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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
New Media in Action: "Google Launches Real-Time Search"
Check out this CNN article on Google's new move: real time searching, including relevant results from Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/07/google.real.time.search/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/07/google.real.time.search/index.html
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Word of Mouth Marketing article from Guidestar
Good article on the popular Word of Mouth marketing school. I subscribe to this school, even if it's harder to accomplish (aren't the good things always?). Two good books on the subject are Creating Customer Evangelists and Word of Mouth Marketing. Check them out. Every organization/personal brand already has Word of Mouth working for it. Best to learn some solid techniques and begin to use them effectively! Powerful, natural good will! - M
Word of Mouth Marketing
December 2009 (Guidestar eNewsletter)
Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About
Word of mouth. It is the holy grail of marketing. It's effective and inexpensive. Everyone dreams of achieving it, but few organizations are truly able to make it work. Most likely it's because they are not ready for word of mouth. Before you get started on this journey, look in the mirror and ask yourself a few questions. Answer them honestly; if you don't answer Yes to these questions, you may need to address some internal challenges first.
Question #1. Is there something unique or interesting about your company?
If you do not have anything interesting to say about your products or service, why would you expect others to talk about you? Find what is interesting about you. It could be a revolutionary product or technology, your extraordinary customer service, the culture of your organization, a need in the community you are meeting, your amazing prices. There has to be something, even if it is a just a Joke of the Week at the bottom of your donor newsletter. If not, you need to figure out how you will differentiate yourself, not only for word of mouth but also to survive in this competitive environment.
Question #2. Can you easily articulate your unique value?
I tell everyone that I love my Honda Odyssey. It is the most family-friendly vehicle imaginable. Costco is my favorite place to shop. Not because of their prices, but because their return policy and customer service are second to none. It's easy for me to share why I love these products. I'm not going to tell people about something I can't put my finger on or can't explain.
Question #3. Do you treat your donors, clients, and employees with the highest level of respect?
For word of mouth to work, you have to focus on doing what is best for your donors and clients. Always. That is giving them the best products and the best service to go with them. If your clients don't love you (or at least really, really like you), don't expect them to talk about you. Unless you want the word of mouth we aren't looking for. The same level of respect and focus should be given to your employees. Odds are very good they will be one of the best sources for word of mouth. Value them and make them proud to be a part of your organization.
So you answered Yes to the above? First of all, congratulations—your nonprofit is doing a lot of things right. If not, work on getting to Yes.
Folks Are Talking Behind Your Back—And It's A Good Thing!
By now, you've given people something so interesting and easy to articulate about your organization that people want to talk. It will happen naturally, but there are things you can do to speed up the process.
Find the talkers
Certain individuals love to talk. Many are often well connected. In Malcolm Gladwell's amazing book Tipping Point, he describes them as connectors, mavens, and salesmen. Find these people and give them the white glove treatment. Send them product samples. Invite them to events. Thank them for their support. Surprise and delight them. Trust me. They will talk.
You will most likely know who these people are, but if you need help, here are some tricks. Are you part of a social network, such as Facebook or LinkedIn? Talkers are the folks that have twice as many "friends" or "contacts" as you. Their wallet is stuffed with business cards, and they are always handing out theirs. You have now found the talkers.
Make it easy for people to talk
On your Web site, place a "Refer a Friend" link and a newsletter sign-up prominently on all pages. These are two of the easiest ways to let the talkers do their work. Send out an e-newsletter to your clients and supporters (but only if they have opted in). In the newsletter, invite them to forward it to friends and colleagues who may be interested. Better yet, include a nice story or joke that will make readers want to forward the newsletter.
When you mail anything to your customers, include multiple business cards or brochures. I've even gone so far as to include two offers in a single direct marketing piece. The additional offer typically ends up in the hands of a friend or family member. Finally, include your Web address in the signature of your e-mail. Do you know how often your e-mails get forwarded and to whom? Well, now they know about your organization and how to find you!
Join in the conversation
Don't sit on the sideline and be passive in letting word of mouth to happen. Engage in it. People are probably already talking about you online. It's easy to find out. Just set up a Google Alert or check Technorati for the latest blog posts. If people are saying nice things, thank them. Thanking them reinforces for everyone the great things they heard. If someone is less than flattering, fix the problem publicly and show the world you are proactive in addressing customer issues. Don't be afraid to blog or use social networks as well. Keep conversations open and involved. But remember, you are an organization that treats clients and supporters with respect. So when engaging in online conversation, always be open about who you are and whom you represent. The Web community is very savvy. If you are spoofing people, they will find out, and the results won't be pretty.
You now have a great foundation to engage in word of mouth marketing. It's time to put together a plan, make it easy for the conversations to take place, and get them started!
Additional Resources
* www.heinzmarketing.com
* www.guykawasaki.com
* www.gaspedal.com
* Word of Mouth Marketing, by Andy Sernowitz (aka the Bible of word of mouth)
* How useful did you find this article? Give us your feedback >
Scott Neilson, FundBunch
© 2009, FundBunch
Scott Neilson is the CEO/founder of FundBunch, which provides tools and services to allow individuals and organizations to be more effective in their online fundraising efforts.
Word of Mouth Marketing
December 2009 (Guidestar eNewsletter)
Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About
Word of mouth. It is the holy grail of marketing. It's effective and inexpensive. Everyone dreams of achieving it, but few organizations are truly able to make it work. Most likely it's because they are not ready for word of mouth. Before you get started on this journey, look in the mirror and ask yourself a few questions. Answer them honestly; if you don't answer Yes to these questions, you may need to address some internal challenges first.
Question #1. Is there something unique or interesting about your company?
If you do not have anything interesting to say about your products or service, why would you expect others to talk about you? Find what is interesting about you. It could be a revolutionary product or technology, your extraordinary customer service, the culture of your organization, a need in the community you are meeting, your amazing prices. There has to be something, even if it is a just a Joke of the Week at the bottom of your donor newsletter. If not, you need to figure out how you will differentiate yourself, not only for word of mouth but also to survive in this competitive environment.
Question #2. Can you easily articulate your unique value?
I tell everyone that I love my Honda Odyssey. It is the most family-friendly vehicle imaginable. Costco is my favorite place to shop. Not because of their prices, but because their return policy and customer service are second to none. It's easy for me to share why I love these products. I'm not going to tell people about something I can't put my finger on or can't explain.
Question #3. Do you treat your donors, clients, and employees with the highest level of respect?
For word of mouth to work, you have to focus on doing what is best for your donors and clients. Always. That is giving them the best products and the best service to go with them. If your clients don't love you (or at least really, really like you), don't expect them to talk about you. Unless you want the word of mouth we aren't looking for. The same level of respect and focus should be given to your employees. Odds are very good they will be one of the best sources for word of mouth. Value them and make them proud to be a part of your organization.
So you answered Yes to the above? First of all, congratulations—your nonprofit is doing a lot of things right. If not, work on getting to Yes.
Folks Are Talking Behind Your Back—And It's A Good Thing!
By now, you've given people something so interesting and easy to articulate about your organization that people want to talk. It will happen naturally, but there are things you can do to speed up the process.
Find the talkers
Certain individuals love to talk. Many are often well connected. In Malcolm Gladwell's amazing book Tipping Point, he describes them as connectors, mavens, and salesmen. Find these people and give them the white glove treatment. Send them product samples. Invite them to events. Thank them for their support. Surprise and delight them. Trust me. They will talk.
You will most likely know who these people are, but if you need help, here are some tricks. Are you part of a social network, such as Facebook or LinkedIn? Talkers are the folks that have twice as many "friends" or "contacts" as you. Their wallet is stuffed with business cards, and they are always handing out theirs. You have now found the talkers.
Make it easy for people to talk
On your Web site, place a "Refer a Friend" link and a newsletter sign-up prominently on all pages. These are two of the easiest ways to let the talkers do their work. Send out an e-newsletter to your clients and supporters (but only if they have opted in). In the newsletter, invite them to forward it to friends and colleagues who may be interested. Better yet, include a nice story or joke that will make readers want to forward the newsletter.
When you mail anything to your customers, include multiple business cards or brochures. I've even gone so far as to include two offers in a single direct marketing piece. The additional offer typically ends up in the hands of a friend or family member. Finally, include your Web address in the signature of your e-mail. Do you know how often your e-mails get forwarded and to whom? Well, now they know about your organization and how to find you!
Join in the conversation
Don't sit on the sideline and be passive in letting word of mouth to happen. Engage in it. People are probably already talking about you online. It's easy to find out. Just set up a Google Alert or check Technorati for the latest blog posts. If people are saying nice things, thank them. Thanking them reinforces for everyone the great things they heard. If someone is less than flattering, fix the problem publicly and show the world you are proactive in addressing customer issues. Don't be afraid to blog or use social networks as well. Keep conversations open and involved. But remember, you are an organization that treats clients and supporters with respect. So when engaging in online conversation, always be open about who you are and whom you represent. The Web community is very savvy. If you are spoofing people, they will find out, and the results won't be pretty.
You now have a great foundation to engage in word of mouth marketing. It's time to put together a plan, make it easy for the conversations to take place, and get them started!
Additional Resources
* www.heinzmarketing.com
* www.guykawasaki.com
* www.gaspedal.com
* Word of Mouth Marketing, by Andy Sernowitz (aka the Bible of word of mouth)
* How useful did you find this article? Give us your feedback >
Scott Neilson, FundBunch
© 2009, FundBunch
Scott Neilson is the CEO/founder of FundBunch, which provides tools and services to allow individuals and organizations to be more effective in their online fundraising efforts.
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