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[W951]Word Of Mouth Association

by Scott White, Sco

Let us this at the different forms you can choose from. There is company blogging. Here you can decide on whether to blog or not for your company. Be careful here what you decide and who you listen to. There are companies like Brains on Fire and their main character Spike Jones who are pushing developing what they call movements or as I like to call it fantasy land. They do not really explain what they mean by a movement but focus on not developing a project or campaign. This is unnerving as they are in a very hard to explain area of return on investment. My opinion is to avoid hiring a company like Brains on Fire. Sales are obviously important and make pretend land is something a company can not risk.

Ultimately you want to build your brand and the best way to do that is working with a branding agency or marketing company. But if word of mouth marketing is something you think you must have consider some more things.

You can use YouTube, twitter, social networking like Facebook and many other marketing tactics. You really need to choose the one that is right for you. Remember the biggest investment in most of these marketing tactics is time. Do you have the time to dedicate to any of these?

Viral marketing is also something that many individuals and large corporations are really developing. This means you develop a video in hopes that it will be placed throughout the Internet on blogs and websites. The more people that put your video on their site the better you do.

Then there are some companies that have many users signed up and you send them a product. They then tell their friends about your product and report back to the buzz company. Be careful on the motives of the buzz people on this one. Most of these buzz people are in it for the free stuff and will say and do almost anything to remain a buzz person.

Right now one of the best tactics you can do is setting up a blog on Wordpress. This will open up the lines of communication between you and your target market. The key here is to be open an honest. If people leave a negative response use that to your advantage by learning from it and responding back to the user.

Blogging can be a slow process so do not worry about whether people are commenting or not. Many people read but never comment.

In conclusion hiring a branding company or marketing company I believe is your safe bet. They will be able to show return on investment easily and you will be building your brand at the same time. Keep in mind that sales are an important factor when you decide on whom to hire.

The difference between business clients and fans of the hottest, chart-topping band is that the music fans react emotionally when they are awed by their heroes. The same is true for some businesses. Take Apple. The first sentence in a recent article in Forbes Magazine on Apple Computer was this: "It is widely acknowledged that Apple Computer enjoys the kind of lavish devotion among its customers ' and fawning adoration from the press ' of which other companies don't even dare to dream." Here are five ways to win new devotion from customers who become your fans offline and online.

Five Ways To Turn Your Clients Into Fans

One: Start a Fan Club

Start an online or offline newsletter containing the hottest information on what interests prospects and existing clients of your products or services.

- Ask them to join your club with their subscriptions. Give them something in return a product with your logo, a resource for the best information, and/or "hot links" to other informative, interesting resources.

- Schedule a fun event at least once a year to allow your "fans" to meet each other. Invite a special, fun guest. Have your meeting in a fun place - on a beach or at the hippest, new restaurant instead of in a hotel conference room.

You can also have an Online Party.

- Offer free prizes to your fans - find out what some of their "wants" are in certain demographic groups.

- Offer a free 10 minute "makeover" in your area of expertise; this is great from a financial makeover to a kitchen makeover.

- Offer a free report on the "Five Smartest Strategies to ......" highlighted by splashy colors on one easy-to-read page of paper.

- For great tips on how to put together an online newsletter, visit www.companynewsletters.com. For a free online newsletter template, visit www.neighborhoodassociation.biz/.

Two: Court the Media

That Forbes magazine was writing about "fawning adoration from the press" toward Apple Computer was itself, well, fawning.

- Court the media with what is innovative, user-friendly and important about your product or service.

- Send a well-written news release that summarizes "who, what, when where and how," and include your cell phone number in addition to your work number.

- Be available when the media returns your phone call. With differing deadlines, that means that you should be ready to take the call early in the morning or late at night.

- Target the media in your field, but also the general media.

- Make yourself available as a source with expertise in your field to talk about general trends. To earn your "expert" label, commit yourself to keeping on top of research and emerging trends in your field.

- Here's a quick way to learn how businesses similar to yours are courting the media. Go to "Google" and type in "news release" with a description of your product or service.

For example, if you are a technology consultant, type in "news release technology consultant." Save the news releases that get your attention. Don't imitate, but extrapolate from the best ideas to incorporate your ideas and tips into your news release.

- Use Education or "Edutainment" (educate through entertainment). It is easier for the media to write about your products and services if they understand what they do and how they are done.

Three: Get Your Name Out There

Even with little or no marketing budget, you can get the name of your company, product or service out there with news releases (See No. 2).

- Become a partner in a civic cause or with another company in a related field with which you can share expenses.

- Coca-Cola brands itself as "the real thing." Come up with a catch phrase to describe your product or service and make sure that catch phrase or word accompanies the brand name.

Most recently, I read an article on "Obamanomics."

- Network. Pick up the telephone and ask local clubs and organizations if you can make a presentation, and bring along plenty of business cards and one-page handouts with your brand name and message.

- Remember to network online - the internet is a very important networking source today.

- Again, go to "Google" and type in the name of your city and the words "business meeting schedule." Ask yourself how your product or service can make a great topic for a future presentation.

Four: Ask Your Clients

Tell your best clients you want them to become fans; then, ask them what it would take to become a fan.

- You'd be surprised at the number of businesses that do not take the time to survey their clients.

- If clients tell you they already are fans, ask them what it is about your product or service that makes them fans instead of ordinary customers.

- Listen, take lots of notes and use what your customers say to develop a strategy to build your fan base.

- At www.polarismr.com, you'll find a sample survey from Polaris Marketing Research. However, at the end of each section, add the word "Why?" with plenty of space for anecdotal information that will allow you to "go deeper" into why some clients are fans and others are not.

Five: Keep Your Fans

Starting up a new fan club isn't enough to keep it in business. Set aside at least one hour each week to think about -- and only about -- what you will do next that is more innovative, creative and important than what you already have accomplished with your product or service.

- Take a cue from Apple, which obviously is doing plenty of homework to be able to regularly announce attention-getting innovations.

- Innovation is exciting, regardless of the field.

- Adopt the "innovative" mindset (along with a promise to do the homework) to keep the fans you have and attract new fans to your club each year.

- Always include your existing fans in all your new releases and special discounts.

Article Source : marketing mix components

About Author

Both Scott White & Ruth Klein are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Scott White has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Email Advertising and Travel and Leisure. . Scott White's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.

Ruth Klein has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Family and Divorce and Infidelity. Ruth Klein, the De-Stress Diva (tm) and Branding Guru, is the proverbial Woman About Town. Holding a Master's in Clinical Psychology, consulting with renowned businesses - small and large. Ruth is a consultant, author, speaker, radio show host, branding s. Ruth Klein's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.