Market research

SUMMARY: Social media and user generated content are the newest -- but not the only -- ways to engage customers and get their opinions. Online surveys are still an effective way to pinpoint what your customers want from your site -- and what they want improved.

Read how a jewelry marketer used a simple online survey to uncover ways to expand services, improve the website, and increase sales as much as 4.5% in some categories. Includes creative samples of the entire survey. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: A call center fielding calls from unhappy customers is akin to a bucketful of lemons – not the best scenario, but one that you can use to your advantage. Find out how a natural gas company mined a sample of their incoming calls to improve their marketing and customer satisfaction, and cut costs by the million. Includes tips to avoid customer confusion, wasted time and website malfunctions. read the complete article

SUMMARY: Like so much of marketing, laws governing survey research are in a constant state of flux. And with privacy concerns increasing, consumers have their share of uneasiness about taking a survey.

If you conduct surveys online or by phone, you need to stay on top of state, federal and international regulations. We talked to experts on what best practices to follow. Includes six key challenges, common mistakes and tips to avoid them. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: Consumer marketers rank house email, SEO and paid search the highest for return on investment. Many marketers plan on boosting budgets for these online tactics this year, with display ads taking the biggest hit. read the complete article

By Anne Holland, President

20 years ago, I put together my very first direct marketing campaign. The tiny publishing company I had just joined was in a cash crunch. This campaign *had* to work so we could meet payroll.

It was quick and simple. I wrote the copy and had the Kinkos around the corner print the fliers. Then, I personalized each one with sticky labels that I had printed on my little inkjet printer with our... read the complete blog post