Neo Lane Content Audit as of 08-11-2013

There's a lot of buzz in the digital marketing industry about Gmail's new tabs within the email interface. To summarize, Gmail users now see three tabs in their inbox: the Primary tab is reserved for one-to-one & personal communications; the Social tab includes notifications from social networking sites; and the Promotions tab is the new section for bulk and marketing communications.

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] Recent research from Social Media Examiner shows roughly two out of three B2C marketers put Facebook at the top of their social media list for such purposes as keeping customers informed, establishing brand identity, and broadening their reach.

Taking place August 20-23, 2013 at the Boston Marriott Longwharf hotel on Boston's waterfront, the 2nd annual Neolane Customer Forum is designed to foster an open exchange of ideas and best practices among North American customers and partners, both new and long term.

Posted by Jeremy Viault, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] Increase conversions while reducing costs, collaborate more effectively with sales teams, improve customer knowledge, and better visualize the results of your marketing activities: these are among the main goals of nearly every marketer. Is there a single method that can address all of these points?

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] The proliferation of social media marketing has allowed marketers to not only connect with customers and prospects on a one-on-one level, but it has also provided them with a gold mine of customer data.

Neolane is now part of the Adobe family! Only a few weeks after Adobe announced its intent to acquire Neolane, the deal has officially closed. There has been a lot of commentary on what the acquisition will mean for marketers and the industry as a whole.

Posted by Jeremy Viault, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] We hope that you have an effective lead management system in place and a solid strategy down; however, we recognize that we're all human and mistakes can be made.

With the proliferation of digital channels like web, social and mobile, today's consumers have more power and choice than ever before. The promise of real-time marketing has long attempted to meet the needs of consumers with the right message, in the right place, and at the right time.

Posted by Sam Ledger, Marketing Communications Executive, Neolane UK] In an age of the consumer, mass communication and consumption of disposable information, marketers face the challenge of offering consumers a unique, engaging dialogue. As the way we interact with each other changes, it poses the question, have we lost the art of conversation?

Posted by Jeremy Viault, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] Today, customers are at the core of every B2B or B2C business. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems collect information on customers; marketers generate and nurture leads and track behaviors; and sales people interact with them to better understand their needs and ultimately close deals.

Customers are increasingly demanding more personalized interactions with brands, forcing marketers to adopt cross-channel efforts that leverage customer data to craft relevant, timely messages. However, the latest CMO Insights Report indicates, "Nearly four in 10 CMOs say they do not have the right people, tools, and resources to meet their marketing objectives," and "consumers' expectations for relevant experiences are having the longest-term impact on marketing strategy (65%)."

The human brain is divided into two hemispheres with unique qualities: the right hemisphere handles novelty and is the dreamy one, while the left hemisphere handles knowledge and is the rational one. Until today, brands have focused primarily on the left one.

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] It's hard to argue; social marketing has officially become a necessity within the overall digital strategy for B2B and B2C marketers. Research shows social network users spend a whopping average of 3.2 hours each day on social networks and two-thirds of all online adults are active on social networks.

Posted by Erin Collins, Field Marketing & Events Specialist, Neolane, Inc.] Social media profiles pose many opportunities for digital marketers to increase lead generation and drive conversions; the trick is figure out how to harness those opportunities. Along with leads and conversions, Twitter can help digital marketers establish their brand and build a presence.

When it comes to designing and executing cross-channel marketing strategies, customer data plays a pivotal role in digital marketing campaigns. But how can marketers obtain a 360-degree view of their customers? And which data points are most valuable for targeting and personalizing messages?

With the emergence of any buzzword, the hype can often overshadow the actual concept, but it's essential to consider how a trend can positively influence your marketing initiatives. In the world of digital marketing, there are currently 3 buzzwords trending for marketers: SoMoLo, big data, and omni-channel.

Twelve years ago 4 best friends embarked on an adventure to transform how brands engage with their consumers. Over the last 12 years Neolane grew into a nimble, fast growing innovator who reset the rules of cross-channel marketing and campaign management. Today is the beginning of a new journey for Neolanians as Adobe announced its intention to acquire Neolane.

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] In addition to serving as a channel to develop brand awareness and improve engagement with customers, Facebook is a personal information goldmine. This information can be captured through what we call the "social opt-in."

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] The modern consumer desires a truly personalized experience, with timely, relevant messages delivered to them through their preferred channels, placing the power in their hands. The proliferation of smartphones and the explosion of app usage have created a phenomenal opportunity for marketers to adopt and implement personalized push notification messaging strategies.

Today's marketing landscape is constantly evolving. On the one hand, with expanding digital channels and a sea of customer data available, messages and campaigns can be created across channels and be segmented on an individual basis. On the other, this means today's marketer needs to " re-skill," and do so quickly.

The Oreo PR and social media campaign from the recent Super Bowl in February has been all the rage in marketing circles. For those that are not aware, there was a power outage and the lights went out during the game. The Oreo cookie brand (Mondelez Intl.)

In order to get a better understanding of how marketing analytics can be used to benefit campaigns, we have dissected the process into 3 steps - understand, execute, and monitor. The goal of marketing analytics is leverage customer data for insights into customer behavior, which can then be turned into actionable campaign strategies.

Posted by Mickael Bentz, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] Facebook page tab apps have become a key component of brands' social media marketing strategies. While many are accessible to all users, others require a "social opt-in," which requires certain Facebook profile information in exchange for access to the app.

Posted by Jeremy Viault, Product Marketing Manager, Neolane] For reasons I don't really understand, some B2B marketers tend to think they have to pick whether they need to develop a content marketing strategy OR a marketing automation strategy. In fact, an efficient B2B marketing organization today needs a good content marketing strategy AND a top level marketing automation strategy.

Social media is often referred to by marketers as a "gold mine" of customer data; in other words, interests, hobbies, and online behavior can be gathered through social to develop a more complete customer profile. For direct marketers, this information can be considered the so-called "backbone" of their direct marketing strategy.