Go Ahead, Bug Your Customers

What is a Viral Campaign?

Have you ever visited a website and found an article, a coupon, a special offer, or something else that impressed you so much that you immediately sent an email to a friend about it?  If you have, you’ve experienced “viral marketing”.

Viral marketing is a term to describe a low cost, highly effective way to “bug your customers” by marketing your products or services using the Internet.  This “word of mouse” method is like a bug or flu virus in humans.  Instead of replicating and propagating itself by human contact, it does so by computer contact (in a good way).  One minute nobody’s heard of it, next minute, it’s everywhere.  Viral marketing is so effective because it lets you capitalize on referrals from an unbiased third party—your consumer!  Let just one of your customers catch your “marketing bug” and they will happily spread it to everyone they know.

As you know, the power of a positive testimonial from a reliable source will add credibility to your organization.  Putting various viral marketing methods in place will give you a tremendous opportunity to help guide and influence people’s buying decisions without the use of costly advertising.

So what then is a viral campaign?

It’s a specific marketing promotion that focuses on something you do, NOT on who you are.  It is also not something malicious or under-handed.  Viral marketing is used by reputable companies trying to promote reputable products.  A viral campaign does not use spam or programs that force people to see or do things they do not want.

Instead, a viral campaign is something that is so cool, so exciting, or so creative that it gets people so excited; they can’t wait to share it with others.  It’s subtle, not forceful.  It’s uncontrollable.  The exposure you get from this MAY raise sales or otherwise help your company name recognition, but that’s actually the by-product.  That’s why it’s so effective if done correctly!

With a good viral campaign, people feel compelled to spread your word.  They can’t help themselves (just like sneezing when you pass a virus around).  The heart of a viral campaign is the content.  People don’t spread what you say or do because they love you, they spread it because they can’t help but adore your content.  Don’t forget!  They are not evangelists serving you, they are self-serving.

So, you better create a “bug” that sticks around.  All successful viral campaigns appeal to any one (or all three) of these basic human motivators: entertainment, greed, or charity.  Develop a theme around one of those and you may be able to create a full blown epidemic of sales.

What Makes Viral Marketing so cool?

People (read consumers) hate ads.  They will do anything to avoid them.  So, if you want to find a way to appeal to your consumers without offending and without spending huge dollars (another viral marketing perk) than going “viral” is something you should consider.

Despite (or perhaps because of) viral marketing still being relatively new, most people are confused about what viral ads are, how they work, what they should cost (loads of confusion there), how to measure results, etc.  It is still evolving.  However, there are three common forms being used:

1. Word of Mouth such as “Tell a Friend,” “Send this coupon to a friend,” or “Recommend this to a friend”.

2. Pass-It-On, where we receive an article, cool tool, funny video and then pass it on through email to a friend, family member, or associate.

3. Product or Service Based, where a free tool is used online and that tool includes an embedded marketing message, like Hotmail.

Word of Mouth

A good word-of-mouth viral marketing strategy enables a visitor to your website or a recipient of your email to share your site or email content with others with just a click of a button or link.

Amazon.com is a great example of a company that is using viral marketing throughout their website.  When you browse the products, you’ll notice invitations to “Tell a Friend” about this product.  Providing this automatic and easy to use feature, results in increased sales for Amazon products.  Yup, it’s that easy.

How can you do this?  Here are 8 tips to effectively use this strategy on your website:
•    Use tools that encourage people to visit your website more often such as coupons, newsletters, e-specials, contests, and fresh content.
•    Do things that are unique and grab attention.  I.e. cool button or graphic.
•    Provide a call to action by telling visitors what you want them to do.
•    Give clear instructions on how to participate; make it simple, intuitive, and easy.
•    Offer an incentive to encourage them to do what you want them to do: “Tell a friend and be included in a drawing for …”
•    Leverage, leverage, leverage!  “Tell five friends and get a free …”
•    Have your privacy policy posted.  Most people won’t consider giving out an email unless they know what you plan to do with it.
•    Make sure whatever technology you use works.  There’s nothing worse than offering something you can’t deliver on.

Pass-It-On Marketing

We all love to share a funny story, cool resource, or great deal.  When we find one, we usually send an email or “forward” it on to friends, family, or people we work with.  This old “they tell two friends and they in turn tell two friends” method is very effective online because of the ease and simplicity of reaching large groups of people.

Pass-It-On marketing can take many forms.  Including:
•    Articles-writing articles that can be distributed as content for newsletters or other websites.  The article should contain links to your website and include information on you, your company, and your website.  See myMarketingGuide.com for samples.
•   Fun videos or clips-nothing seems to spread faster on the web.  Fun to produce, but not a sure thing for results.  Worth noting—you’ll need extra help with this campaign—unlike games, email, and music which have long established pass-along tendencies, video is harder to spread the word about.  You may need to supplement this with paid advertising to make it successful.
•    Free software or templates-doing something your target market will be interested in, and will find handy and helpful.
•    Online Games or Quizzes-spread like wild fire.  Develop your own game or buy the rights to one.  Unlike common myths, the demographic that loves games and quizzes the most are…adult women.  Many marketers report game interaction time of up to 20 minutes per play.  That’s a lot of time for your brand to hover friendly-like in the background as a sponsor.  I.e. Murder mystery game for forensic scientists sponsored by a forensic tools maker.

Just make sure, whatever you choose, do it well.  For this type of viral marketing to be successful, you have to start with great content that the recipients will WANT to share with others.

Product or Service Based Viral Marketing

MSN.com was the true leader of service based viral marketing with its Hotmail service.  Hotmail is a free email service that is provided by MSN.com and is used by millions of people around the world.

How did they use a free email account as a viral technique?  They added a tagline to every email message sent through their system.  If you’ve ever received a Hotmail email message, you’ll notice a line of text at the bottom, “Join the world’s largest email service with MSN Hotmail…”  That message results in hundreds of new accounts each day on the Hotmail website.  This innovative and inexpensive technique creates massive exposure for MSN.com and the other products and services offered on their website.  Now that’s viral marketing at its finest!

Do you have a viral technique you’d like to share?

What is Sponsorship Marketing?

Sponsorship marketing is typically done for promotional purposes, to generate publicity, or to obtain access to a wider audience than your budget can afford.  Although you may think of corporate sponsorship’s as in-kind donations, that’s not longer the case.  It‘s a booming $11 billion dollar industry according to IEG’s 2004 industry report.

Sponsorship marketing is done financially or through the provision of products or services to support an event, activity, person, or organization where two or more parties benefit from the arrangement.  The key to building successful sponsorship programs is to match the correct products or services with the people who want to purchase them.

Benefits of Building a Sponsorship Marketing Program

• Low cost way to create visibility and traffic for an organization.
• Increased marketing dollars to stretch limited budgets.
• Inexpensive way to increase sales.
• Increased loyalty through consistent brand building.
• Increased pr/media exposure.
• Exciting employees and incenting sales representatives.

How it Works

What attracts a sponsor is “eye balls”.  The more people or targeted impressions you can deliver to a sponsor, the more money or services you will be able to attract.  It’s that simple.

Any organization can start a marketing sponsorship program.  Of course the success of it depends on: what your organization does, who your customers are, and how you structure the exposure for the sponsor.

Organizations Most Attractive to Sponsors

Still not sure if it’s worth devoting time or money to building a sponsorship program?  Then, check out the top five industries, according to IEG, that companies with sponsorship dollars are looking to spend them with:

• Sporting events or venues
• Travel or Entertainment Organizations
• Educational or Non-Profit organizations
• Art Related Organizations
• Web based businesses or organizations with highly visited websites

Getting Started-Seven Steps to Building a Sponsor Program

1. Define your product / service

Be as specific as possible about what your organization has to offer. While your organization’s activities are the main product, other products or services can also be considered as offerings to sponsors including: sales materials, uniforms, preferential booking of facilities or discount rates.

2. Define the Target Market

A sponsorship marketing strategy will only by successful if it is aimed at the appropriate group of people. You can quickly identify your target market by looking at your current customers and considering common factors that they share.

- Demographics age, sex, marital status, occupation, ethnic groups, religion, education, etc

- Psychographics behavioral groups such as skiers, skateboarders, families

- Geographic location (local, regional, national)

3. Set Your Objectives

A clear, documented idea of what it is your organization is trying to achieve is needed.

Do you want to have your brochure costs covered by a sponsor, increase your advertising buys, or maybe have the cost of your next special event covered?

4. Develop a Marketing Strategy

When your objectives are clear, the next step is to develop a marketing strategy to help achieve those objectives.

If you want to have your next brochure costs covered you strategy may revolve around selling advertising in it.  If, on the other hand, you want to cover the cost of your next special event, you need to use different strategies such as emphasizing how the sponsor will be represented at your organization, in promotional materials, and advertising.  Remember, the more people you can deliver to a sponsor, the more valuable they will find your program.  Use whatever means it takes to do that: newsletters, signs, radio or TV spots, press releases, website, etc.

5. Develop an Action Plan

Once you know what you want to do, it’s time to actually do it!  The key to a good action plan is to outline the activities to be achieved—assign people to get the tasks done and make sure to set a realistic deadline.  Don’t forget to set up a reporting process so you know what’s done and what might need extra attention.

6. Build your Sponsor Packet

The Sponsor Packet is what you will use to communicate your sponsor program to prospects.  In its most basic format, a Sponsor Packet would include:

a)     Description of who you are and what you do

b)    Description of the target market you can deliver to sponsors

1. I.    E.g. 25 – 35 year old family heads of households

c)     Summary of your marketing objectives

1. I.    E.g. To expand marketing exposure

d)    Marketing strategies

1. I.    E.g. Online and offline Sweepstakes

e)     e). Action plan

1. I.    E.g. Develop online and offline entry forms and promotional flyers to be distributed by sponsor.  Promote will begin 4 weeks ahead of the giveaway through radio ads, press releases, and local search engine marketing.

7. Package it.

You’ll be asking a lot from your sponsors so make sure your presentation represents you well.  Be accurate and concise with your content.  If possible try to have it professionally printed and include photographs to enhance presentation. The use of special paper and covers can also enhance the presentation.

Put It To Work

After you’ve completed your sponsor packet, it’s time to put it to work.

1. Company’s.  Determine the company’s best suited as a sponsor to your organization.  Create a contact list that includes as much information as possible.

2. People. Find out who you should address the sponsorship proposal to (usually the Marketing Manager and include their proper title and position. Ensure you have the correct spelling.

3. Contact.  Speak briefly with them on the phone to let them know you will be sending a proposal.

4. Timing.  Present your sponsor packet proposal well in advance. Businesses budget for sponsorship annually. They can also take a while to approve sponsorship proposals, particularly if they have to be cleared by the General Manager or Board of Directors.

5. Follow up. Allow a week after you have sent a proposal before making a follow up call. The

sponsor may not be able to answer at that stage. However, it provides an opportunity for them to ask any questions. Offer to come into their office to speak to them if they so desire. Ask them when you could expect to receive an answer.

6. Reporting. Once a sponsorship has been negotiated and secured, ensure you keep in regular contact with your sponsor. A letter or phone call once a month letting them know about your organization and how the sponsorship is going is good practice. Send any material that may be of interest to them – newsletters, any promotional material or photographs involving promotion of the sponsor.

To see some sponsorship templates, visit myMarketingGuide.com

One-Minute Marketing Makeover

There can be big gains from small tweaks to your marketing plan.  There are two types of marketing plan audits.  The first is the comprehensive which should occur at least one a year and then there are the “mini” audits which should happen at minimum every quarter.

The “mini” marketing audit is stripped down to the bare essentials and the goal is to create a task list which can be done quickly and easily and yield results right away.

Mini Marketing Audit Questions

1. What initiatives and key messages generated the greatest number of leads, media placements, or sales in the last 2 years?

2. Which marketing channel (website, email, text message, pay-per-click, radio, TV) netted the most revenue for the lowest investment?

3. Who is your target audience (describe them) and has that changed due to economic conditions, pricing considerations, or new product and/or service offerings?

4. Who are your most valuable customers?  How and where do they purchase your product or service offering?

5. What are your competitor’s offerings and are you tasked with increasing market share, stakeholder satisfaction, $ revenue, or all of the above?

6. What are your organization’s short-term and long-term strategic goals?

7. What in-house vs. outsourced resources do you have available?

8. Are you on-target with your marketing budget, over budget, or under budget?  Why?  Do adjustments need to be made?

9. Are there any upcoming deadlines, events, or projects that might require you to alter your marketing plans in the next 3-4 months?

10. Have you taken advantage of trying out new marketing methods (internet advertising, media relations, email newsletters, mobile marketing, website marketing) to gauge their effectiveness?  What percentage of your marketing budget could you set aside to explore new options (usually about 5-10% of a budget)?

Sample Task List

Mini Marketing Audit Answers and Task List

Best Campaigns to do again: Summer 2008, Winter 2009

Best marketing message: Go BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) for the highest redemption rate and increased sales.

Best ROI marketing channels: website, email newsletters, text message campaigns, media relations/press releases & media kit, co-op advertising program, custom loyalty program.

Least ROI channels/not able to track effectiveness: radio, TV, outdoor billboards

Target audience: 25-45 households with kids (families) within a 2 hour radius of our location.  Current economic conditions indicate that this audience may be watching their dollars closer and spending less.  To keep sales up, we should look to expanding our demographic to include the baby boomer age group and expand to web sales

Most valuable customers: local customers looking to support us.  Need to keep them happy and coming back more.

Competitors: offer similar offerings.  We try to differentiate by talking about our expanded service and support, monthly payment plans, and testimonials.

Marketing goals: increase revenue by 5% in the next quarter.

Organization short term goal: reduce overhead by 5%

Organization long term goal: increase profitability by 5%.

In-house vs. outsourced: loss of one staff member means we will need to outsource more marketing functions in the next 1-2 months while we look for another staff member.  Will need to find one or multiple companies to assist us in everyday marketing tasks including: graphic design, ad placement, email newsletter copywriting, design, and sending, press release copyrighting, etc.

Marketing budget: we are under budget because we were not able to complete one of the campaigns from last quarter due to technology set-up issues.  Will try to complete that project this quarter or reallocate the funds to a different campaign.

Upcoming events: within 2 months we will launch a new product that should appeal to a younger more web savvy consumer.  We may need to shuffle some of the budget and timelines to get this launched.

New marketing channel test: would like to start an internet advertising campaign on Google, Yahoo, and MSN.  Need to find a company to help us implement this.  Tie this to the new product launch.  Will try 2-3 months with a budget of $5,000.

Comment Policy – play nice and no spam

It started simply enough…nice spam.  A few comments here, a few positive reviews there, then all of a sudden–lots of useless and seemingly spam links to sites I would never want to promote on my blog.  So, as of this first Monday in the New Year, I am announcing my personal war against comment spam.

Here’s just a few ways to get your comments removed from my blog:

• Your name is a bunch of keywords that do not tell me who you are but what  you are pushing.
• Comments that simply say “nice site” are not going to last long and may get your IP address banned.
• Links in the body of the comment.
• Signing off with a link.

How to post comments:

• write something acceptable-whether you agree with me or not.

• I have a comment form please use it to ask me questions unrelated to my post.
• Please stay on topic.
• Submitting lots of good comments over a period of time (not all at once) is a good way to get my attention and have me want to link to you.

Once again, thanks for reading and your support (for those that are actually reading and not spam bots).

10 Most Popular Tweets of 2009

2009 has been an interesting year for marketing.  Social media seems to have quickly created a place for itself, even while marketers are still trying to figure it out.  That’s why I thought it would be interesting to track just what topics received the most attention from my Twitter postings at http://www.twitter.com/srufo . Personally, I still love the “Martini Marketing” article.

Top 10 news stories clicked by Twitter readers in the past year.

Chained to your email? You have no idea…

Feel like sometimes you just can’t get away from your email? It’s probably not just a feeling. Latest studies show that most people spend an hour or more a day on email and have multiple email accounts. To see how you compare, keep reading.

According to American Online surveys, conducted in partnership with Opinion Research Corporation, as reported by Emarketer, users rely on e-mail as much as the phone for communication, spend about an hour a day on e-mail and that 77% of them have more than one e-mail account. That translates to an essential part of everyday life, concludes the report.

The survey shows:

• 41% of Americans check e-mail first thing in the morning

• 18% check e-mail right after dinner

• 14% check e-mail right when they get home from work

• 14% check e-mail right before they go to bed

• 40% of e-mail users have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night

More than one in four say they can’t go more than two to three days without checking e-mail. And it’s checked everywhere:

• In bed (23%)

• In class (12%)

• In a business meeting (8%)

• At a Wi-Fi hotspot (6%)

• At the beach or pool (6%)

• In the bathroom (4%)

• While driving (4%)

• In church (1%)

The survey found that 61% of e-mail users employed outside the home check their personal e-mail at work,

• 47% check personal e-mail at work

• 47% check it sporadically throughout the day

• 25% check it first thing when they arrive at work

• 18% check it at lunchtime

• 8% during an afternoon break

• 2% right before heading home

Women are more likely than men to check their personal e-mail at work throughout the day, and 60% of all e-mail users check their e-mail while on vacation.

What about you? Leave a comment or two to commiserate with me!

Building your business 101

It surprises me how easy it is sometimes to see other people’s problems.  Of course, since that’s what we get paid to do, I guess I’m in the right business.

I was talking to a business owner this morning.  He was complaining about the success of some of his competitors compared to his company.  He said he couldn’t understand what the difference was.  He did EVERYTHING the same way they did.  Yet they seemed to get more business than he did.

I listened for awhile and finally asked the question that kept running through my mind, “If you do everything like they do, why would I as a customer choose you?”  It stopped him for a few minutes.  I told him my point was not to be disrespectful, just to point out the obvious–

Build your business on what your customers want, not what your competitors are doing.  Yes, staying in-tune with them is important.  But, if they are already doing something, it’s too late for you!  You need to go and find out what your customers need that no one is addressing.

Further probing brought out that actually this business owner was still running his business like he did 10 years ago.  No clear business plan or marketing focus.  While his competitors had actually expanded into new services area, offered new products, and generally had tried to stay ahead of the curve.

I pretty much tell it like it is.  Good or bad.  So I told him, “you need to change what you are doing.  Look at what your core skills are and listen to what your clients have been asking for.  You need to get a recovery plan in place.  Only if you are willing to make some large changes in how you do business will your situation improve.”

I can’t say anyone faced with that observation is thrilled.  But he took it fairly well.  He knows there is a problem.  Now, it’s just a matter of if he will act on it.

We all have choices.  He can choose to be the mouse that stayed behind (Where’s my Cheese book reference) the mouse that starved but eventually made it, or the one that accepted the situation and decided to do something about it.

Stay tuned, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

ResortXpo Snowsports Virtual Conference and Trade Show

Live on July 15-16, is the first ever ResortXpo.  Join in http://www.ResortXpo.com/ski

Where can you network and discuss industry issues?
With all the marketing and technology choices out there, what’s the best strategy for your resort?
How can you come up with new ideas and programs for the coming season?

ResortXpo.com will address these questions and more!  The event is designed to help solve marketing, sales, and IT challenges by bringing compelling conference sessions, Base Lodge Chat’s and product and solution exhibits to the convenience of your desktop.

We know that you want the latest updates but need to get them in a convenient and simple way so we’ve designed this expo with your needs in mind.  We’re doing it online and we’re bringing the experts to you!

Top 5 Things You Will Get at this Event and Nowhere Else

-Sessions with industry leading executives including: Samantha Rufo, President, nxtConcepts, Joy Spring, VP/COO, Leisure Trends, Steve Pope, Owner, ePop Studio; Milena Regos, Marketing Director, Diamond Peak Ski Resort; Eric Hoffman, Interactive Marketing Manager, Park City Mountain; David LaPlante, CEO, Twelve Horses; Michelle Evans, Marketing Services Manager, Grouse Mountain; John Siewierski, Owner, Siewierski Consulting

-Lessons learned from your peers in the Connection Cafe Forums with scheduled Base Lodge Chats.

-Updates on the latest technology developments that are shaping the future of resort communications including text messaging, email marketing, social media, and websites.

-Real time networking with product and solution experts.

-Virtual Welcome Reception brought to your by Captain Morgan (Please Drink Responsibly).  Get unprecedented access to the brand team while enjoying some of the Captain’s favorite recipes.

If you have ever missed a seminar or Convention due to travel or cost, this is the show for you!

It’s all happening July 15-16 and right on your computer.
No travel.  No expenses.  Just great information.
You can attend a major conference without leaving your office!

Attend the live event and Enter to Win:
ResortXpo exclusive give-aways.  Including: Captain Morgan Prize packages (jump drives and other cool swag), $500 Kick Start Mobile Marketing Program from nxtConcepts, Kelty two-man backpacking tent valued at $149 from Leisure Trends, Win one of 4 Descente or DNA jackets from RSN Resort TV & RSN.com, and more.  Winners notified through their online profiles.

Exhibitor Hall hours: open 24 hours with live chat’s available between 11am-5pm EST (10am-4pm CT/9am-3pm MT/8am-2pm PT)
Conference Session Hours: 11am – 2pm EST
And the entire event will be available for on-demand viewing for 10 days afterwards.

Brought to you by nxtConcepts, Ltd; North Pole Design; Selectus Consulting; and Captain Morgan

Mobile Advertising – Where and how do 2d codes fit in?

This panel discussion has a slow start but once you get in about 8 minutes it starts to pick up.  Worth watching.
“What cell phone you have says a lot about who you are.”

Return on Engagement

So, maybe I have been hiding under a rock, but today was the first time I’ve heard the expression that “ROE” or “Return on Engagement” has replaced “ROI” or “Return on Investment” (in the marketing universe).

Active vs. passive

So what is ROE?  It’s about focusing on engagement, and relationships, and attracting and rewarding the right kind of brand advocates to help spread your message.  It is getting people involved in what you do and how you do it.  Or at least that’s what I believe it means.  The term is so new, it doesn’t even have a place in Wikipedia yet.

With social media and the new social networks it has changed how we build a marketing plan.  Although social media does not have an upfront price tag like radio or TV, it is labor intensive and has a reputation (just for kids, not business worthy, etc)  it still needs to get past.  Using social networks for business practices is still new.  There are stumbling blocks.  But, for those that figure it out, the return can be big (as the early adopter that everyone else will try to mirror).

Should ROI ever have been used when it applied to marketing?  Probably not.  How do you really determine the ROI of a radio spot?  Isn’t it more about the response?  That’s why I think ROE is brilliant.  It allows us as marketers to clarify a business who our best customers are and what we can do to continue to excite and engage them.  No matter what the means or marketing channel.

Measurement

Here’s the start of my check list for ROE.  Should these be here?  What others should be added & why?

* Value for advocacy: what is the cost per action as applied to advocacy or outreach (branding, education, etc) campaigns. Including being able to access as many people as possible when your version of a Katrina hits or you have a window of opportunity where the issue you’re working on hits the headlines.

* Recruitment: how many friends per week have been acquired?  How many lost?

* Opportunity cost: how many hours per week have my staff or volunteers devoted to spending time in social networks?

* Viral benefit of social networks: if you have a network in place, you might increase your chances of reaching a lot of people to spread your news. Most social networks are set up to enable communications with a lot of people quickly.

* Demographics: is the audience you’re recruiting from the social network appropriate for your organization?

* Message control: your message is likely to get picked up by others, and to be successful, some amount of message control will likely need to be sacrificed.

* Investing in the future: Maybe the younger demographic of the social networks will be interested in your organization in the future, so start building awareness now.