The FINANCIAL — Engaging customers through content and other outreach techniques is getting increased attention from marketers in India.
According to an Octane Research report, “Spark the Surge: India e-Marketing Outlook 2013,” social media and email topped the list for increased digital spending by marketers in the country. Sixty-five percent expected to up their investment in social channels and nearly three out of five planned to put more towards email.
Making email effective in reaching and drawing in consumers was a particular area of focus for respondents. Half said that increasing clickthrough rates and conversions was their biggest email marketing challenge.
Marketers are not abandoning other priorities, however. Over half expected to increase their investment in search. Mobile, meanwhile, is a channel that runs the gamut of tactics, including mobile-optimized websites and SMS alerts. As eMarketer Inc. said, nearly half of marketers planned to put more dollars into mobile efforts in a country where the phone serves as a primary internet access point.
Mobile email stands out as increasingly significant. Seven out of 10 marketers expected that 25% or more of their email campaigns would be viewed on a mobile browser this year.
Email and social media are primarily used to drive engagement. These were considered the most effective customer engagement tools by more than three-quarters of marketers.
In terms of goals overall, customer acquisition remains extremely important to marketers in India, with over half citing it. But that is down from the 58.5% who cared most about acquisition in 2011.
Brand awarenes and customer retention have gathered steam as acquisition has waned slightly. For driving awareness and keeping current customers, engagement is key.
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