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Three key trends from our new report on Digital Marketing in the Telecom Sector

Mobile technologies are fundamentally changing the way businesses interact with consumers.

Telecommunications companies obviously play a huge role in this, so a new report published by Econsultancy and Adobe gives an insight into how these businesses are themselves adapting to the new digital world.

The Digital Marketing in the Telecom Sector Report also explores the key trends, opportunities and sector-specific issues shaping digital strategies in the telco industry.

The research is based on a global survey of more than 200 telecom executives based mainly in North America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Here’s a summary of three key trends identified in the report:

Three’s a crowd: how first-party data builds customer relationships

Three’s a crowd, and I’m not referring to failed 80s sitcoms. I’m talking about customer relationships.

Yet according to a study by the UC Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, 85% of the top 1,000 websites have cookies set by a third party.

Propelled by widespread anonymity in the early days of the Internet, third-party cookies have undoubtedly become a staple for many marketers, tracking consumer behaviors across the web with the promise of uncovering invaluable insights.

Not only is this an invasion of consumer privacy (more on that later), but it also prevents businesses from truly knowing and understanding their customers.

First-party data, transparently collected via voluntary user registration, on-site activities and interactions, removes data brokers as middlemen, establishing direct brand and consumer connections and fostering 1:1 relationships.

Let’s take a look at three ways that third-party cookies are hurting your customer relationships, and how first-party data can be collected and used to improve audience understanding and user experiences.

The EU ‘cookie law’: what has it done for us?

It’s now more than two years since the cookie law began to be ‘enforced’ in the UK, but has it changed anything? 

In the run up to the May 2012 ‘deadline’ there was plenty of confusion from online businesses over the steps required to comply with the directive, thanks to some unclear instructions. 

Now cookie notices are seen on most websites, though the ICO received just 38 ‘concerns’ about cookies on sites between April and June 2014. 

So was it worth the effort? Are cookie notices just an irritant? Is it totally irrelevant given the activities of the NSA? Or has this law been useful in raising awareness of cookies? 

How seven ecommerce brands use highly persuasive copywriting

Just be a human. It’s fairly easy to do. You are one after all.

This is a follow-up to my previous article five evocative examples of ecommerce copywriting where I highlighted how Onefinestay, Firebox, Norman Records, Firebox, Mr Porter and BrewDog use different writing styles in order to achieve similar goals.

The gains from creating quality copy for your ecommerce site are huge and widely varied: it can make your brand more trustworthy and foster a deeper sense of loyalty. Inventive, engaging or witty copy will entertain your customers and encourage them to stick around. The creation of original copy can also create a deeper job satisfaction because your writers will have more creative freedom.

This is before we’ve even got to the possible improvements in conversion rates.

How can all of this be achieved? Take a look at some of the examples below for inspiration and always remember the opening mantra.

iBeacons: the hunt for stats

Are there any numbers out there to justify the hype? Let’s go on a little investigation.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, or in fact any publisher dealing in digital or marketing, you’ll likely be well versed in the world of beacons, iBeacons and other near-field communications (NFC).

If not, head on over to this handy beginner’s guide which should bring you up to speed.

Examples of beacons being used in everything from retail to one-off music or sporting events are becoming more frequent as the months roll on. It’s an exciting time, and there’s a genuine belief that this technology really will build the bridge between offline and online marketing.

Carla Eid on community, content and Microsoft Mobile Connects

Carla Eid is head of Microsoft Mobile’s Connects programme, its community of customers and advocates.

I asked her a few questions about what working with that community entails. How does the brand get involved and what benefits does it see across content production but also, of course, in sales.

Take a look and, in the community spirit, feel free to leave comments or further questions.

Web design across different generations

For a website or digital product to be truly ‘user-centric’, we need to determine who the ‘user’ is.

Each person will approach a website, system or app through their own, unique mental model, applying how they think it will be organised to each new one they encounter. 

Although each individual’s mental model is unique, users can be ‘grouped’ to determine their digital (dis)abilities.

Generations share key aspects of their mental models, as people who live in the same period are influenced by societal values and culture, the emergence of new technologies, and experience similar events to some degree.

Similarly, they share age-related elements, such as physical or cognitive (dis)abilities. 

40+ useful statistics from Econsultancy’s Q2 2014 reports

Econsultancy’s expert team of analysts have continued their sterling work this year, and to highlight some of their excellent research I’ve rounded up a load of interesting stats from our Q2 reports.

Yes, I am aware that Q2 ended more than a month ago, but the saying “better late than never” is my guiding principle with this post.

It includes data on customer lifetime value, mobile optimisation, paid search, big data, mobile commerce and the UK’s top digital agencies.

This by no means includes all of the reports published by Econsultancy this year, so head here to explore our full range.

Airbnb to BSkyB: 10 more speakers at the Festival of Marketing

Before you disregard this post as a promo for the Festival of Marketing, be aware I’ve included handy links to brilliant brand blog posts within.

From Airbnb to BSkyb, Barclays to B&Q, Paddy Power to the NHS, check out the wealth of speakers at this year’s Festival.

Join us in the heart of old London at Tobacco Dock, November 12-13th. For even more reasons, see the full speaker list and ten more of the best.

How to increase conversions by creating buyer urgency & fear of loss

A sense of urgency and fear of loss are powerful sales drivers in ecommerce.

Undecided shoppers can be encouraged to make an impulse purchase if they think they’re in direct competition with other people for a product that has limited availability.

I recently rounded up 11 examples from ecommerce sites that use stock levels to create buyer urgency, but that’s by no means the only tactic available.

Here is a range of other techniques used by well known brands that can prove to be very effective in driving conversions.

And just to clarify, I’ve intentionally avoided group discount and flash sale sites (e.g. Groupon) that are built around scarcity and deadlines.

How does internationalisation work for online retailers?

If 95% of success is showing up then in online retail business the arrival of good platforms, cheap translation services and global banking means pretty much anyone can ‘show up’.

The service can be transferred into the new market, the website translated, the new currency added and you’re ready to sell to the new region.

A look inside Amtrak’s excellent content marketing strategy

Amtrak is the intercity train service run by The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, connecting more than 500 US destinations and three Canadian provinces.

According to The Make Good in its piece on content marketers that are ahead of the curve, Amtrak has seen a rise in train ticket sales that perhaps goes against the dominance of air travel in the USA. 

This is in part thanks to its recent content marketing push. Amtrak has redesigned its blog, including an archive of photography that stretches back over four decades of its existence, upped its social media game and has begun sponsoring trips by writers and photographers in order to create engaging content for the company.

Let’s take a closer look at the best of Amtrak’s content and channels.

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