Not Just Another Digital Visiting Card. Give Your Personal Brand a Boost.

One's mailbox often gets bombarded with numerous e-greetings, free product offerings, invitations to seminar and events. Most got the directed to the SPAM folder, few subject lines merited a direct delete, some got read, but only a few grab our attention.

Few days ago I received a mail of particular interest. It had no fancy imagery, no promises of free products; what grabbed me was the full fledged Digital Visiting Card that was had attached with his mail. Below is my rendition of this card.

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Unlike the usual Digital Business Cards which are merely a scan version of simple details like email ID and phone number this one had a summary of all social and physical networking platforms with suitable links updated.

What is key is the way contact points have been clearly divided:

• Professional network - Linkedin
• Professional contact - Official email ID and phone number
• Workspace - Both Physical and Cloud Space (Dropbox, Google drive, etc.)
• Employer Details - Online and Offline
• Social Footprint - Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Skype
• Personal Contact - Personal email IDs, phone number

The message is simple - "I can interact with you on which ever platform you prefer".

Twitter Goes the Video Way - The Vine App for Your Visual Short Stories

You shared a tweet about  the latest product your company launched. It has all the catchy keywords and a link to a equally catchy video on Youtube. Add a picture of your product along with the tweet and the chances of it getting clicked increase manifold.

Now, imagine if you could add a short video right here in Twitter - a quick view of what you offer, with a link to a much more detailed video. I say the interest level of your audience will automatically increase. 

Twitter snapped up a video clip company called Vine in October 2012 and now the tree is bearing fruits. Just few days ago the Vine App was launched for iPhone and iPod users and is already hot news. The tie-up allows Tweeples to share short 6-min videos which are looped continuously . It remains to be seen is how long it take to launch an Android version and let the rest of the world join in. Unfortunately, since I am one of those who loves their Androids, I have been unable to post a video-story as yet.

For marketers there is definitely a huge scope…. Give a preview of your CEOs latest press interview, showcase the features of your products, make video testimonials go viral, show your event's highlights, or enable the recruitment folks to entice new talent by posting videos on company culture and fun@work stories.

You can see some great examples of how the Vine is already being used in the blog Twitter Makes Video Marketing More Accessible With GIF-Like Mobile App, Vine.

You can also see a video on How To Post A Vine here: 

However, there is a bit of grey-area too. In these short few days Twitter has also seen numerous short porn videos. One can flag content as unsuitable but content has a way of slipping through the tightest grasp. Will the Terms of Policy change or will we see some Tweet-Policing? How will Apple respond to this considering it has, in the past, pulled off Apps with graphic sexual content (Vine, Twitter's New Video-Sharing App, Already Has A Porn Problem)?

What do you think? How will you use the Vine and the 6-sec video-storytelling?

Are Your Marketing Audience Indeed Yours? Getting that Marketing Database Right.

Why', 'Who', 'What', 'How' and 'So What - building any marketing communication plan must involve answering these key questions (refer The 5 Questions of Marketing Communication - Are You Answering These? ). I find that once the intent behind carrying out a marketing program is clear we must look at the 'Who' and this comes to down the basics of marketing - targeting and segmenting.

Who constitutes my key target base?

Brand awareness, product promotion or, lead generation - Unless one knows WHO the intended target is one cannot hope to achieve the end purpose of any marketing program. Moreover, defining the target segment will shape what your communication will constitute and the channels that you would deploy.

For example, is your target the end consumer (i.e. are you a B2C organization) or, are other businesses your prospects (a B2B model)? Depending on this you can identify if ATL marketing techniques will serve the purpose or, BTL channels are more suited.

Take the case of an IT product for a B2B market. If your target audience is the C-level then your communication should be talking about how a solution impacts the overall business, cost vs. returns, benefits to the end-consumer, and other such variables. On the other hand, if the target is C-1 and C-2 level contacts then you must look at talking about the product features and functionalities, and the benefits to the organizations (like, streamlined processes, system integration, etc).

How do I go about getting the database in place?

Starting from ground zero has both its positives and negatives. The main minus obviously being that it’s a time consuming process which required resource investments to validate the contact list. On the plus side, you would be working towards getting a fresh list in place - one with the right contact designation and, the latest email ids and phone numbers.

One can employ various ways to get an enviable list into place -

·        Buy a ready list - There are a numerous agencies and third parties available in the market who have a large database available based on industry and designations. By buying a list you immediately cut down the effort your resources would have to put in to get such a list together. But, the problem with buying a list is you can never be sure if you will get your intended audience. To avoid this, while finalizing your third party vendor, it is best to specify the below points.

o    Ensure you share the right industry and right designation title so a close to prefect list is provided to you.

o    Do a test run of the list - for example, send across a free whitepaper (behind registration) to download to this list. Based on the success rate of this activity you can then further negotiate with the vendor.

·        Build a list - Have a internal discussion with your sales team and identify a list of the companies you wish to interact with. Then get the vendor or, even an internal resource, build a list for you based on the exact designations for this list . This generally has a high success rate as you can be sure your list consists of prospects of interest.

·        Continuous build activities- Online forms, registration desks at events, online webinars or, free content registrations - these are some the ways you can ensure adding on relevant contacts to your database

How do I maintain my database?

It is absolutely essential that your database is constantly validated and updated. Research shows that databases degrades by around 25% every year as people move out of the company or, change their numbers or, move to different roles. Revisit your list, with the help of an internal resource or even a third-party, once every 6 months.

Having a consolidated view of your organization's database also helps in ensuring there is only one reference source. It just won't do if each of your sales has a different contact number for the same business prospect. Today, there are numerous CRM systems in the market that you can deploy in your organizations. Not only a CRM system helps get a consolidated view of your database, you can also track the multiple touch-points that your sales team has had with a particular contact and further streamline your future communications.

How can I use my database?

Activities like email marketing, telemarketing will always be heavily dependent on your database. In addition, a good database can ensure you have the right invitation list ready for your next event. And don't forget to strengthen your relationships by sending out ecards on special occasions. If your sales can manage then do add details like birthdays, anniversaries.

A company I worked with also used such a list to build up a subscription base for its quarterly print and online magazine. The magazine highlighted business problems and opportunities in that specific market. We soon had a very strong target audience who were quite open to giving interviews and point of views for upcoming issues. Such interactions help build the business brand and provides you with invaluable content to leverage.

What Cooking Competitions and Email Marketing have in Common

I love watching Top Chef. I will sit and watch even the reruns - Top Chef, Top Chef - Just Desserts, Masterchef Australia (That's where I draw the line). And every time I watch my current fav-chef creating his/her culinary delights, apart from my tongue salivating, my brain is echoing what I am sure are also the chef’s thoughts, – “Let the judges like it. Let the judges like it...”

Image courtesy digitalart/ Freedigitalphotos.net

Creating that perfect email campaign, in some ways, is exactly like the experience of creating the perfect dish. You start by keeping the challenge in mind - a product promotional campaign or, a thought leadership article; a webcast on the latest trends in your field or a series of mails ending with an invitation to your target audience to attend an event. Then you flip the challenge – have a look at the same from the viewer’s point of view. What is it that would really excite them enough to take a bite, what flavors are they looking for…what would it take for them to click on ‘Read More’? And then, you start the prep-work.

Unfortunately, you could have the perfect recipe which you feel is so right for the audience, the ingredients are fresh, you have all these amazing equipments and tools at your disposal and when you plate the food you can’t help but feel a sense of pride and joy. But if the judges comes along, take a bite and decide it does not suit their palate, preferring to move on to the next competitor, all you can do is store the learnings and tweak your style in the next round, i.e if you don’t get eliminated.

The last part is where the difference between the parallels drawn emerges. With cooking the contestants are dealing with a specified number of judges – professional celebrities whose taste-preferences are well-known or, easily researchable. On the other hand, while planning an email campaign the audience can run into hundreds and even thousands – customization of the messaging to that degree might just be close to impossible. So how does one ensure the maximum clicks and the highest interest quotient?

If you have the recipe down to a pat and the mix is what one would call ‘ideal’ – if the campaign is what you can truly say the result of studying and surveying a decent-sized sample of your key target audience, and you ultimately get above 60% success rate then, I say that you have just served yourself a very good deal.

What do you think? What parallels would you draw?

Marketing Lessons from Street Artists - A New Act To Keep us Entertained!

It’s a constantly evolving act. The street artists on the corner of a popular shopping street have a new act every time I happen to cross. Sometimes its juggling, sometimes one of them  is walking on the tight-rope, sometimes you find them drawing with their feet and other times singing and dancing.  They have it figured. The group of artists is the same but it’s the new act that makes me stop and watch for a few minutes every time. They are successful in attaining their goal of entertaining and engaging, and thus earning.

Are we as marketers any different from these talented artists? Are our end goals not the same? We wish to keep our customers engaged and delighted, thus adding to our companies' bottom line.

Juggling the balls - Keep the act in motion!

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In our case the balls are synonymous to channels. In our day to day life we are constantly juggling email campaigns, print, PR, social media. These channels need to be active, in the air, at all times and, our undivided attention is absolutely essential to ensure that a ball doesn't drop. When we engage the end customers through one/ two channels, the other channels have to be in prime positions to take over so that boredom does not set in. It is a continuous cycle for connecting and interacting.

Drawing with feet - Do things differently!

Let's admit it - we get more cynical and easily bored with each passing day. Beautiful sketches and hand-drawn cartoons are loosing their charm and the street artist needs a new trick. So he adapts and brings us something new. He draws now with his feet and, he is good. It instantly grabs you and you just have to watch. Similarly, our customers have seen it all - with information easily available and greater transparency prevalent they are more likely to demand for a new trick, a new toy, a new product at a faster pace.   Are we able to meet this demand? What is the new way you will sell your offering? If you have traditionally been using events like a one-to-many seminar format, try smaller group breakfast meets or, even an exclusive weekend getaway for 5-6 of your key prospects. The budget involved would not differ much, while the focus would greatly increase.

Image courtesy of bplanet/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Walking the tight-rope - It's a balancing act!

Keeping a program within budget, while attaining the expected goals can be akin to walking a tight-rope. The need is to study the rope in detail - understand where the rope is rough, where there are chances of it getting frayed. Having budget milestones in place before commencing the marketing program can help one keep on track. However, I have found that keeping a portion of the budget as miscellaneous fund comes in handy as generally activities like events tend to overshoot.

Singing and Dancing - Use the good ole crowd pleasers!

There is always something new in the market. Yesterday it was all about going digital, today miss-call marketing is doing rounds and tomorrow there will be another player in the fray. But the advent of new-age marketing techniques does not mean that print, PR, emails have lost their relevance. Events, like seminars and conferences, will always be the biggest lead generators for a B2B company. Television will always grasp end consumers attention for a B2C brand.

What new acts have you or your organization deployed that have been successful in keeping the crowds entertained? It can even be an old trick in new clothes. Do share. 

Check, Check and Re-check - A Content Writer's Biggest Challenge.

It happens to everyone. You can do an activity n number of times but the n^th +1 time you will mess up, just because you forgot the 3 magic words – ‘Check, Check and Re-check’. Learning the hard-way is definitely not the way things are supposed to be done but then, as laws of human psychology go, one has to undergo the silent mortification (humiliation being too strong a word) of being corrected before there is, once again, the determination to self-check any piece of work a million times. Content writers, more often than not, will go through this, unfortunately more often than they should.

This quick one-two-three guide is easy to remember and actionize.

1. Once the work is done, re-read/ re-trace the steps taken and the showcased end-result.
2. Take a break, ideally an hour – Do anything other than that work. It gives your mind the opportunity to refresh its cache memory.
3. If it’s a written piece that needs to be submitted then take a print out. What I am suggesting is definitely not ecologically-apt. So please recycle or re-use the sheets lying around. Reading from a paper, akin to a book, creates a more lasting impression and makes it easier to pin-point mistakes.

If there is no immediate deadline to be met then a post-24 hr re-check should give you a fresh perspective.

Now if only, I could stick to my advice and actionize it 24*7*365. Unfortunately, as laws of human psychology would have it, I might find myself at this exact place, sooner or later.