Traditional marketing such as TV spots, billboards and other non-interactive advertising are quickly becoming less effective. A good way to remember it is that these are Out, or outbound marketing. It is a one way communication of your sales pitch for your brand. Inbound marketing on the other hand gets the consumer to come to you, offers value instead of a pitch and is interactive. Which one do you think is gaining more traction with the masses?

The rise of the mobile platform has opened up a world of opportunity for businesses to engage meaningfully with their customers. The average user is likely to be carrying a smartphone or tablet, and big brands and independent companies alike are leveraging this fact to reach out to customers. Not only are they offering promotions and special offers, but they're using targeted strategies to make their customers' experiences more engaging.

A recent study conducted by Return Path shows that e-mail open rates on mobile devices such as Phones and tablets are at an all-time high. Across all industries, the average chance of a customer opening a promotional or marketing e-mail on their smartphone or tablet sits at an unprecedented 48%.