Monday, December 17, 2007

Tips on Internet Marketing

If you model successful people, make sure you have a similar product. Also, make sure you're addressing your market.

Avoid hype -- tell them what you know, then tell them what they need to know. Tell the truth.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

C-to-C marketing

Consumer-generated marketing

Mukund Mohan
Best Engaging Communities

Ask customers how they would innovate... What they would like to see in a specific way

Support Community, Innovation community, user community, developer community, social network, partner community -- all of these are online communities

Customers like customers referring stuff to them
Let customers help each other

Reduces cost per lead
Increase revenue (beta)
Reduced cost of integration

Metrics: How many are joining and commenting
How quickly people are getting answers
www.bestengagingcommunities.com

Only 1 percent of the community will post and interact
99 percent will read, get it fixed, and go away
1. You have to have a connection with the customer -- Post a question: Brian posted about this, and reply in a post. One person at a time, get in a conversation.
2. Offer incentives
3. Feature something the audience said... Show Brian to be smart, a leader, let his post play in...

Make sure you're adding value to the community rather than just marketing. Support existing communities

Games, contests in marketing

Andrew Mitchell - Brandmovers
Grant Kravitz - BOSSdev

Games are cost effective and can be launched at a fraction of the cost
Sweepstakes -- enter by developing your own fantasy itinerary for travel, for example

Make sure you know the objective of the game: to generate trial, to create long-term loyalty, drive opt-in email, etc...
Must be able to quantify results
Must be immersive experience

Prizes must support brand and target audience
Make it viral -- send it to other people
Permission-based campaigns -- must be transparent and such
Engage with a firm that has proven experience with the laws of sweepstakes
Some people use pre-existing games and adapt it

Big budget doesn't mean it's better than everyone else

How to market the sweepstakes/whatnot itself: Put it on the point of sale

Interactive Marketing Conference: Keynote

Old way
Limited interactions, marketer controlled time and place
They would call you on the phone only

New way
Yahoo groups become source of buying information
Second Life -- a place where you can be bad
Mobile webpage -- more minimal "Mobile view"
If there are no negative comments, people will believe all comments are fake!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

10 Ways to make 2008 great

Alexandria Brown

3 Keys
1. Make the decision
2. Get the right knowledge and plan well
3. Set yourself up for success - get a coach, have a mentor. Someone who challenges you and keeps you accountable
Need a coach with knowledge, experience and results to show. Make sure their lifestyle models the one you want. Great advice there.

"I don't tell this story to impress you, but to impress upon you that dreams happen"
People tend to get stuck right below 6 figures, then stuck around 300-350K.
False beliefs: To get more money, the need to work more. No, leverage your knowledge.
You are paid for your results, not for your time. Do not think hours for dollars.
Repackage your offerings. Work on your business rather than in the business.
Marketingmasteryprogram.com

Don't need to do all of these
Strategies: Don't think "I already know that" -- if you haven't been successful, then you don't
1. Build a Team - separate lower-value stuff - entering biz cards, shipping, whatever
2. Continuity Program/Membership Programs - Pay monthly fee automatically to stay in program or receive your product. For each event would have to set up shopping cart, sales letter, whatever... why not create one program that will hit everyone?
Interview phone call -- with recording and transcript and on-line forum for questions -- each month
3. Affiliate Marketing - Marketing with affiliates -- double or triple it. 20-30 percent of sales come through affiliates. You only pay affiliates if they sell. Ally with people who have good-size lists.
- Start with your clients and customers -- they're ideal to promote you through their e-zines and whatnot - must learn how to motivate them when it's important to you
- Get one product and have a campaign about it
4. Avoid bright shiny object syndrome - teleseminars are so easy compared to webinars, can do while traveling
Free call plus offering
Paid seminars or series
Better than an e-mail, though
5. Manage your time
If you don't know what your time is worth, no one else will either.
Learning to juggle 100 things, you'll waste your time.
How can you earn $4000 week? $800 a day? 5 hours a day - $160/hour.
Get the right things done faster, don't try to do it all.
6. Use real mail
Why? Because not 100 percent reliable :)
Can increase results by 400 percent.
7. Speak live
You can speak for free, then offer stuff afterwards
Can make big dinero
8. Big back end
5 percent are ready to buy from you right away
Mentoring programs, coaching, live events... lots of different ways
9. Keep track of all your methods with polls and tracking. Compare sales letters, etc.
10. Hosting live events
Most important - fill the room
You can negotiate to get your meeting room free
Make sure you have something to sell there, too :)