Explore the Strategy of Behavioral Marketing

As you search through your favorite web pages, your eyes briefly drift to the side of a
webpage. You suddenly notice the ads that have been sitting there all along -- ads that
actually seem interesting to you for once.

In this article...

 What is behavioral marketing?

 Who employs behavioral marketing?
 How is a behavioral marketing plan developed and employed?
 What types of careers work with behavioral marketing strategies?
 How can a marketing school help you succeed in a company who uses behavioral
marketing strategies?

Related...

Also known as behavioral targeting, behavioral marketing profiles the prior behavior of
online users in order to determine which ads those users will see next. This allows for a
deeper level of ad customization, giving businesses insight into the habits and desires of
consumers.

Targeted advertisments are more likely to seem interesting to users, and take into account
their individual preferences to display relevant content. Understanding how to implement
behavioral marketing campaigns allows marketers to reach a more receptive audience.

As opposed to direct marketing, where advertisers send the same message to everyone—and
expect a large portion of those people to reject the message—behavioral marketing takes
online information and uses it to tailor the message to the user.

Behavioral targeting uses web analytics, computer applications and cookies, browsing and
search history, and IP addresses, to create user profiles of individual consumers. With that
information, the website’s ad server will then generate relevant and targeted content or
advertisements that appeals to their interests. (See also Closed-Loop Marketing)

For example, those who visit the automotive section of a general news site will start seeing
car ads as they browse other sections of that site—and those ads will change and become
more “targeted” over time.

Consider Facebook, where users share a variety of information every day -- not only about
their likes and interests, but about their friends as well. That information is used not to
connect consumers to ads in areas of interest, but also to create an online peer pressure of
sorts—“XX likes this,” so why shouldn’t you?

The ads targeted at consumers watching YouTube videos are also often the result of
behavioral marketing. A consumer's past likes, IP location, and even comments are taken into
consideration when presenting the “right” ad for their tastes and location.

Behavioral targeting focuses on individual users. By analyzing user responses and

demographics, ads can be targeting to each person’s needs and interests.
Network behavioral targeting, on the other hand, focuses more on user types. For example, a
visitor to a fantasy-football site is likely male, and advertising (and its presentation) will thus
be geared to a male audience. Behavioral targeting could be potentially used in addition, to
further pinpoint each user’s preferences.

Most of the largest online retailers and social-media sites already use behavioral marketing
technique—as do the companies that purchase ads from those sites. However, behavioral
marketing isn’t only used purely to “sell you stuff.” By targeting ads to specific needs,
companies can also provide goods and services that will not only fill consumer closets, but
improve their quality of life. For example, a pharmaceutical company can create and
implement advertising that encourages people to use and continue taking a new cancer or
hyperactivity drug.

Because behavioral marketing is extremely targeted, this strategy doesn’t work as well with
products that appeal to a more general audience. Additionally, because of the data being used,
privacy issues—and legislation to address those issues—will affect the approaches used by
marketers going forward. However, when used properly, behavioral targeting can be a very
effective way to reach the right customers with the right products and services.

Behavioral marketing strategies are typically enacted by companies who have access to the
technology needed. Companies use automated platforms capture data such as website visits,
customer relationship management (CRM) software, and email analytics. What do consumers
buy—and why do they buy it? (See also Analytical Marketing)

A February 2012 article in The New York Times discussed a recent behavioral marketing
campaign by Target, aimed at increasing sales of products to pregnant women and new
mothers. It may have worked a bit too well.

In a Target store outside Minneapolis, a man walked in and demanded to see the manager.
“My daughter got this in the mail!” he said, holding coupons the company had sent her.
“She’s still in high school, and you’re sending her coupons for baby clothes and cribs? Are
you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?” The nonplussed manager apologized, and then
called a few days later to apologize again.

The father apologized, too. He had since discovered that his daughter was already six weeks
pregnant.

With that information, businesses then create behavioral profiles of customers. How many
times did that person visit the website, and what for? What websites did he or she come from
or go to, before/after visiting? What else did he or she post, blog, or tweet about? Has there
been any direct contact with the customer?

By quickly creating messages that target consumers, consumer response rate will increase
over time. As customers interacts more with a website, companies are better able to
personalize the website experience to his or her past behaviors. Businesses can build content
blocks on their websites that serve up ads, text, and videos, based on each visitor’s past
actions. (See also Targeted Marketing)
At the entry-level, most professionals working in behavior marketing campaigns begin as
marketing research analysts. Analysts examine consumer data and help refine and target its
use in future marketing initiatives.

Depending on the level of research, it’s possible to become an analyst without previous work
experience, although the position usually requires a bachelor’s degree. The job outlook in this
area is promising, and is expected to grow by 41 percent between now and 2020—far faster
than the national average for all jobs. The median yearly salary for market research analysts
is $60,570, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 Marketing research analyst: $33,350

 Marketing manager: $57,750
 Postsecondary Teacher: $51,593

Many use marketing research analysis as a stepping stone into marketing management.
Marketing managers implement defined marketing campaigns and initiatives, collateral
development, and database management, as well as inventory and vendor management.

Self-starters with excellent communication, multitask, and problem-solving skills will do well
in these positions. A college degree in marketing or a related field, and at least a year’s
marketing experience, is usually required. Job growth for these positions is about average (14
percent between now and 2020), but earnings are significantly higher, with a median yearly
salary of $108,260.

Those who wish to specialize in behavioral marketing itself also often pursue careers in
academic or research institutions. The most common jobs for those who pursue this track are
market research analyst (above) or postsecondary educator. Postsecondary teachers usually
need to have acquired a Ph.D.; however, community colleges sometimes only require a
master's degree. The median annual wage of postsecondary teachers is $62,050; and job
growth between now and 2020 is projected at 17 percent, slightly higher than the national
average for all jobs.

While your bachelor’s degree will usually be in business or marketing, many schools offer
classes in behavioral marketing. Classes and/or specializations in psychology and data
analysis will also help students pursue a behavioral marketing track.

Those wishing to obtain a literal degree in behavioral marketing will need to do so at the
doctoral level. If you choose to seek this, you must develop your specific research agenda, as
it will likely be the subject of your doctoral research and thesis.

No matter your level, a college education will help your career in behavioral marketing. Since
excellent communication skills are needed, many schools require marketing majors to take
four years of English, as well as courses in writing. In fact, marketing majors will take a wide
range of college courses including market research, advertising strategies, and strategic
planning, as well as a variety of other courses that will introduce them to different facets of
marketing and consumer behavior.

Forward thinking students will also seek out internships within the marketing field in
conjunction with their studies, to gain real-world experience and learn from professionals
already in the field. These internships will also produce career contacts that can help students
land their first job after graduation.

As technology continues to advance, behavioral marketers will need to keep up with those
changes, and learn to adapt. A marketing degree gives students the foundation they need to
succeed in this fast-paced and ever-changing career field—and will give students a head start
as they launch their marketing careers.

Explore the Strategy of Closed Loop Marketing

In business, knowledge is power. Collecting, analyzing, and leveraging the right information
about your customers is often the difference between market leadership and failure.
Successful companies rely on the purchasing behavior data they collect to outpace their
competition with better advertising and marketing to attract new customers, and retain
existing ones.

In this article...

 Who employs closed loop marketers?

 What kinds of customers can be reached with closed loop marketing?
 How is a closed loop marketing plan developed and deployed
 What types of careers work with closed loop marketing?
 How can a marketing school help you succeed in a company that uses closed loop
marketing strategies?

Related...

 Find schools offering marketing programs

Closed loop marketing is a highly effective method of collecting and analyzing customer data
from multiple channels and using the information to create targeted content for groups of
customers (See also Targeted Marketing). It provides a continuous cycle of obtaining
customer’s preferences and adjusting the marketing strategy to apply.
For example, when a customer visits a company’s website, their preferences and search
history are logged in a database. Marketers can then adjust and tailor the marketing strategy
for that customer based on that data. The more a customer returns to the website, the more
information is gathered. This two-way marketing allows companies to increase the relevant
information obtained, and continue to modify the marketing approach to each individual
customer.

A company such as Barnes and Noble Booksellers, which has multiple sales and marketing
channels, captures information from customers’ online and in-store purchase history to
optimize marketing initiatives. Customers who have shown a preference for e-book
downloads may be offered a special pre-release purchase opportunity for an e-book in their
favorite category. At the same time, a customer who has made multiple in-store purchases
may be sent a digital coupon toward their next in-store purchase.

1. Attract website traffic

2. Track website traffic origins
3. Monitor online consumer behaviors
4. Trigger automated content delivery for specific targets
5. Analyze results
6. Continuously evaluate the sales funnel
7. Calculate return on leads and investment

This data-driven approach to producing marketing materials enables the company to address
a number of customer segments with messaging that drives sales and revenues among new
and existing customers. With advanced online marketing technologies, much of the process
can be automated, helping the company reach the widest audience possible more efficiently
and cost-effectively.

Using customer relationship management (CRM) tools and content management systems
(CMS), marketers refine and produce the most relevant content and offers to customers. As
knowledge about the customer increases, the content becomes even more individualized for
specific consumers across multiple marketing channels.

Combining the data collected across different platforms—mobile, Internet, kiosk, in-store,
etc.—enables marketers to measure return on investment (ROI) for marketing programs
across all channels, both online and offline, at a granular level. With the right tools, marketers
can accurately measure everything from ad impressions and page views to leads, sales, and
campaign revenue in infinitely greater detail for more effective marketing practices. (See also
Interactive Marketing)

Companies with multi-platform sales and marketing channels need highly skilled employees
to execute closed loop marketing strategies (See also Multichannel Marketing). Employers
may be local businesses or national and international companies with a global customer base.

Drip marketing

 Follows a pre-set, chronological schedule

 Targeted audience must opt in
 Primarily email based on a daily, weekly, or monthly calendar
 Driven by automated systems
  Limited continuous data analysis

Closed loop marketing

 Involves multiple departments or sales channels

 Includes many data sets from disparate audiences
 Communications are based on previous customer actions or information
 Ongoing data analysis after each marketing communication
 Communications triggered by specific actions or data thresholds

Retailers, service providers, manufacturers, and direct sales organizations are examples of
companies that may require the services of a seasoned, closed loop marketing professional.

For example, a local bank branch may need a marketer to help drive traffic for a checking
account campaign. While many banks may rely solely on television and radio ads to attract
new customers, a bank employing closed loop marketing strategies has more options.

Using compiled information about customer behaviors, a marketer can cross promote offers
to its existing branches by producing mail pieces for customers receiving their monthly
statements in the mail or high-quality emails for those who prefer email delivery (See also
Email Marketing). Similarly, identifying how a prospective customer reached the bank’s
website, which content they viewed, and their self-reported demographic information can
help a marketer tailor an email message or flyer to the prospect’s needs and increase the
likelihood of acquiring them.

Closed loop marketing encompasses all marketing efforts directed toward consumers across a
company’s sales channels and platforms. Today’s consumers have more options than ever to
source, research, and purchase the goods and services they want. The advantage of closed
loop marketing is that marketers can effectively monitor and analyze consumer behaviors
regardless of where or how they purchase, and tailor offers to engage the widest audience at a
very personal level.(See also Shotgun Marketing)

Using an array of online and offline analytical techniques, marketers can better understand
their customers’ purchasing preferences and create higher impact marketing communications.
For example, a car rental company may allow its customers to complete a rental online or at a
kiosk in the airport. At both points of sale, the company collects information about its
customers and compiles the data in backend databases for segmenting and analysis.

Data is analyzed to identify common traits among groups of consumers or to spot individual
preferences. These segments become the basis for the company’s future email and online
marketing communications, helping companies reach larger groups of prospective customers.

An effective closed loop marketing plan begins with inbound traffic from a company’s
website. A website is a company’s central hub for conducting its business and is the primary
destination for customers reached by a company’s social media, email, and paid search
campaigns(See also Web Marketing). Professionals use online marketing analysis tools to
understand how visitors engage their content enabling them to allocate financial resources
specifically to campaigns that produce results.

1. Email marketing
 2. Web analytics
3. Integrated web analytics/Email marketing
4. Lead prioritization/scoring
5. Marketing database
6. Segmentation rules
7. Web content management system
8. Customer profiling tools
9. Click stream analysis
10. Customer analytics

(Source: Aberdeen Group: The CMO Strategic Agenda, March 2008)

A key factor in content optimization is the ability to effectively track how prospective
customers found the website. An effective strategy for tracking traffic is to use unique URLs
and links associated with specific marketing campaigns. Creating a tracking URL can be as
simple as adding a parameter to the end of the company’s website URL. When visitors click
on the tracking link, an online web analytics tool can automatically capture when, where, and
through which platform a user entered the website. This information is vital to building
accurate customer and group profiles that help marketers determine the best use of their
resources.

After identifying where traffic originates, successful marketing campaigns also measure
online customer behaviors. Monitoring and analyzing the clicks a customer makes online—
called the customer pathway—provides valuable clues to the content and images that speak to
their buying motivations (See also Post-Click Marketing). Understanding customer pathways
can help companies minimize the number of abandonment points on their site. This creates
more efficient pathways to guide customers toward and through the sales process faster. An
easy, personalized, and relevant online sales experience is essential for improving conversion
rates and driving new revenues.

Understanding online customer behaviors can also help companies develop special microsites
and landing pages that specifically address different customer segments. Sending incoming
traffic directly to a landing page can help marketers collect important customer data and,
more importantly, separate qualified from not qualified leads.

The last step is attributing sales back to the leads generated either online or through direct
sales efforts. This allows marketers to dedicate more time and effort to supporting campaigns
that have proven to produce revenues. It’s a complicated process, but integrated CRM and
CMS platforms can automate the majority of these tasks, helping save marketers a lot of time
while improving overall performance.

Closed loop marketing includes a number of customer-facing marketing roles as well as

behind-the-scenes analysis positions. Here are some of the most popular career choices:

What do they do?

 Email Marketing Manager:

Median Salary: $63,000
Top-earners: $90,000
  Marketing/Strategy Analyst:
Median Salary: $62,800
Top-earners: $84, 400
 Director of Marketing/Marketing Director:
Median Salary: $131, 000
Top-earners: $184,000

Source: Salary.com, PayScale.com and Glassdoor.com

Email marketing managers spearhead a company’s online customer acquisition efforts. They
design and execute internal and external email strategies to complement outbound marketing
efforts by moving prospects through the marketing funnel from website visitor to customer.
In addition, the email marketing manager is responsible for adhering to CAN-SPAM
regulations and leading the company’s online data analysis efforts.

Education and Experience

Email marketing managers are mid- to executive-level managers. At minimum, managers

should possess a bachelor’s degree in technology, marketing, advertising, or other business-
related degree from an accredited college or university. In addition, managers are expected to
posses three to five years of direct email marketing experience with specific emphasis on
design, content development, and personalization tactics for email campaigns.

What do they do?

Marketing and strategy analysts act as internal consultants to several areas of a business,
including marketing, merchandising and website optimization teams. The position plays a
key role in developing business strategies, consumer initiatives, and reporting that are
essential to the company achieving revenue and profit growth.  Responsibilities often include
site testing, data modeling, and forecasting. 

Education and Experience

Marketing and Strategy Analysts are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree in a business
discipline from an accredited college or university. In addition to the degree, hiring
companies will expect two or more years in equivalent experience, as well as well-developed
skills in quantitative analysis and mathematical proficiency. Candidates must possess a high
level of proficiency using data mining and analysis software, as well as standard office
software such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Direct experience with database
marketing is often highly desired.

What do they do?

The Director of Marketing (also called Marketing Director) is responsible for the strategic
direction and oversight of all brand strategy and messaging initiatives. Directors oversee the
development and ongoing maintenance of the company’s website, the management of public
relations, and thought leadership efforts. Commonly, the director of marketing also holds a
support role in new client pitches and proposals.

Education and Experience

The director role is an executive leadership position that requires a bachelor’s degree in
marketing, business management, or other business discipline. They should have seven to ten
years of experience in a marketing environment. This role may also require specific
experience with website architecture and design, email marketing campaign development and
analysis, and substantial knowledge of branding and brand marketing principles.

Marketers need to be well-rounded professionals. To effectively contribute in a closed loop

marketing environment, they need to understand basic consumer psychology and be well-
versed in data analysis, content development, and writing.

Students in marketing degree programs complete an array of courses in business

communications, consumer behavior, and advertising. In these courses, students learn best
practices for developing high-impact sales content and copy proven to drive revenues.

In the Internet age, more companies than ever have a marketing or sales presence across
multiple platforms, including online, mobile, and traditional brick and mortar stores. A
marketing program helps students learn to evaluate data sets from each channel or platform
and compile the information into a comprehensive overview of a campaign’s successes or
shortcomings.

A marketing degree gives students the opportunity to get theoretical and practical experience
in all areas of marketing. Students in marketing degree programs learn the fundamentals of
consumer segmenting by demographic, psychographic, and other buyer attributes. In
addition, they develop essential skills in market research and data analysis so they can
clearly, quickly, and accurately interpret the data they collect in a corporate marketing
environment. (See also Market Analyst)

Class materials challenge students to use the information they’ve collected to devise creative
ways to deliver their sales messages to a target audience. For example, a marketing strategy
course may include a section dedicated to A/B and multivariate testing. Using powerful
online analytics tools, students can compare consumer responses to images, offers, and other
content side-by-side in real time. By understanding how and why consumers respond to
specific images or content, students can adapt their initial strategy to create a higher impact,
more effective campaign, just as professional marketers do.

Students in marketing programs take the skills they learn with them into the workforce.
Because marketing practices evolve rapidly, it’s important for a marketer to have the skills
and knowledge to quickly adapt marketing plans to meet the demand and needs of the target
audience. Unlike job candidates with specialized degrees or experience, students completing
a marketing degree program emerge with employable, professional-level skills.

To learn more about how a marketing degree can help you succeed in closed loop marketing
organizations, request information from schools offering marketing degrees.

Explore the Strategy of Shotgun Marketing

Most modern marketing strategies use a targeted approach to reach customers. Companies
conduct research to find out who is most likely to buy their products, and then customize
their advertising efforts to reach those people.

But what happens when the target demographic is huge, or there is no specific target at all?
This is the problem the American Alliance of Ethical Movers faced in 2006 and a problem
they solved with a “shotgun” approach to marketing.

In this article...

 What is Shotgun Marketing?

 Who Uses Shotgun Marketing?
 Using Shotgun Marketing
 Careers in Shotgun Marketing
 Learning Shotgun Marketing

Related...

 Find schools offering marketing programs

The AAEM is a company that advises people about residential moving services in their area.
Potentially, the AAEM's customers included every individual and family who moves each
year. This massive demographic would require a large amount of time and money for the
AAEM to create targeted marketing materials for each of the communities it serves. (See also
Targeting Marketing)

Instead, the company placed an ad in a magazine called The Official Mover Savings Guide,
which reaches as many as two million home owners every month. The AAEM's ad offered “a
free quote on moving or van-line service” for anyone who called the company or visited its
website. All in all, the American Alliance of Ethical Movers saw a 42 percent increase in the
number of callers who purchased services.

Shotgun marketing strategies attempt to raise awareness about a product in a large, non-
specific group of people, rather than advertising to specific demographics. The term
references a literal shotgun, which fires a large number of smaller pellets in a wide area, as
opposed to a single bullet. Just like the pellets of an actual shotgun, this marketing strategy is
a single blast that affects large demographics.
Shotgun marketing uses many different kinds of advertising designed to reach the largest
number of people possible. This includes:

 Fliers in high-traffic areas

 TV commercials
 Mailings to every residence in a given neighborhood (aka “carpet bombing”)
 Internet ads placed on several unrelated websites

In the case of the AAEM advertisement campaign in The Official Mover Savings Guide, the
company was attempting to reach a very large demographic. The AAEM had been using
other advertising methods, such as search engine and direct mail marketing, that are better
suited to targeted marketing campaigns reaching specific kinds of customers.

Shotgun marketing attempts to capture the attention of a very large demographic or a large,
varied group made up of multiple demographics. It is useful for both small, local businesses
and larger businesses at the multinational level.

Large businesses with a big, varied customer base, such as the Coca-Cola Corporation,
implement shotgun marketing techniques in many of their campaigns. Coca-Cola markets its
products to billions of people worldwide, encompassing multiple demographics of age,
gender, ethnicity, and income. Though Coca-Cola also uses targeted marketing strategies, it
frequently uses simple, generic advertising like its universal logo and one TV commercial
placed in ad space for several shows intended for different demographics. (See also Global
Marketing)

A small business like a local coffee shop would also benefit from general advertising to
multiple demographics. It depends on their ability to appeal to the entire community around
it, so the coffee shop might reach more potential customers with a non-specific campaign
than it would with targeted marketing materials. The shop could use low-cost advertising like
paper fliers distributed in high traffic areas of town, or with small advertisements in local
newspapers.

When you're a multinational corporation like Coca-Cola, using shotgun marketing strategies
make the most sense. Coke manages over 500 distinct brands across 200 different countries.
People all around the world drink Coca-Cola Corporation products to the tune of 1.7 billion
servings daily. With a customer base that large, Coke needs to advertise to the world, not just
a specific type of person in it.

Before a company begins a shotgun marketing campaign, it should determine if the approach
will be an efficient, cost-effective strategy. In most cases, especially when a product is
expensive or specialized, shotgun marketing has a poorer conversion rate and cost-per-
customer than targeted marketing. A company considering shotgun marketing should have a
clear understanding of what it will cost to implement the campaign and should set concrete
goals. If the campaign fails to increase customer traffic, conversion rates, and/or the size of
the average sale, the company should move on to a different variety of marketing.

A shotgun marketing campaign begins by identifying the company's target demographic.

Shotgun marketing may advertise to large or varied groups, but it should not attempt to
market to everyone. Marketing to groups allows companies to advertise to varied
demographics who share a particular interest.
Next, a company planning a shotgun marketing campaign should decide how to communicate
with potential customers. The AAEM chose to advertise in a magazine created for American
home-owners, but any medium that reaches a large number of people is appropriate for
shotgun marketing. This includes billboards or fliers in high-traffic areas, TV and radio
commercials, and ads in print or web-based publications with high circulation. Regardless of
the medium, a shotgun marketing ad should avoid being overly specific.

Shotgun marketing can't connect with consumers as deeply as targeted marketing. It must
catch the attention of each potential customer and communicate vital product information
within seconds. In the age of the Internet, the average attention span is dwindling. Internet
users spend very little time looking at things they actively seek out, like websites, blogs, and
videos. Advertisements fare even worse.

Source: StatisticBrain.com

Lastly, a shotgun marketing campaign should end after a pre-determined period of time so the
company can assess the campaign's effectiveness. The AAEM ran its magazine ad for a year
before evaluating changes in business. Because the company found a significant
improvement in customer conversion rates over that year, the AAEM continued to run the ad.
If a shotgun marketing campaign fails to improve business, or if it becomes less effective
over time, it should be modified or abandoned.

Shotgun marketing may not be as sophisticated and work-intensive as many kinds of targeted
marketing strategies, but it still benefits from a team of talented professionals with varied
backgrounds. The shotgun approach involves research, design, and communication skills to
get the most out of the campaign.

A market researcher helps a company understand its target demographic, no matter how
large. This position involves surveying and studying groups of consumers, and
communicating the information gathered from them to other marketing professionals.
Consumer data influences how marketers craft advertising materials, where they run ads, and
how they set product costs. Market research requires comfort with business technology as
well as interactions with many different kinds of people.

Education/Experience
  Market Researcher
Starting: $39,000
Median: $51,000
Top Earners: $65,000
 Graphic Designer
Starting: $26,200
Median: $43,500
Top Earners: $76,900
 Copywriter
Junior: $28,000
Senior: $55,200
Top Earners: $109,000

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

A market researcher should have a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, psychology,

sociology, or statistical analysis. It is helpful to have previous experience in any line of work
that involves frequent interaction with people, including retail or food service.

Many different kinds of advertising rely on good graphic design to quickly catch the eyes of
consumers. Shotgun marketing is especially dependent on visual content because it often
comes in forms like fliers and commercials that compete for the short attention spans of busy
people. Graphic designers use artistic skill and image editing software to create marketing
materials that communicate a company's message immediately and distinctly.

Education/Experience

A graphic designer should have a bachelor's degree in marketing, design, or fine arts.
Experience designing websites or creating other kinds of visual media is recommended. A
designer's resume and portfolio should demonstrate artistic talent and comfort with several
kinds of design and image editing software.

Shotgun marketing materials often use text or scripts to communicate with consumers. This
includes everything from the letters in “carpet bomb” mailing campaigns to the dialog of a
TV commercial, and many other kinds of advertising. Copywriters need to have excellent
writing and speaking skills, as well as the ability to effectively address many different kinds
of people.

Education/Experience

A copywriter should have a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, English, psychology, or

communications. As with graphic designers, copywriters need to have a strong portfolio of
work samples. Any work history with periodicals, including student newspapers, also
improves a copywriting resume.

Marketing professionals must know how to implement shotgun strategies, but they should
also understand many other forms of marketing to be valuable assets in the workplace. The
education provided by a marketing program covers the full range of modern marketing
techniques, from the most broad shotgun methods to the most meticulous targeted campaigns.
A marketing education begins with classes surveying the basic principles of the business.
This includes courses in subjects like team organization, financial management, research
techniques, and brand development. These courses introduce students to the behind-the-
scenes strategic planning skills essential for successful shotgun marketing campaigns.

Business technology courses will give students hands-on experience with programs like
Adobe InDesign and Photoshop image editing software. They will also cover advanced
applications of office suite programs and content management systems.

The most important part of a marketing program is the access it provides to in-depth case
studies of successful marketing campaigns from real businesses, as well as the opportunity to
engage in student-led simulations of marketing plans. These things bring the academics and
technology tutorials of the early and intermediate course work into action that reflects actual
challenges in the field. By the end of the program, all graduates will have a solid foundation
in modern marketing practices that will make them valuable assets to any professional team.

Explore the Strategy of Post-Click Marketing

When a business owner opens a brick and mortar shop, who should they direct their
marketing efforts toward? Should it be those walking by the storefront by chance, or the
patrons who are in the store already?

Of course, it makes more sense to focus time and attention on the potential customers already
in a store than the people walking by. Yet online, many advertisers seem to put more effort
toward targeting the masses, who may or may not have any interest in their products.

In this article...

 What is Post-Click Marketing?

 Who employs Post-Click Marketing?
 How is a Post-Click Marketing plan developed and employed?
 What types of careers work with Post-Click Marketing strategies?
 How can a marketing school help you succeed in a company who uses post-click
marketing?

Related...

 Find schools offering marketing programs

Since online shopping is so prolific, with 42% of Americans shopping mostly online in 2012
according to the “2012 Shopping Outlook” survey by PriceGrabber, it makes sense that
business owners treat their online shops the same way that they would treat a physical store.
Yet online business marketers are often tempted by how cheaply they can reach thousands
upon thousands of people, and haphazardly create banner ads and send emails out with little
return.

That’s where post-click marketing, with the “post” meaning “after,” comes in. In recent
years, search marketing professionals have considered post-click marketing to be one of the
most effective ways to improve search ROI and conversion rates.

Post-click marketing is the practice of engaging with potential online customers after they
click on a business’s pay-per-click ads, open their emails, or search for products. By focusing
on visitors who are already interested in the brand, product or service, post-click marketing
leads customers to landing pages that ease the purchasing process.

 Set up a web analytics tool, like Google Analytics, on the e-commerce site
 Set a date range that includes a significant number of visitors (1,000 or more)
 Sort web pages within that range to determine where the site is losing customers
 Direct customers to targeted landing pages rather than allow them to get lost on pages
with high bounce rates
 Begin producing, prioritizing and implementing improvement ideas
 Monitor analytics to test the successfulness of these improvements

Imagine driving down the highway, hungry, and seeing a sign that says “Great Food, Exit
120.” Pulling onto Exit 120, you find no restaurants, but rather a poorly-organized grocery
store, where you are expected to find and assemble the ingredients for a meal yourself, with
no help. It seems unintuitive, but is an unfortunate reality for many Internet users who click
advertisements and visit a business's home page. Without any obvious direction, they become
confused about how to claim the offer or shop for the product.

Post-click marketing attempts to solve this dilemna, directing clicks to landing pages, or
special pages on websites that features content relevant to the advertisement.

There, the customer will see the ad’s offer repeated and will be guided into making a
purchase through imagery and content. With services like Google Analytics, post-click
marketing professionals are able to collect information on their potential customers. This data
allows marketers to target particular consumers following that initial click, improving
conversion rates and sales results by offering personalized information.

According to a study done by compete.com …

 Wireless companies with effective post-click campaigns enjoy 500% higher

conversions
 Credit card companies with effective post-click marketing show 30x higher
conversions
 American Greetings’ conversions jumped more than 20% after implementing a post-
click campaign

Most businesses that operate online employ some form of post-click marketing strategy in
outreach efforts. Even smaller operations that don’t have the money to entice customers from
all corners of the Internet benefit from paying attention to the consumers who have already
expressed interest in them. (See also Internet Marketing)

For example, online insurance broker Esurance does an excellent job of post-click marketing.
By directing those who click on their ads to an easily-usable landing page, Esurance prompts
the prospective customer to enter the type of insurance they’re interested in and their zip
code, which produces a cost estimate. By completing these easy steps, potential customers are
drawn in and immediately given an easy way to apply.

Since an estimated 98% of website visitors don’t convert on the first visit, according to a case
study by Marketing Sherpa, recommending that all online businesses should implement post-
click marketing to increase conversion. These numbers aren’t unique to any certain kind of
vendor or retailer, meaning B2B organizations, service providers, clothing retailers, furniture
manufacturers, and more can all benefit from post-click marketing.

In order to make a campaign as successful as possible, a post-click marketing team needs to

concentrate on making their post-click marketing:

1. User-Centered.
2. Fluid.
3. Relevant.
4. Conversion-focused.
5. Segmented.
6. Targeted.
7. Measured.
8. Tested & Optimized.
9. Analyzed.
 10. Transparent.
11. Integrated.
12. Agile.
13. Bold.
14. Branded.
15. Prioritized.

*Adapted from Business2Community’s 15 Building Blocks for a Post-Click Marketing

Strategy

An effective post-click marketing campaign begins by learning a bit more about targeted
customers (See also Behavioral Marketing). Based on the ad, keyword, email, or social media
link someone clicks on, the post-click marketing team can begin to answer questions about
the potential consumer, including:

 Who are they?

 What are they looking to buy?
 Why are they looking for this specific product or service?
 How ready are they to make a purchase?
 Is there special context to their browsing, like back-to-school, a holiday, or an
upcoming vacation?

Once the post-click marketing team has gathered as much information as possible to answer
these questions, they can direct the click to the next step. Often, this next step is a landing
page that is specifically tailored to the ad, keyword, or email that the customer has already
seen – meaning that he or she doesn’t have to hunt through an entire website to find the
correct product.

To work most effectively, a landing page will include content that encourages users to
eventually make a purchase, called a call-to-action. This can take various forms including
registration, a request for information, an e-newsletter subscription, or a purchase.

In post-click marketing, even after a customer takes this call-to-action and makes a purchase,
the post-click marketing team’s job is far from over. If the potential customer has taken the
requested action and made a purchase once, it is in the company’s best interest to make them
a repeat customer. If they clicked away without making a purchase, then cookies and targeted
advertising can help entice them to return.

A post-click marketing team can improve the effectiveness of their campaign even further by
personalizing their follow-up content with whatever information they have gathered about a
specific lead – anything from first name, to product desires will help make a prospective
client feel special and appreciated.

Post-click marketing is a digital marketing field, which means that a career in post-click
marketing requires individuals to not only have a marketing background, but also a firm
understanding of the ever-changing world of social media, search engine analytics, and
broad-based online marketing. An effective post-click marketing team will be made up of
individuals who are extremely comfortable with technology trends and have the creativity to
take their post-click efforts to the next level.
What do they do?

 Marketing Manager
Entry level: $60,230
Experienced: $155,050
 SEO Specialist
Entry level: $27,989
Experienced: $60,247
 Webmaster
Entry level: $29,701
Experienced: $73,873

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Payscale.com

A successful post-click marketing campaign should be led by a marketing manager with the
knowledge and training necessary to manage and effectively strategize campaign activity.
Typically, marketing managers oversee all activities within a company’s marketing,
advertising, and promotional department. They establish brand guidelines and growth
strategies, evaluate customer needs, and tweak marketing plans dependent on success.

Education and experience

Marketing managers usually hold at least a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related major
like communication, advertising or business. Marketing managers generally begin in entry-
level marketing positions and work their way up the career ladder.

What do they do?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Specialists work to make sure that their websites are
optimized to attract and engage the largest amount of applicable visitors who will eventually
convert into customers. They do so by making sure that the website’s branded content across
all platforms leads Internet users to their offerings by building search engine rank, reputation,
and traffic.

Education and experience

A bachelor’s degree in marketing or digital communication is the best path to a career in

SEO, and a background in programming can also be extremely useful. Beyond formal
education though, individuals who want to pursue a career in search engine optimization
should continue their training individually by staying up-to-date on the ever-changing world
of SEO.

What do they do?

A webmaster collaborates with the post-click marketing team to develop and maintain the
functionality of a website. He or she is responsible for the usability and feel of a site day-to-
day, and ensures that it is performing at the best possible level. By monitoring traffic and
customer experience, the webmaster can adjust expectations and improve performance.

Education and experience

Beginning a career as a webmaster usually requires a bachelor’s degree in business or
computer programming, as well as a working knowledge of programming language like
HTML. Usually, webmasters need a few years of experience in the programming industry
before becoming responsible for sites of their own.

Although the post-click marketing field involves a level of comfort with technology,
knowledge of marketing principles are also required. Most organizations that hire a post-click
marketing team require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in marketing, along with website
experience. It is important to earn a marketing degree to ensure you have the proper
background knowledge upon which to build your career.

A marketing degree program provides an ideal foundation for a career in post-click

marketing. Because post-click marketing is so heavily rooted in customer marketing, a
specialized school that teaches exactly what consumers want from their online shopping
experience is a great way to build the knowledge needed to excel in this field.

To learn more about how a marketing degree can help you build a successful post-marketing
career, request information from schools offering marketing degrees today.