Google has released a fascinating new study about how people use their various screens–televisions, phones, tablets, desktops, and so forth–throughout the day.

Ingrid Lunden summarizes the study at TechCrunch:

But, while smartphones may have the shortest sessions be used the least overall, they are the most-used when it comes to on-boarding to a digital experience — or sequential device usage, as Google calls it. The research found that a majority of online tasks get initiated on a smartphone while being continued on another device — perhaps with a larger screen for easier use.

Two key lessons from this:

1. Optimize your content for whichever device your customers might be using.
2. Go multi-channel: your customers see several screens daily. Make sure you’re visible on as many as possible.

(Via The Agitator.)

Tell me in the comments: What else can we draw from the Google report?

Are your e-mail subscribers human beings?

This sounds like a stupid question. But way too many e-mail marketers treat their subscribers as an anonymous mass of people to bombard with “e-mail blasts.”

This unfortunate term in e-mail marketing, “blast,” just refuses to go away. It calls to mind one-size-fits-all messaging, sent without regard for what your subscribers want. It suggests you want to send every subscriber an impersonal message about something that’s important to you, not something important to him. That’s an organization-focused approach to marketing, where the message is about you and not about the recipient.

And ultimately, blasting away will lead your subscribers to tune you out. You’ll just churn and burn through your list.

But there’s a better way. It’s harder and more complicated, but in the end it’s more rewarding.

Put yourself in your subscriber’s shoes. Think about what he wants and what interests him, and attempt to establish a relationship by asking his opinion and sending him relevant, personalized messages. Consider why he subscribed in the first place: because you offer something valuable to him.

So stop talking about sending “blasts.”

What do you think? Is “blast” a harmless shorthand or does it reflect a counterproductive mindset?

Here’s a cool story about how using social media for customer service created a happy customer and generated positive earned media for Samsung Canada. The company treated Shane Bennett as an individual and reaped the rewards. I wouldn’t be surprised if this earned Samsung a customer for life and a lot of public goodwill.

This follows the playbook Dave Kerpen outlines in Likeable Social Media, which argues that this sort of public customer service is exactly how to use social media. Kerpen’s book is a must-read for those looking to take their social media programs to the next level.

Daniel Burstein posts a video from my talk at the 2012 Optimization Summit.

Here’s Burstein’s summary on the Marketing Experiments blog:

• Put yourself in your customer’s shoes
• Try testing unbranded microsites that tap into your customers’ motivations and are focused on engaging your audience before you send them to your conversion goal (Can help with viral marketing)
• Challenge best practices with testing

What best practices do you think need challenging?

Kyle Wiens explains why he won’t hire people who use poor grammar:

Applicants who don’t think writing is important are likely to think lots of other (important) things also aren’t important. And I guarantee that even if other companies aren’t issuing grammar tests, they pay attention to sloppy mistakes on résumés. After all, sloppy is as sloppy does.

Do you agree?