive data from various sources and conduct in-depth analysis to identify patterns and relationships between different consumer segments.

2. Choosing the Right Visualization Tools

Select appropriate data visualization tools and techniques that best represent the insights derived from clustering. This could involve using graphs, heatmaps, or interactive dashboards.

3. Iterative Refinement

Continuously refine and update the clusters based on evolving consumer behavior and market dynamics. Flexibility and adaptability are key in this process.

The post What Is Cluster Marketing and Why It Is Effective appeared first on DMNews.

Despite its exponential growth, digital media lacks a degree of maturity relative to other, more traditional media. Marketers will either advocate or decry digital media, and the changes it has to the field of marketing.

Tom Doctoroff, CEO at marketing agency JWT Asia Pacific, raises this debate again in his latest book Twitter is Not a Strategy, and in doing so, he points to a single area where digital media and traditional media have offered different results in brand building.

Here, Doctoroff expounds on why prioritizing digital media could have negative effects on a companies brand image, the complementary relationship between mass media and digital media, and the importance of branding in today’s crowded retail space.

What are some the problems that may come with placing more importance on social media and other digital marketing channels as opposed to traditional methods?

I am an advocate of digital communications and digital media because they allow a deeper relationship with the brand that wasn’t possible during the era of so-called traditional marketing. However, there is a danger in prioritizing social and other digital media over other means of top-down communications. By top-down  I mean broadcast and other channels that enable both broad reach and meticulous message craftsmanship.

Focusing only on bottom-up will result in consumer confusion which directly impacts purchase intent and loyalty. More subtly, it encourages transactionalism at the expense of intimacy.

Some feel that mass media is dying, including TV; yet you argue that mass media and digital media complement each other. Can you elaborate?

Different kinds of media reach us for different reasons; and those reason compliment each other.

Analog, or traditional media, shapes our brand preference while most digital media deepens our engagement, and leads to brand loyalty. To avoid confusing consumers, engagement needs to be both authentic and constructed. Marketers must forge a paradigm that allows consumers to participate with brands while at the same time empowers marketers to manage the message and dialog.

As consumers move toward purchasing, direct and digital media should dominate. These media provide more opportunity for engagement—that is, direct interaction with a brand idea and its creative expression. Marketers have more opportunity to trigger behavioral change and increase the probability the consumer will buy a product.

In the book, you mention that engagement ideas should remain medium-neutral. With different channels reaching different audiences, how can brands best achieve this neutrality while also optimizing their marketing messages on different channels?  

It all starts with the brand idea—which defines the relationship between consumers and brand. This relationship is interactive and provides the underpinning for subsequent engagement across different channels. The brand idea is then expressed by creative that invites participation. Don’t invite participation for participation’s sake alone.

Then through the creative platform, we must encourage a person to do something that leads to sales—learn more, buy more, use more, or [advocate] more. Each creative expression of the brand idea should be conceived with a specific behavioral objective in mind.

How important is branding in an era of digital and social media?

Branding has always been central to marketing. I think the rise of digital has unfortunately led to many marketers taking their eye off this ball.  I do believe that the explosion of digital platforms has increased the importance of message consistency. Confusion alienates. Digital media is a double-edged sword.  The risk of disorientation is the flipside of deeper intimacy and engagement when it comes to any media that invites participation.

Originally published in December 2014.

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1. Sustainability

It is no secret that in recent years, it has become “trendy” for corporations to display concern for protecting our environment. With younger generations now occupying the largest sector of the consumer market, advertisers are having to appeal to their more liberal, empathetic desires. Meaning they must create better conditions in the world when it comes to business practices.

However, it is no longer enough for a brand to simply say that it practices sustainable methods for our planet. That simple pledge may have been enough ten years ago, but today, simply pledging a devotion is not enough.

Consumers expect companies to show how they’re making a difference in what they’re doing, and it is up to advertisers to get as creative as possible when they go about proving that to consumers. We predict, that in 2023, one promising way to actively show a company’s sustainability practices in an appealing way to the consumer will be through sustainable packaging. Of course, the packaging is already vital to selling a product because the look and aesthetic of a package add to the entire experience of buying and receiving for consumers.

However, by 2023, advertisers are going to be racing to outdo one another in marketing sustainable packaging and other elements.

2. Source Locally and Domestically

Unfortunately, the supply chain issues of 2020 are not behind us quite yet. For advertisers in 2023, stressing “locally sourced or domestic” products is going to be important. Everyone is already feeling the detrimental effects of supply chain issues. Additionally, they’re likely going to continue getting worse before they get better.

Because of this, companies are going to need to find creative ways to get around those issues in order to retain consumers. Waiting for delayed or lost packages is a painstaking process that no one enjoys. That’s why the companies coming out on top right now are the ones who avoid such issues. By sourcing products locally and domestically, companies provide a loophole to these supply issues. By doing so, advertisers can stress this point-of-difference. This ideal makes their company better than the rest.

Stressing this to consumers, that their goods will not be delayed or missing due to the issues, could be a major advantage for advertisers that depict this to consumers in the right, effective way in 2023.

3. Artificial Intelligence Advertising

As AI becomes increasingly advanced and increasingly popular, advertisers need to stay up to date and follow the technology’s progression closely. Interactive advertising, with the help of AI, is on the brink of coming into the average consumer’s home. This is with the help of companies like Google and Sony making AI technology more and more accessible and affordable. This technology is complex. Advertisers must make sure to follow it closely in order to capitalize on new opportunities within AI. In doing so, they can take advertisements to a whole new level in 2023.

4. Long-Term Influencer Partnerships

Many like to mock or diminish influencer marketing as a business model. Yet, it still has the capacity to be a stable form of income revenue within advertising. Consumers are getting smarter each year as they outgrow and tire of the same trendy, shallow promotions. Yet, we predict influencer marketing will remain alive and well in 2023.

In fact, it is no mistake that influencers like Kim Kardashian, Charli D’Amelio, and Hailey Bieber make the money they make off of a single Instagram post. It’s because their promotion actually works. The difference between them and other micro-influencers is that major influencer marketing is carefully curated and strategized. Therefore, criticism is less likely. Advertisers need to look to the major influencers as an example of what to do. This is especially true because clearly, something is working in the way they handle their brand partnerships.

5. Mobile-First Advertising

It used to be website design/online advertising was primary and mobile phone design was secondary. Now, mobile-first advertising has now taken over as the champion. Now more than ever, if advertising is not fit for the iPhone or Android formatting, advertisers may as well not even produce the content. Making certain that all advertising elements, especially the design elements, are catered to fit with the formatting of a cell phone screen in a convenient and sleek way, is vital to any success now and in 2023.

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What is SEO?

SEO has only become mainstream to both marketers and consumers in the last few years. But in reality, it’s been around since the 90s when computers first started to emerge. Although “search engine” really refers to any searching site, the main one that SEO refers to is Google. So, essentially, search engine optimization refers to the goal of getting your website or content toward the top of the search results when consumers search for something on Google.

On-Page SEO

Within SEO, there are many processes you can implement that relate to getting towards that top of the list spot. One aspect of our guide to SEO includes what’s known as “On-page SEO.” This relates to the content you put on your site that makes it more legitimate, professional, and appealing to consumers. Likewise, it does the same with Google so they want to promote it.

For example, one practice of on-page SEO practices to implement is writing strong, catchy titles over articles. Additionally, other examples are adding keywords in your content, optimizing your site’s images for SEO, and including highly descriptive content. All of this can be done by uploading your content to a third-party SEO site first, such as WordPress, Ubersuggest, or SEMRush.

Off-Page SEO

The opposite of On-Page SEO is Off-Page SEO. This type of SEO refers to efforts in raising your listing location that does not pertain directly to your internal website. One example of this is dedicating a large focus to social media marketing on all other online platforms.

By having a strong social media presence with high-user engagement, you are more likely to raise your frequency of positive customer reviews on third-party websites, as well as your credibility as an established business. For instance, if you have a good, strong social media account for your work, it is likely you’ll have many followers and be very popular. This makes you look better. Also, it makes it easier for Google technology to find you and put you higher on their priority list.

White-Hat SEO

Another more general type of SEO marketing in our guide to SEO is known as White-Hat SEO. This type of SEO refers to a very ethical, correct way of doing SEO. Essentially, it means that you are playing by the rules, Google’s rules, to be specific. Unlike its opposition, Black-Hat SEO, White-Hat SEO ensures your site’s authenticity rating from Google. This is because you are not finding loopholes to cheat the algorithm.

Black-Hat SEO relies on manipulating keywords and link building to find those loopholes in the system. White-Hat simply includes relevant content based on key search words. This is the way Google intends SEO to work. In playing by the rules with White-Hat SEO, you are putting in little risk and likely to gain higher rewards.

Pay-Per-Click

While SEO is one aspect of Search Engine Marketing, it is not the only aspect. Another part of this type of marketing is the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) process. This method is older and more traditional. It involves paying for advertisements to appear at the very top of Google searches. While this method can be effective, SEO is completely free and can be just as (if not more) effective. Because of this, SEO is a valuable tool for anyone in marketing to use. Unlike the PPC, SEO allows your content to show up without the negative connotation that advertisements can often give to customers.

Overall, SEO can involve as much or as little attention to the smaller details and parts of your website and online content as you choose. However, no matter how much attention you choose to put into SEO, the combination of all those details and improvement is likely to pay off in the end by getting your site more online visibility.

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Domain and Website: What’s the Difference?

Many people use domain and website synonymously, but in reality, they are two separate things. Domains are the URL links to the websites. When you register a domain, you get a link made, but not a website. The website is what you have to actually create.

In order to register for a domain name, you simply need to find a registrar that has the authority to sell the names. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees the system of domain names, and it connects you with registrars such as GoDaddy and Domain.com, for example, to manage your name. Once connected, you can begin searching some names you may have in mind to see if they are available to you. Then, you simply choose a suffix for your name, which are common ones like .com or .net. Lastly, you purchase the name. The pricing and terms of purchase are all different and just depend on your choices.

Why Are They So Important?

It seems like just a link, so why does the name matter? The reason domain names are important and are so sought after by businesses is because they give your brand credibility. Especially if you’re a small business that is just beginning, having a domain name that you have registered for is important. It makes you seem more legitimate. It sets the tone for your website and brand as one that is professional and established. Plus, it makes it easier for consumers to see you in their Google searches among your competitors.

Payment

If you do not wish to register and pay to own a domain name, you have other options. Many will choose to go through a third-party site that generates the names for them for free so they do not have to pay.

Let’s compare what your domain appears as to consumers when you actually register and purchase a name, versus when you publish your website through a third-party internet service provider (ISP):

DMNews.com versus Internetserviceprovider.com/DMNNEWS

Clearly, the first option looks cleaner and better than the second. It may seem like an insignificant difference, but it is not. Consumers are smart and quick to notice small details. They know what looks professional and legitimate and what does not. That’s why investing the time and money towards a domain name is likely the smartest business choice. This is for your website to gain credibility and recognition.

Retrieving The Name You Want

Unfortunately, it is incredibly difficult to retrieve a domain name that works for you and fits with your brand. With so many names already taken, (there were 3635 million domain name registrations in 2021 alone), finding one that is not yet taken, fits with your ideal, and has a professional look, can be hard. That’s why it’s important to narrow down what you want from the start. This is in order to find a name that works and makes sense for your brand. You also need to consider costs. Domain names range extremely on how cheap or how expensive they can be to own.

Wrapping Up

Overall, it is up to you, as the marketer and business owner, whether or not you think domain names are as important as we believe them to be for your success. However, the main thing to remember is that domain names truly do make it easier for consumers to find you. Additionally, anytime someone sends, shares, or posts the link to your site in promotional efforts, a long link of random letters is likely going to sway people away from clicking on that link.

That’s why the process of purchasing a domain is one that is sure to help you or your business.

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Gaining Visibility Is Only Getting Harder

As it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish and separate reality from the Internet and the “metaverse,” advertisers are having more and more trouble making an impact on consumers. With our daily lives cluttered with a constant influx of information online, the amount of traffic and crowding with advertisers is only getting worse.

The hard truth is that the technology to create compelling campaigns is getting easier and better. Since everyone’s accessibility to see advertisements is greater, it’s only getting harder for advertisers to be seen. Or, even make as much as an impact online.

Consumers Do Not Care

It’s hard to hear it, but it’s the hard truth, sadly. Consumers do not care who you are, what you are selling, or how good your business model is. The only way for advertisers to have a chance in attracting consumers is by showing how what they’re offering will affect the consumer. If your advertisement cannot do that, you may as well abandon it completely.

Online Reviews Still Matter

It’s brutal to face, but one bad online review can tarnish your business. It almost seems outdated, the idea of reviews on Yelp or Amazon still matters to businesses. However, even though a majority of consumers know or have the preconceived idea that the reviews they’re reading are probably fabricated (i.e., written entirely by a company’s own employees, or written by bots trying to affect the algorithm), they still look to see whether the reviews are good or bad before purchasing.

The bottom line is that advertisers must use strong, good advertising to make consumers have a positive perception of the brand initially. That way they are not inclined to leave bad reviews.

Interesting Ads Are HARD to Make

With so much advertising traffic online and in the world today, standing out with an interesting advertisement that actually gains traction is harder than ever (see truth #1). One would think that making an interesting advertisement would be easier today. Especially with all of the incredible technology we have at our fingertips for content creation. However, this overflow of amazing technology almost makes it harder. Because the competitors have it too. So, creating one thing bigger than the next is the hard goal. This is what every advertiser is trying to chase.

Your Advertisement Must Be Relevant

Not only does your advertisement need to be interesting, it also needs to be relevant. Of course, interesting things many times are only interesting if they are relevant to what is currently going on in the world. So, they both go hand in hand. That doesn’t make it easy, however.

Producing advertisements that are relevant to consumers is immensely hard, particularly because of the timing. In a world of twenty-second TikTok clips and Instagram reels, people’s attention spans are decreasing each day. So, by the time a trend emerges, and advertisers included that trend within campaigns and produced content, the trend is old news, meaning it’s irrelevant. And if there’s one thing advertisers don’t want to be called, it’s irrelevant.

Customers Are Only Loyal If…

Even if your advertising is incredibly interesting and relevant, there’s still no guarantee the consumer will want to pursue whatever you’re offering. The truth is, they want to know what’s in it for them. They want to know what they’ll get in return for subscribing to what you are selling.

That’s why enticing discounts or rewards in advertising actually work, especially when executed well. Pasting FREE within advertising or tacky, ostentatious claims can make your brand come off as desperate or low-budget.  The secret to executing those discounts the right way, and getting consumers to come back, is by advertising the rewards in a discreet, classy way.

You Must Be Credible

Going along with those rewards that lead to customer loyalty comes the importance of credibility. Simply pasting big claims about your product will never work if you cannot back those claims up. They may motivate people to click on your site at first glance. However, if the claims are not readily apparent upon reaching your website, consumers will be immensely irritated. Plus they are likely to make truth 3 come true by leaving you a negative review online.

You’re Going to Offend Someone

It is crucial to any advertising success in 2022: making certain your work is tasteful, culturally responsible, and socially appropriate. In a world of cancel culture and Twitter and online scrutiny, the temptation to avoid risks and take the careful route in content creation is understandable. It is also a strong one. However, advertisers must be prudent that they do not become too careful. If advertisers never take risks or new ventures in their creative freedoms, there will be no new content and no new innovations.

You can’t please everyone. And if you try to, then your work will be dull and mundane to consumers. The key is to maintain a good balance between sensitivity and appreciation for real-world issues and consideration for your creative works.

Featured Post: Marketing: Meaning, Strategies, and Careers

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Becoming a social influencer is hard work, and building a large following takes a certain level of marketing know-how and finesse. Fortunately, we caught up with Torri Webster, lifestyle and beauty influencer, about how to build a massive following on Twitter. Individuals and brands, take note: This 21 year old knows what she’s doing. 

DMN: How did you get your first 10K Twitter followers?

Webster: I was able to lock in my first 10K followers on Twitter nearly 5 years ago when the platform was extremely popular. The way I was able to grow a following was by having other creators, and influencers tag me in their tweets. This drove traffic to my page, and ultimately allowed me to grow my own audience. 

DMN: What is your most preferred strategy to increase your twitter followers?

Webster: I think people look to Twitter for a few reasons, but one of the primary reasons these days is to stay up to date on pop-culture topics and news. A really fun way to increase Twitter followers is to be active on Twitter during big events (think the Oscars, or the Superbowl). By tweeting witty, funny, or shocking things during these events (using the unique hashtags) you can end up on the trending page, and ultimately drive more views to your page and increase your following. 

DMN: How do you increase engagement among your twitter followers?

Webster: I think it is very challenging to grow your engagement on Twitter today. The platform is not nearly as popular as it once was. However, a simple way to increase engagement is to run a giveaway (for products or concerts) for your followers in order to drive engagement. 

DMN: Do you have any secret which you used to increase your twitter followers?

Webster: I don’t think there is any one recipe to garnering a dedicated following. I think if you have high quality content it will be easier to get people to pay attention, but it is also important to stay authentic in order to make sure your fans remain engaged. 

DMN: If you had to start again from zero, what would be your #1 trick of gaining twitter followers?

Webster: Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! In order to gain a following it is essential to get your name in front of as many eyes as possible, and collaborating with other creators can help you reach audiences you may not otherwise have access to. 

Featured Post: Marketing: Meaning, Strategies, and Careers

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Stone & Adler began December 1, 1966 as “an advertising agency providing mail order and direct mail programs.” I joined four months later and spent 11 wonderful years working closely with Bob Stone.

At a staff meeting in 1967, Bob suggested the agency should be positioned more broadly to appeal to big-name advertisers. He felt marketing was the wave of the future, and would add some sophistication to the direct field. So Stone & Adler adopted “the direct market­ing agency” as its slogan and started publishing a house organ called The Direct Marketing Report.

Using Direct Marketing to Convince Advertisers

Unlike today, there was only one trade publication covering the direct field back then. Bob felt Advertising Age was the key to getting big-name advertisers interested in direct marketing. To convince the publisher, he wrote his first article and outlined about 50 other subjects. His column ran for years.

Bob worked at home every Tuesday to tackle that and other writing projects, and the staff learned not to inter­rupt him. The column’s popularity led him to co-author a book, Successful Direct Marketing Methods. It was a business bestseller. For many years he donated all the royalties to the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. Later they funded the Robert Stone Center at Chicago’s Guild for the Blind.

Mentorship and Gratitude

I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. Bob let me handle important clients, work with him on his book and speeches, and later run the creative department. Best of all, we took a lot of business trips together. And when the business part was over, we got to chat about all sorts of things, from families to baseball.

We shared our baseball passion after I left the agency, and did a yearly outing to Wrigley Field. Bob was already well up in years when he got the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs’ game. Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of 40,000 fans, he practiced for weeks with a physical therapist. It paid off — he threw a perfect strike. That was one of his traits — always striv­ing for perfection.

I learned a lot from him. Bob Stone will always be Mr. Direct Marketing in my book.

Jim Kobs is principal of Kobs Strategic Consulting.

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The total amount isn’t divided over the entire population of the United States, but by about 86 percent who identify themselves as celebrating the day, according to the NRF. That breaks down to an average of $196 per person. Though those in the age bracket of 35 to 44 spend even more, averaging $248.

What is most significant for those in marketing is that 81% of customers seek guidance for gifts from the seller. For sellers, that means Mother’s Day offers an opportunity to direct millions of people to that perfect gift for mom.

Marketing Curation for Mother’s Day

An Ometria blog on Mother’s Day marketing referenced the way brands can capitalize on the desire for inspiration with specially “created gift guides for the occasion, bringing together a carefully curated selection of the perfect gifts.” As they point out, such guides promote both “product bundling and cross-selling” in much the same way that fashion is promoted online with a ‘shop the look.’”

Of course, the more personalized the recommendations, the more likely they are to resonate with the customers. Brands that already have data on buying preferences have something more to build on than those that only have general data on what has proven popular in the past.

But even those brands that are curating in a general way can direct customers toward fine-tuning categories for the gifts. For example, on Macy’s Mother’s Day Gifts & Gift Ideas shoppers are informed that there are 1123 items to choose from, an amount many would find overwhelming to filter through.

Specializing Gifts

To help them winnow down the options, Macy’s offers various categories, like beauty & fragrances, handbags & accessories, jewelry & watches, apparel, and the tech shop, as well as price ranges. While such a wide range of categories makes sense in a department store or a seller like Amazon, retailers with more specialized merchandise offer fewer categories, as Nordstrom does. 

Etsy is even more specialized and highlights its own brand identity in offering personalized gifts for Mother’s Day. “One-of-a-kind finds for every kind of Mom” is what it offers.

The appeal of “one-of-a-kind” marketing is another of the major trends identified by NRF. It found that “the most important factor” for 44 percent of consumers was finding “something unique” for the occasion. It also relates to what Ometria advises those marketers who want to win customers on Mother’s Day: “emotive language that resonates with the recipient and adds a personal touch.”

Of course, tasteful accessories are an evergreen choice, so visiting a local jewelry shop to find a special piece is always a good backup option.

Another thing Etsy has going for it is jewelry. Jewelry makes up a fair share of its offerings and is the category choice for 35 percent of Mother’s Day shoppers. Spending on jewelry is expected to add up to $5.2 billion. This is an amount that the NRF says “represents 31 percent of the expected increase over last year” when Mother’s Day spending amounted to $23.1 billion in total.

There are literally billions of opportunities for marketing around mom this year. People who are primed to buy and who want to be shown ideas are the most receptive to marketing messages.

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On Site SEO

Is it possible to design a great looking website and achieve a high level of search engine optimization (SEO)? It sure is, and we see evidence of this all over the Web, as well as in mobile platforms. In recent years the heavy emphasis on Web standards has enabled designers to develop more creative, engaging interface designs without compromising SEO goals. Effective SEO is no longer a mystifying goal that only trained SEO consultants can achieve. Think of the combination of good SEO and quality design as just sound site development. To dig in further, this article takes a closer look at how to achieve both without having to sacrifice design principles or effective SEO.

Lessons from the Design Studio

Here are some things to think about well before, and during, the design process:

1. When setting up a page structure and composition, designers tend to start with a specific defined grid system. You should take it a step further by considering how the grid can support elements for SEO; not only where images and text will be placed on the page, but also setting up a clear hierarchy of information, logical page titles and text links, headings and sub heads. This approach not only supports users’ browsing behavior but also makes it easier for search engine spiders to move throughout the site.Aarron Walter’s, Building Findable Websites, makes the point that designers should think about human interactions first and not try to trick the system to get to the top of search rankings. “Build for humans first and at the same time make sure our content is accessible to machines as well, which is going to help us reach more humans to make it more findable.”
2. Unnecessary tables can obstruct your HTML code. Search engine spiders read clean semantic markup and basic HTML. They read from left to right and top to bottom. Most competent designers today would not consider building a site with tables and are on board with standard and validated code practices.JavaScript at the top of your page can also inhibit search engine spiders. Some developers suggest placing the JavaScript at the bottom of the page. Be careful if you take this approach since it can substantially slow down page load times. In addition, for global drop down menus that may be overlooked by search engines it is recommended to have a set of redundant navigation links in the footer and as inset sub page navigation. Also be sure to use cascading style sheets (CSS) to emulate rollover effects and don’t use images in the place of text.
3. As a designer, I have always enjoyed the benefits of the interactivity of Flash, especially when brought into the components of a website. Flash allows typography and video to render uniformly across a variety of platforms, which removes design limitations found in straight HTML-based sites. To learn more on this topic, I’d recommend an interview with Justin Everett-Church from Adobe where he speaks about how to make Flash accessible.
4. Type should be type and not a graphic representation; search engines do not see graphics the same way as text, they see only a single associated alt tag. If you present text elements as graphics, you are putting your site at risk for lower search engine rankings. Instead, use system fonts for text, which is also a basic principle when building a purely HTML site.
5. The ability for users to find a website depends not only on how well the site is built from a technical perspective, but also on good user experience principles. By focusing on-site architecture and sticking with some basic conventions, you’ll produce clearly defined content and pages for your site. Your users will find what they are looking for, visit more of your site, stay longer and tell others about the site. After all, that is what you should strive for.

Ultimately, it is possible to have a well designed website that is visually appealing, content rich and emotionally engaging – while also achieving high search engine rankings. As designers, we should never pursue top search ranking to the detriment of usability, accessibility and brand integrity. If you plan for both, and realize that as a good designer, SEO and compelling design are your responsibility, this will lead you to creating findable sites and enjoying the kudos of happy clients.

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