ExactTarget’s 2009 Marketing Almanac Predicts Open, Click-Through and Conversion Rates Will Decline Next Year

ExactTarget, a leading provider of on-demand email and one-to-one marketing solutions, is releasing The 2009 Marketing Almanac, a free reference guide predicting five trends for email and one-to-one marketing in 2009.

The 2009 Marketing Almanac from ExactTarget discusses the difficult terrain marketers must navigate in 2009 and offers effective email and SMS strategies to deploy with customers. Each trend prediction is accompanied by actionable advice for one-to-one marketers seeking to increase sales and improve customer relationships.

“On average, we expect open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates will decline in 2009 as subscribers’ inboxes are flooded with bad email from marketers trying to stay afloat,” said Morgan Stewart, director of research and strategy for ExactTarget. “Competitors will also put more marketing dollars towards email, so it will be more important than ever to deliver relevant, timely information to customers in a way that honors the individual preferences of each subscriber.”

The five trends predicted by ExactTarget in The 2009 Marketing Almanac are:

• Increase in inbox competition – 48% of marketers plan to increase their email marketing efforts in 2009, according to MarketingSherpa’s September 2008 Marketing and the Economy Survey.
• A wider variety of messaging mediums will be used by marketers, especially SMS – text messaging increased 160% between June 2007 and June 2008, according to CTIA - The Wireless Association®.
• More marketers will adopt cloud computing – it lets marketers add capabilities or applications on the fly without having to invest in new infrastructure, train new personnel or license additional software.
• Highly personalized and relevant marketing offers – increased integration of data from CRM, eCommerce, web analytics and financial systems into marketing messages will make this possible.
• Success will be determined by perspiration not desperation – marketers putting in the most sweat equity and least amount of desperation tactics in their programs will be the most successful in 2009.

To download a copy of The 2009 Marketing Almanac, please click here.

About ExactTarget:

ExactTarget, Inc. is a leading provider of on-demand email marketing software solutions. The company’s suite of on-demand one-to-one marketing applications enable clients to send business-critical and event triggered communications to increase sales, optimize marketing investments and strengthen customer relationships. ExactTarget offers four editions of its on-demand software application along with integrated solutions such as ExactTarget for AppExchange and ExactTarget for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. ExactTarget offers a range of optimization services including support, implementation and training, integration, deliverability, account management, design and deployment and strategic consulting. ExactTarget’s software powers permission-based email communications for thousands of organizations including CareerBuilder.com, Expedia.com, Florida Power & Light, Gannett Co., Inc/USA TODAY, the Indianapolis Colts, The Home Depot, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Liberty Mutual Group, Papa John’s and Wellpoint, Inc. For more information, please visit www.exacttarget.com or call 1-866-EMAILET.