A Conversation With Lyris - The Pros Speak Out

August 26th 2009
Author
   by Sarah

 ADOTAS — With over 15 years in the industry under its belt, Lyris is no stranger to integrative online marketing. In fact, the company is one of the leading authorities in the industry on the subject. We spoke with Lyris on the company’s beginnings, evolution and what can be expected to come.

 ADOTAS: Thanks for taking the time to let us know more about your company. When was Lyris established and what inspired the formation of the company?

 LYRIS: We started out in 1994 as an email-marketing company, and we’ve been leading the way for more than 15 years with innovative, award-winning online marketing tools. We were the first to identify the market need for an integrated online marketing solution that combines email marketing with other solutions such as Web Analytics, PPC bid management, content creation, social media and mobile marketing. We created a solution in Lyris HQ™.

 ADOTAS: Talk about the transition into a broader marketing technology shop from the original inception of the company.

  

 LYRIS: Lyris recognizes that today’s digital marketer needs more than just email to reach a dynamic and evolving target market in cost-effective and impactful ways. Marketers also need one, centralized place from which they can execute, monitor, track and measure integrated marketing programs. With a firm email marketing foundation, Lyris set out to build an integrated online marketing suite that would meet the needs of marketers, now and in the future.

 ADOTAS: Who are EmailLabs, ClickTracks and HotBanana?

 LYRIS: Each of these was their own company until they were acquired by J.L. Halsey and, collectively, re-named Lyris, Inc.

 EmailLabs was founded in 1999 and became an award-winning leader in hosted, Web-based email-marketing software and earned accolades for promoting email best practices.

 ClickTracks was founded in 2001 and its award-winning Web analytics software became a popular choice for small-to-midsized marketing teams.

 Hot Banana, also founded in 1999, created a unique, award-winning Web content management system designed expressly for digital marketers.

 ADOTAS: How do you optimize a client’s SEM efforts? What technology do you use?

 LYRIS: Lyris’ flagship product, Lyris HQ™, includes search marketing/pay-per-click campaign management and optimization tools. Additionally, Lyris HQ includes Web analytics and content creation tools, which helps optimize search marketing conversion.

 For more information, please visit http://www.lyris.com/solutions/lyris-hq/ppc-management/.

 ADOTAS: Sometimes the words “Email Marketing” can be associated with spam and deter companies from using this method. What would you say to put their minds at ease?

 LYRIS: Email marketing that follows best practices and adheres to all applicable laws is anything but spam. It is usually a very low-cost, high ROI way to acquire and retain customers. Lyris has the tools and expertise to help our clients assure that their email marketing programs are well-aligned with best practices and for the best outcome possible. The Lyris team includes a Client Services staff that offers product and technical support, account management, training and professional services. We also offer a full service option in which Lyris handles all your email marketing for you (during your ramp-up time as you are working to become self-sufficient).

 ADOTAS: What sets you apart from your competitors?

 LYRIS: Lyris HQ is a pioneer in providing a single, online marketing platform for the integrated products today’s digital marketer needs: email marketing, deliverability tools, content creation, Web analytics, search marketing, social marketing and mobile marketing. This SaaS solution is hosted by Lyris.

 Lyris HQ enables digital marketers to have a unified user experience that is easy to learn and use and that has a sharp focus on ROI. As a single application, it breaks down silos and leverages power of integrated approaches.

 Lyris ListManager™ email marketing software is a secure, installed solution with email deliverability and reporting. Improve your reputation score, create messages easily, target and personalize, manage your lists and view real-time reports.

 Additionally, Lyris provides a spectrum of service offerings including support, training, deliverability and compliance consulting, and a host of full service offerings such as outsourced email campaign management and strategy, CRM and data management, and web analytics managed services.

 ADOTAS: What mobile marketing efforts does your company offer?

 LYRIS: Powerful mobile-marketing software from Lyris HQ makes it easy to execute mobile campaigns.

 Reach only those who are open to text marketing. Lyris HQ uses a double opt-in SMS tracking process to make sure you stay on the good side of your mobile subscribers and their strict wireless carriers.

 Offer short, snappy, useful content. Use text-marketing campaigns to provide driving directions, location-specific or event-driven coupons, polls and other types of convenient, transactional SMS messages.

 Send one-on-one messages or group broadcasts on a one-time, recurring or scheduled basis. You have complete flexibility to get the right text-marketing campaign to the right person every time.

 Let your subscribers talk back. Set up unlimited keywords, such as VOTE, JOIN, SHARE and ENJOY. Subscribers can text these keywords to short-code numbers assigned to you, essentially engaging in an ongoing dialogue with you.

 Learn what is and isn’t working. Complete SMS tracking and SMS reporting provide details on message status, individual response rates and bounce rates to invalid mobile numbers.

 For more information please visit http://www.lyris.com/solutions/lyris-hq/lyris-hq-mobile/.

 ADOAS: There’s also a lot of controversy surrounding marketing in social media. How does your company integrate a campaign without being invasive to the user?

 LYRIS: How a campaign is developed and executed is entirely up to our clients. However, we do offer tips and best practices via free guides and Webinars located in the Lyris Resource Center, and our Client Services organization is always available to help with this, as well.

 ADOTAS: Who are your clients?

 LYRIS: Our publicly available client list – including testimonials and customer profiles – can be found here: http://www.lyris.com/clients/.

 ADOTAS: What is Lyris working on next?

 LYRIS: We are always enhancing our products to meet the needs of our customers and the market. Our Lyris HQ product usually sees feature enhancements each month. At present, we are adding quite a few features in the email marketing and social media marketing areas.

Posted via email from Yellow Door Media