As consumers have become more digitally savvy, they have higher expectations of marketing campaigns.  In exchange for their personal information, they demand a more personalized approach.  In order to be successful with today's consumers, marketers need to incorporate personalization into their digital marketing strategies.  The infographic below sheds light on the current state of personalization and how marketing automation can help.

When it comes to email, we are constantly trying to figure out the best ways to reach our targeted audience.  In order to do this we need to know how consumers interact with our email.  What devices are they using to view them?  Are there behavioral differences based upon age, gender, or income?  Adestra recently released their 2016 Consumer Adoption & Usage Study.  It is a comprehensive survey of 1,200 consumers, from teens to Boomers, across the United States.  The survey provides insight into their digital usage across all channels.  Additionally, within each finding of the survey is a helpful summary and key takeaways for marketers. This study is a great resource for anyone who would like to have a better grasp on the current state of email today.

Businesses today need a social media presence in order to grow.  Through social media, businesses can attract and engage consumers, promote brand awareness, and steer those consumers to their website.  It can be confusing though, trying to figure out the best ways to accomplish this.  The Infographic below provides some essential tips on how to achieve success using social media.

Social media is a rapidly evolving world.  As marketers, we continue to be challenged by new social channels and changing consumer preferences.  Below are six social media trends to be aware of in 2016.  

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet.  With more than 259 million members, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals, including executives from every Fortune 500 company.  If you missed our LinkedIn Toolkit or would like to review it again, it is always available on HighRoad U.  Learn best practices to grow your business by using LinkedIn.

Marketing automation tools can free up your staff from time-consuming, manual processes, so they can spend that time nurturing quality leads instead.  If you are curious about who has what to offer in marketing automation,CIO has a good article that may help.

Based on the reviews of users from the IT Central Station Community, a comparison is drawn between Act-On, HubSpot, and Marketo.  In no particular order, beginning with Act-On, the valuable features users listed were analytics & reporting, social integration, CRM integration, and the ability to segment visitors based on behavior and lead score.  

Next was HubSpot, which users cited email automation, workflow automation, a social tracking module, and lead nurturing workflows as valuable features.  Last but not least was Marketo, who users listed email drip campaigns, and automated customer outreach from sign-up to upgrade as valuable.  If you're thinking about marketing automation solutions, this comparison will help you start to understand what the marketing automation landscape looks like, who are the software industry leaders and what features you need.

If you are trying to understand what is a good fit for your organization, consider talking to one of our digital marketing experts to provide some starting points and guidance: