Happy New Year!

As we begin 2012, I think we can all agree there is no question that the explosion of digital technology over the past few years has redefined the relationship between vendor and customer. With so much product and vendor information just a click or a tap away, customers are more informed – and empowered – than ever.

Buyers have instant access to every piece of marketing material about a company and its competitors. And social media allows them to solicit and receive real-time opinions from peers, colleagues and complete strangers across the company, across the industry and across the world.

Recognizing this, we now engage prospects in meaningful two-way conversations online, using SAS Customer Intelligence, including SAS Marketing Automation for effective, efficient campaigns and SAS Digital Marketing for relevant e-mail messaging.

Using SAS to manage lead processes, we've seen a 10 percent jump in conversion rates. Click-through rates have soared more than four-fold, and campaign response rates have improved more than 100 percent.

Using SAS Marketing Optimization, we've slashed targeted blast lists by an average of 48 percent, thus lowering opt-out rates by 43.75 percent and increasing click-through rates by 15.56 percent.

Curious how we did it?

You can read the full success story, SAS marketing team boosts lead-to-sales-opportunity conversion rates by double digits, to learn how we:

• Implemented a lead-nurturing strategy (read Trust a skinny cook? for details on our lead nurturing strategy).
• Used a scoring method to separate casual browsers from active buyers.
• Automated email communications to visitors according to next-best-offer in the nurturing cycle.