Electronic Direct Marketing – The Future of Online Marketing Has Arrived, Part 4


Welcome to the next important installment of Electronic Direct Marketing.  Let’s get right into it OK?
 

Harnessing the Viral Space
 

Who’s heard of viral marketing?  I certainly hope most of you have.  When I first learned of the term it was explained to me thus:  Go to a cinema and see a film.  If you love it what happens?  You tell anyone who will listen how great it is.  On the strength of your appraisal and because you are a trusted source there will be a number of people who will be inspired to attend the screening.  This, my friend, is viral marketing.  Alongside referral marketing it is where we all want to be in our respective businesses.
 

Viral marketing is not new.  In the offline world it is referred to as word of mouth advertising.

In our new applications (online) of this type of marketing viral can be anything and comes in many forms (games, videos, pictures etc).  Basically anything that people want to forward to their friends and colleagues.
 

When sending a game via an email remember one important point:  Difficult games are played by serious gamers.  This is not a high percentage of the population so if you are sending a game, keep it simple!

Here are 7 rules for sending games in your Electronic Direct Marketing:

  1. Focus on the experience.
  2. Appeal to the user’s emotions
  3. Make it personal
  4. Give the user something and take them on a journey (remember this point in part 1?)
  5. Get to know your user
  6. Content must engage the user of their terms
  7. Make it EASY

In all your Electronic Direct Marketing you should be encouraging people to pass on your messages!

Part of the title of these pieces is “The Future of Online Marketing”.  Well, let’s be frank…the future is already here!  Don’t waste another moment on redundant direct marketing.  Embrace the future now.  Be part of the future now.

Some futuristic terms that are fast becoming part of our vernacular:
 

  • Advertisements are now ==> they are rich in content
  • Consumers are now referred to as users
  • Broadcasting is becoming narrowcasting
     

Even more rules for Electronic Direct Marketing:
 

  1. Do you enjoy what you see?  If you do you will want to share it.
  2. Sharing is a social phenomenon enabling users to build on social relations
  3. Good ideas are not random.  They must happen or it won’t work

Your viral message must have at least 3 of these 4 to be successful:

  1. ENTERTAINING
  2. UTILITY
  3. REWARD
  4. UNIQUE

Channels you should use for your Electronic Direct Marketing:
 

  • Email
  • Website
  • Mobile Phone
  • Application

…and when you launch your campaign be sure to measure, measure, measure…

Part 5 is coming!