Last
updated August 23, 2005
Podcasting
101
Opportunity
is knocking at the doors of many shrewd marketing strategists.
It is estimated that over 22 million American adults have
purchased their own portable MP3 players. The numbers go
up daily as the demand for MP3 players steadily rise with
American tweens, teens and young adults. MP3 players are
one of the most current and popular forms of electronic
audio/visual communication tools.
Many
MP3 players provide a notable amount of space (sometimes
more than 40-gigabites) for downloadable music, photos,
and video with plenty left available for marketing opportunities.
Versatility is also a benefit. Many consumers shuttle their
MP3 player between home, their car, and work. Podcasting
is an avenue of distributing electronic sound and/or video
files from the Internet to those who own an MP3 player.
MP3 users can “subscribe” and download audio,
picture, and video files directly to their portable players.
Who
may utilize podcasting to generate more sales? Most organizations
and businesses can find an outlet or medium that targets
your ideal customer. While most current podcasts come from
news outlets it is vastly becoming the trendiest avenue
to get consumers “dialed in” to your product
or services. Gadget maker PALM has a consistent podcast
available titled “This Week in Palm,” The Weather
Channel offers free daily podcasts that give you up to
the minute weather and travel information to any destination
across the globe, and a group called The Vegan Cooking
School even offers up tips on recipes for vegetarians.
The majority of these daily downloadable tips are free.
The ideas are limitless.
Creating
a podcast can be as simple as recording your CEO while
speaking about your latest product or service. Marketing
the podcast, however, is where you will make a name for
yourself. As they become more and more mainstream, they
will increasingly allow businesses to provide information
directly to a company’s target market. Of course,
podcasting alone will not produce results; it is the integration
of all marketing strategies that will produce the greatest
results. Podcasting is an avenue for sharing information.
Are you ready to explore the opportunities of podcasting?
You
Don’t Want to Lose Out, Do You?
This
summer’s popular movie, “Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory” offers not only a craving for
chocolate, but a lesson in marketing. Five golden tickets
were placed in randomly chosen chocolate bars; this created
a marketing frenzy for the chocolate bars. Sales boomed
as children (and parents) tried to increase their odds
to find one of the special five chocolate bars with a golden
ticket. The elusive golden tickets were limited in number
and also offered an opportunity of a lifetime…to
tour the mysterious Willy Wonka candy factory and to win
a year’s supply of candy and a special gift for one
of the golden ticket holders.
This
tactic is called “scarcity marketing.” Scarcity,
as you can imagine, is when a limited amount of an item
(or service) is available. After the supply is gone, the
item (or experience) will not be available; scarcity implies “urgency”.
Scarcity
in the marketplace can be identified with some of the
following messages:
“Limit
one per person” - Each customer can purchase only
a limited number of an item.
There's
a limited supply of an item available. Many times this
type of marketing promotion is advertised by saying “while
supplies last.” Or, it can include an item that
is limited in availability by some set factor (a “final
tour” concert, openings at a university).
A
popular product that sells out because production did
not anticipate consumer demand (the launch of the newest
video game or the “Cabbage Patch” doll, for
example).
“Limited
time offer – An item only available at a special
price for a limited time.
A
special commemorative product produced for only one special
occasion.
A
limited special gift with purchase.
“Free
gift available for the first 150 orders” – A
limited number of a free item is given away to customers
(such as a limited number of gifts to attract shoppers
to the store’s early bird sale).
A
limited opportunity to sign up or win a prize or trip
with the purchase of an item.
This
marketing tactic is abundantly utilized the day after Thanksgiving – typically
the busiest shopping day of the year. You'll see “door
crashing” sales, “while quantity lasts” sales,
and limited quantities available at a special price. If
properly marketed, scarcity can create a surge of action
such as lines at stores, calls from clients and Internet
sites overloaded with people wanting to buy before the “first
come first served” sale ends.
Scarcity
marketing is the driving force for antiques, collectibles,
and memorabilia, simply because these items are scarce.
Scarcity
can not only create a surge in sales, but it also allows
retailers to charge a higher fee than those who don't use
this tactic.
Think
about how you can build scarcity into your marketing and
PR…before the opportunity runs out!
Letter
Perfect Sales
There
are a variety of sales strategies to utilize in the marketplace
today. From Internet marketing, to advertising, to public
relations and so on, creating a mix of strategies that
works is key. With the advent of “no call lists” and
increasing legal changes in telemarketing, as well as problematic
Internet “spamming,” marketers are always watching
for new opportunities to grab the attention of potential
clients.
Marketers
need to be creative and precise with the execution of every
program. It may not come as a surprise to learn that an
effectively written sales letter can do wonders in gaining
and retaining business clients.
Direct
mail (sales letters), are a basic instrument in every marketer’s
tool kit. Knowing how to put together a sales letter that
gets attention, gets opened and then gets read is important.
Therefore, the writing must be strong, and the prospective
mailing list must be compatible with the letter to find
success.
The
following are a few of many tips in effective sales letter
writing:
Grab
the attention of your readers with a creative or well
thought out introductory sentence. The headline or first
sentence is the most important part of the letter.
Answer
the WIFM (What’s in It For Me?) question
for your readers. Do not the use the word “I” in
the letter but consider the word "you".
From
the beginning of the letter, and in every paragraph,
tell your reader the benefit(s) of taking action. Clearly
state the advantages and plusses of buying your service
or product.
Keep
readers interested in the letter; balance professionalism
and friendliness.
Offer
specific guarantees. In fact, the more specific, the
better.
Utilize
a limited offer to “try out” a new product
or service.
Provide
facts and statistics to give your information credibility.
Keep
the letter brief and easy to read. Use short, simple
words.
Use
a “p.s.” area to emphasize information you
want readers to be sure to see.
Use
quality paper.
To
gain attention, include a promotional item or gift in
the letter.
Write
paragraphs with a variety of sentence lengths.
Express
your understanding of your reader’s business challenges;
offer a solution or an example of how your product or
services can be helpful.
Write
clearly and make sure the letter is straightforward and
uncluttered so your readers can read all of it.
The
Best Marketing Ever
Reaching
your target markets and ultimate customers isn’t
as easy as it used to be. Marketing departments all over
the country have been scratching their heads to find out
better ways to capture attention with a highly targeted
marketing approach. Businesses have spent mountains of
money on research to capture the right method and to develop
strong, solid relationships with customers.
Sometimes
the best way to reach new customers is by doing something
extra for your current customers. Not only are they happy,
but they spread the word to others. The sincerest form
of flattery is for a customer to give a testimonial for
you! This is also the most cost-effective way of reaching
new customers. Think of another way you can help your customers
and make them feel special!
Hilton
Garden Inn is rescuing guests who leave their cell phone
chargers at home or who have little battery power remaining
on their phones. They have PowerMobile universal cell phone
battery chargers in every pantry in their rooms across
the country for guests to use. The offering came as a result
of Hilton Garden Inn's first “Ask the Traveler” survey,
in which 31% of respondents said cell phone chargers are
the most forgotten item when traveling.
So
take a hard look at what you can do to help your customers:
What will make them pick your company over and over again?
What will make them want to spread the word about your
services or product offering? Can you do something more?
Think
of the last company that made you feel special. Did someone
smile and provide coffee when you arrived at your shopping
destination? Did someone ask if they could help you in
a nice way? Every little gesture of kindness, every smile,
every time someone asks about your day or hands you a glass
of water – before you even ask for it – these
all make your business exclusive!
By
providing the absolute best service, giving more than others
they encounter and by thinking ahead of customer’s
needs, you’ll save marketing dollars and have the
best marketing of all: word-of-mouth.
