August 30, 2007

As I sit here trying to power through all of my work, I stare at my growing pile of unopened mail in a lonely corner of my desk. I wonder if I'm the only marketer who doesn't open, much less read, my mail? They're all sorts of trade publications or promotional pieces trying to get me to buy their particular service/product. I give my new mail a quick skim, pick out the high priority items, and chuck the rest in that pile.

So what does compel me to open/read a piece of direct mail? It will grab me if 1) it's a clever piece of marketing or 2) it clearly targets my marketing concerns. For example, the piece may be a unique form factor or scream "lead generation ideas!"

Then once I've read the piece, what compels me to actually visit their landing page? If they just point me to their general URL then I won't bother. I'll go to the landing page if they mention an offer of some type (doesn't have to be a physical giveaway, could just be promise of more valuable information) or an intriguing URL. For example, they may be offering an interesting whitepaper or point me to a URL like "/marketersonly".

A direct mail piece that is complemented with an email that is consistent in messaging and branding will also increase the chances of getting me to take any action. Direct mail is such an expensive venture that I'm not sure why marketers don't just focus on email? I'd say the competition for attention for both media is fairly even anyway. Email is just so much cheaper, and you get instant responses.

I dread the Christmas holidays when all the cards start coming in....

Posted by Thao Ngo at August 30, 2007
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August 28, 2007

Thinking out loud as I usually do, it came up in a conversation that I should become regular contributor to Marqui’s Blog. It has felt a little quiet on our company blog so weekly I’ll be sharing my thoughts and I welcome your comments and feedback. *handshake*

Viral Web Marketing – 6 Tips

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about new tips for viral marketing. It is a marketing practice that facilitates and encourages people to communicate and pass along a marketing message voluntarily. Viral marketing campaigns are also known as word-of-mouth campaigns, referral marketing or network marketing.

To date, viral marketing is the most cost effective form of marketing and can produce a powerful impact. Using viral marketing, your campaigns will suddenly get a life of its own - and start to spread like wildfire.

Here is a recent Viral Marketing campaign we all have seen lately from Dove:

Before heading out and telling the world, here are some tips to follow when viral marketing.

1. Create an emotion

This is rule #1. Create a message with a strong emotion that will excite and interest your audience. Forget trying to please everyone, with viral marketing you want your audience to choose a side. (Make it easy for them too!)

2. Be different and unique

Using a unique message will stimulate conversation that is worth sharing. People are sick of the same old promotional techniques. When a message is unique and unexpected it will create a memory that will leave a lasting impression.

3. Create a story to remember

Viral marketing is essentially storytelling. So if you want to grab the public’s attention, be sure to create a memorable story. Keep the story simple, short, and concise.

4. Use Pre-Existing Social Networks to Generate Awareness

Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are some examples of places to start.

Wikipedia has a great list of social networking sites for your reference 

5. Promote sharing

Making your message easy to share by providing multiple online formats can improve the overall result of the campaign.

Some ideas for formats:

• Downloadable content (Vidoes in MPEG, Pictures in JPEG, Soundsin MP3)
• Allowing them to easily embed the content on their own sites and bookmarking sites
• Share it with your extended network
• Sending the message out in an email campaign

6. Encourage Feedback

Your main goal is to connect with your audience and the best way is to get them talking. Blog commenting is an effective tool to start the conversation about your campaign. The best campaigns create an emotion; this means some people will like and some will dislike your message. You have to be accepting of both sides and make sure you keep the back and forth blog arguments under control.

Following these steps will ensure the best possibility of success for your Viral marketing campaigns. If you have any further questions. Please comment below and I’ll be glad to answer them.

Roland

Posted by Roland Poulin at August 28, 2007
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August 3, 2007

I just read Tod's blog posting today about the CBC's requirement to approve personal blogs for all employees (who publically state that they're CBC employees). That's a tricky one. I can see from the blogger's standpoint that you want to be transparent about your life on your personal blog, however, if you're going to write provide your political opinions or potentially compromise the reputation of your employer then it just makes common sense to nix your employer's name. At this point, I don't think the CBC is being entirely unreasonable in trying to protect the integrity of their brand and organization, particularly when they're trying to maintain a reputation of being an impartial news provider.

There's also another recent article just on this very topic of employee blogging that you may want to give a quick read.

Posted by Thao Ngo at August 3, 2007
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