SPREAD THE WORD Creating Demand for Your Solution
Steps to success—overview
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Budget? What budget? Don’t panic
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Goal! Defining success
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Marketing methods and vehicles Online, word of mouth, traditional
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Create your plan Advice, tools, and sample plans
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Measuring success Knowing when you score!
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Do’s and don’ts
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Common pitfalls in marketing
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Resources
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You made it. It ’s really great. Now the customers will roll in .
You made it. It ’s really great. But unless you get the word out, nobody may ever know about it.
So how do you get customers to
Quality doesn’t guarantee popularity, but it’s an important first step. With the quality part handled, it’s time to tell the world how great your solution is—and why they can’t live without it! To help you spread the word, we’ve assembled this step-by-step guide with resources and professionally designed, customizable templates to save you TIME and MONEY and help ensure potential customers not only know about your solution, but can’t wait to start using it!
Do your
Reaching your target audience doesn’t happen by accident (unless you’re an injury lawyer). Effective marketing means delivering: the right message right vehicle
to the right people at the right time
in the and location
And that requires a plan based on a smart marketing strategy. Creating a Smart Strategy starts with identifying the perfect customer, checking out your competition, and then creating a short, concise description of the value of your solution and why it’s better than the competition.
Check out Book 1: Convincing Customers Your Solution Is Best for help crafting your message.
CONVINCING CUSTOMERS
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Success rarely arrives without a well-thought-out plan . Here are some quick steps to get you started: DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET For most companies, the sky is not the limit. You need to know what you have to spend before determining the wisest way to spend it. Ultimate goal: biggest bang for your buck. SET SOME GOALS What are you hoping to achieve with your marketing? Look at those communication stages, figure out where your audiences are, and set a goal for each relevant stage. EXPLORE YOUR METHODS Emails, YouTube, print advertising? Look over the menu.
MAKE A PLAN AND GET STARTED One year is a good timeline. You can always make adjustments later, but you don’t want to be marketing on the fly. MEASURE RESULTS Remember those goals? Here’s where you check out your report card.
Marketing is a business expense . Just like servers, or salaries, or ink for the printer. It is not simply what ’s left over once your other expenses are paid . Having the right amount of budget is less important than spending it on the right things, so always start with a marketing strategy. What are your goals (number of sales, downloads, demos, presentations)? Who are you marketing to? Who is your perfect potential customer? What is the most cost-effective ways to reach them? The simplest method is based on a percentage of sales, and most experts recommend somewhere between 2 and 8 percent. A good rule of thumb is to allocate about 5 percent of sales for your marketing budget. But what if you’re a startup, with no sales? It’s totally understandable that you don’t have a lot of cash for marketing. Lucky for you, online marketing can give you a huge reach for minimal investment.
Regardless of the size of your marketing budget, don’t forget to include all of the FREE advertising tactics in your plan, including:
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Create social networking fan pages.
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Post in online communities and forums.
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Create viral content and get others to share it.
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Run a contest and reward readers for spreading the word.
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W rite a blog or comment on other people’s blogs and link back to your site.
I nclude keywords in headlines and the first few sentences of your site to help search engines find you.
There are lots of online channels that can reach thousands in seconds—but remember: your creativity and your messages will really need to stand out to cut through the clutter and noise in the online world.
Before you create a plan, it ’s important to know what you are trying to achieve . Start by determining which communication stage your audience is in. Then decide what you need to achieve to move your business forward. Here are some sample goals for your overall marketing efforts, just to get you thinking. Each initiative should have its own goal, too—the more measurable the better.
Increase unaided name recall by 6% as determined by follow-up survey in one year.
SHOW UP EVERYWHERE: Gain high visibility, high saturation in target publications, online sites, social media, events, and WOM mentions.
Are they aware of your product and what your product can deliver?
Gain recognition from at least one industry organization.
Submit solutions for certification; enter contests and/or work with industry experts to get their endorsements.
Do you have credibility? Do they trust you to deliver quality?
Increase website traffic by 20%.
Create an offer, incentive, or contest to drive traffic and engagement.
Are you offering something of interest, and are the benefits of your solution clear and differentiating?
Increase market share by 2% in 12 months.
Use banner ads and social media campaigns to promote contests and offers.
Do they prefer you best because you provided demos, case studies, and facts that reinforce why your solution is best?
Increase downloads/ sales/users by 12%.
Promote free trial in newsletters, banner ads, social media campaigns, and at trade shows.
Did they choose your product over the competition because they recognize it’s the best solution for their needs?
Retain 70% of users at each upgrade/update.
Build a “solutions champion” referral program to reward customers. Spotlight customer success stories, capture testimonials, create a video spotlighting user testimonials.
Are they loyal? Do they keep coming back, do they tell friends, and spread the word about your solution?
(based on testimonials, awards, certifications)
For startups, goal-setting can be tough. You need basic awareness BIG TIME, so focus your energies there. Measure the results/analytics of everything you do and repeat the things that are giving you the biggest visibility. As people become AWARE of you and your solution, make sure they know why you are the best. The best way to do that is testimonials, case studies, and industry leader endorsement.
Many of your prospects are online, so make sure you take full advantage of online media in your plan. Digital media includes some of the most cost-effective vehicles available.
Make it easy to find, try, and download/buy your solution. The more online markets you can be in, the more seamless transactions will be. If you can distribute it directly from your website, too, that’s awesome. If not, link to places FROM YOUR HOME PAGE that customers can get it. Submit your website name to as many website directories as you can. Search the Internet to find places to advertise. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—spread the word EVERYWHERE!
Note how each store is set up. Many will only show the first few lines of descriptive copy until the customer clicks, so be sure to make those few lines extremely relevant and enticing. Tag relevant search terms, describe the benefit in real, tangible ways, and your results will be tremendous.
ACTION:
Use the website template to create a landing page for your solution.
LOOK AND FEEL: A polished, effective website is simply a cost of entry. It is your billboard, brochure, business card, and more. You have a great offering—don’t let your site design or tone drive away customers.
SEO: To make sure search engines (and potential customers) find your site, good content is a must. No more keyword-stuffed nonsense “written for the search engine” (those engines are getting very good at spotting that). But they’ll reward you when visitors return to read your quality content.
CONTENT: Include case studies, how-to’s, testimonials, and instructional content to engage your audience. Make your website easy to use, and clearly convey your value prop (answering “what’s in it for me?”). Don’t say everything, but say enough to make them trust you and take the next step (for example, call, sign up, subscribe).
Consider pay-per-click (PPC) ads. With PPC you pay only when someone actually clicks on your ad, making it easier to set and stick to a daily or weekly ad budget.
Always include a call to action (CTA). Like any good TV infomercial, you want to wrap up with a hearty “call us, request a brochure, take advantage of our offer or promos, or try, buy, and download now!”
You’re going for the click. And you need to get viewers’ attention QUICKLY. Buttons, banners, and visual web ads enable you to reach thousands of eyeballs in minutes when hosted in the right places. Place your ads on sites your customers are likely to frequent, like industry websites, forum pages, or interest sites that align with your audience’s interests. TRACK THE TRAIL Most of the sites that you advertise on can provide you with huge amounts of detailed tracking stats so you can quickly see what’s getting clicked, at what time of day, and on which websites. Find what works for you. Then go do more of it!
ACTION:
Download and customize the web banner templates.
Your audience wants to hear what you have to say, and email is a low-cost way to stay top-of-mind and further solidify relationships. PUTTING YOUR LIST INTO ACTION n
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Email is an excellent way to move a prospect along through the sales process, nurturing the relationship until you make them an offer they can’t refuse.
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CONTACT INFORMATION from every person you communicate with, every email you get, every business card you collect. Treat everyone as a prospect. Even if they don’t need your solution, they may know someone who does. Reward referrals—it’s a quick way to expand your list and get warm leads.
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IT INTERESTING—offer updates on product features, relevant industry news, or meaningful tips for success. Tailor content to different audiences (IT admins versus sales managers versus CXOs).
uild credibility and loyalty with an email newsletter B (also available in paper!). Don’t pester, always give them a way to unsubscribe. Remember to track everything so you know what’s working.
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AWAY SOMETHING (like a white paper or short how-to guide) to encourage people to join your list. Run a contest that requires registering with an email.
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YOUR SUBJECT LINE MATTER— it can make or break an email campaign. Keep it short, attention-getting, but relevant, and track those open rates. Avoid clichés or words like FREE or WIN that might be caught by spam filters.
Don’t have an email list? Start building one .
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WHERE DO I START? n
Try to capture contact information for every current and potential customer.
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If you are a startup without any list of your own, you may have to purchase a list from another company or list broker. Consider comarketing with a partner that has a list and offers a product that works with or complements yours.
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Consider attending a relevant industry event or joining an organization where you get access to their lists.
A COMPELLING MESSAGE and a graphic to your standard email signature. It helps every communication raise awareness and reinforce your value message.
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OPPORTUNITIES to capture readers’ contact information—use opt-in boxes, simple subscription forms, regular blog posts, and incentives.
When it comes to social media, silence is no longer an option. People use social channels to connect with companies and learn about new products. And they’re doing it on a far more personal level. If you’re not part of the conversation, you’re missing out. Social media provides the kind of raw feedback you might only otherwise hear on a customer service line, positive and negative. You can learn from that. Each time someone reaches out to your company via social is an opportunity to respond in a way that builds credibility and authenticity. Social is about community—and all of these communities notice how you deal with the inevitable less-than-good moments. Be kind. Fix mistakes. It pays off.
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Most appropriate for B2C. Keep updates relevant, link readers to articles or your site. Engage viewers with content. Get a URL that’s easy to find. Use data to learn best time of day/week to post. Target customers with Facebook’s self-serve ad platform. Great digital version of word-of-mouth advertising. Expands your reach to customers and potential customers. Informal search tool: Ask for opinions and listen to what they say. n online event that’s a quick, effective, and low-cost way A to demo a sophisticated solution. Creates excitement about a new product. Speaks directly to prospects about the value of your solution. Free way to engage audiences re: demos, highlights, success stories. E xpress your brand personality—have fun, engage, start some buzz. T rack views and shares, and include unique CTAs. elps create a presence on other Internet locales where H your audience lives. Listen to the good AND bad comments/reviews to get a pulse on the feeling about your offering as well as on the industry in general.
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U se Facebook’s free plug-ins to increase traffic and time spent on page.
K eep your tweets timely and relevant. n
B e extremely creative and interactive! n
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P ost a positive review from an objective third party.
R etweet endorsements from a trusted advisor, experts, or celebrities.
P romote webcasts through online channels, partners, customers, vendors—and sweeten the invite with rewards for attending. n
n P ost a recording of your webcast so those who couldn’t make it to the webcast can still take advantage of your content. R espond to select comments if you have the bandwidth/staff to do so. n
can occur anywhere , online or off The best advertising is free. If you’ve got a great solution and happy customers, they’ll tell everyone they know about their experience. In fact 54 percent of buying decisions are based on WOM.* Run a tell-afriend promo and watch them light up the social media world. And don’t forget influencers, bloggers, and celebrities. Get on their good side and a simple word from them can do more than the best ad! REMEMBER: It’s not about your product or solution, it’s about the people. No particular word-of-mouth method works best in every circumstance. One method may work spectacularly for one type of product and a particular circumstance, while another may bomb. The key is to experiment and find the best way to market your solution. *WOMMA
Thinking While traditional and digital tactics set a solid foundation for success, many low-cost, non-traditional tactics can have enormous ROI potential. In this game, creativity can really pay off. From sidewalk chalk art, flash mobs, crazy hat parades, or butterflies on roller skates (MSN8 in 2002)—how far you take it is up to you. Remember the six ways to create buzz: be unusual, hilarious, outrageous, remarkable, secret, or taboo. The best buzz can reach thousands of people in minutes. But as easy as it sounds, to do it right takes work, planning, and flawless execution. Start with your audience—where they live, work, play—and then think about how to get their attention in an unexpected way.
Word of mouth is a sword that cuts both ways. If your solution isn’t up to snuff, people will talk about it.
Media Advertising ABOVE-THE-LINE This traditionally refers to newspapers, magazines, TV, or radio. And while these media might deliver major awareness and, sometimes, instant credibility, the catch is that it’s VERY pricey. Although you can create some pieces on your own (for example, making a small print ad isn’t too challenging or time-intensive), you would most likely need an ad agency or creative services agency to produce the bigger stuff. However, there are creative ways to stretch a limited budget and still use these media. If you indeed engage an agency, you’ll save yourself some time and money by defining your audience and having clearly stated goals, value props, and messaging ready for them.
Choose publications you know your audience reads. Consider trade pubs, industry magazines, and event programs where your audience lives. Keep your message focused—if you try to say too much, you end up saying nothing. And remember to include a phone number, URL, or email—some way to take the next step.
Give each ad a unique URL, email address, or phone number. That way you can know exactly which ad got the best response.
Comarketing with partners can help you save money, and make print advertising more cost effective.
ACTION:
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Download the event guide for some quick tips on hosting the perfect event.
C onferences, tradeshows, workshops—Attending events where prospective customers are likely to be present offers you the opportunity to network and engage with prospects. Additionally, most industry events offer the opportunity to set up a table or booth where you can show a demo, hand out those collateral pieces we mentioned, and even have a drawing. our own event—Get personal. Hosting a customized launch party, informative event, or Y workshop about a topic that showcases your product or service will enable you to get up close and personal with prospective customers. Consider inviting some of your customers so they can share their perspective on the value of your solution and encourage them to bring a friend or colleague who might benefit from your solution.
Just getting started and can’t afford a full-scale booth? Posters or pullup banners are low-cost and can bring high visibility to your name, brand, and the benefits of your solution. Keep them simple but eye-catching to pull prospective customers in so you can talk with them face-to-face.
ACTION:
Download the one-pager template to create an efficient marketing vehicle for print or online.
COLLATERAL Print materials, or “collateral,” come in all sizes and formats and are a must-have for live, face-to-face events and conferences, and a key resource for your sales team and channel. They should offer solution highlights, demonstrate clear customer value, and differentiate you from your competition—they are a valuable reminders that spur action after your customer leaves the event or meeting. n
O ne-pager—This is a concise snapshot of your solution, leading with your value prop, solution features/benefits, and a clear CTA (call to action). What do you want the customer to do? It works great for print or online distribution.
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Pocket card—Smaller and less detailed than a one-pager—pocket size, in fact— this secret weapon gives the top reasons customers want your product. Makes a great sales tool, leave-behind, or handout at tradeshows. Remember to include a CTA!
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B rochure—A bit more detailed than your one pager, your brochure should include an overview of your product/service and your company, emphasizing customer value and why your solution is better than the competition’s. Be concise, professional, and value packed.
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A press release is all about being timely and newsworthy—it’s NOT about talking just to talk. Product launches, acquisitions, major sales events, customer success stories are all newsworthy to you, but may not translate into a front-page story. However, an award you won or a download milestone—items that are interesting but don’t come across as too self-serving— deserve a press release. lways cite sources and studies when possible to add validity. Be sure to follow A industry-standard format. To increase your chances that the story will be picked up, target publications that cover your industry or your customers’ interests. AND, put it in the News section of your website. That’s free, too!
Create a list of journalists who cover your industry, and then build relationships with them by becoming a reliable source for industry-relevant information. Plan out a full year of newsworthy topics, referencing important activities (product launches, events, industry conferences, educational webcasts) or relevant industry trends and lead with the value of each activity for customers. Use this as a roadmap for nurturing your relationship with both customers and media channels (who are always looking for good content). And remember to post your content in your social media channels at the same time!
ACTION:
Download and use the press release template to get the word out. Repeat often!
Okay, it ’s time to create your master plan . This is where you combine everything you learned about your market, your current and potential customers, and all the totally awesome things people think about your own solution into a precise guide for reaching new prospects and motivating them to pick your solution . Been out there before with a prior campaign? Start with what worked best. Launching your first ever solution on a limited budget? Start with the low-cost options. Have an existing customer base? Ask them to refer you to everyone they know who might benefit from your solution. Regardless of how much experience you have, you need to start with a plan and there are lots of things to consider as you develop your plan. Find out what works and do more of it.
ACTION:
Download, use the MarCom Plan Guide to create your one-year MarCom plan.
Multitouch marketing is always more effective than one-offs. It takes a minimum of three touches to get noticed.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Check out the MarCom Plan template. Choose your communication stage (or stages) where your target audience is at this point, pick your vehicles, and start planning according to your budget. Look ahead for the whole year. While your MarCom plan isn’t cast in concrete, you need to look far enough ahead that you can effectively plan and coordinate your efforts to ensure:
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Each vehicle builds on the previous one.
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Activities are sequential and not one-offs.
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You are ready for tradeshow events.
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Your activities reflect current industry dynamics.
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ou take advantage of seasonal impact on Y audience engagement and interest.
Refine and adjust as you go. Find out what works and do more of it.
Make sure every communication answers the customer’s number one question: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) Why should they get your solution?
Sample plans to help you NO BUDGET? NO PROBLEM. The Internet rewards the industrious with tools that anybody can use if they’re willing to learn how. So in this plan, we focus heavily on free tools like SEO and social media. Then add other vehicles as budget allows.
SAMPLE PLAN B2C ONLINE GAME
GOAL: Increase downloads with limited budget. Here’s one approach.
What will you do?
Whom will you reach?
What vehicles will you use?
What will you tell them?
How often will you touch them?
What does success look like?
How will you measure success?
How much $ do you have to execute your plan?
Website SEO
Everyone.
Website.
Keywords: gaming, sci-fi, space, interactive play, multiplayer.
Update weekly based on ongoing analytics.
Increase site traffic by 20%, increase downloads by 10%.
Weekly site visit stats and download stats. Page views/clicks.
Free analytics tools, in-house optimization.
Digital Campaign
Teens, sci-fi fans, mobile app users.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads, keywords, email.
Value prop: “The most realistic multiplayer space game available.”
Drive site traffic and downloads.
PPC performance statistics, page views per dollar spent
Pay per click.
Social Media Campaign
Our Facebook friends, our Twitter followers, sci-fi bloggers.
Facebook, Twitter, blogs.
“Invite your friends to the most realistic multiplayer space game available.”
Expand SM presence and followers.
Increase likes by 20%, increase followers by 20%.
Online Contest
Public, teens, sci-fi fans, mobile app users.
Facebook, email, website.
“Refer a friend and be entered to win.”
Raise awareness; build mailing list.
2% referral rate.
Start with two weeks and gauge response.
Cost of prize fulfillment.
Effective launch campaigns often start with a teaser to pique interest and gather leads early. Then when you launch, you already have some buzz going. With an online product, a focus on web-based marketing makes sense. But don’t forget the press and trade publications—they publish online too.
SAMPLE PLAN START-UP B2B ONLINE APP
GOAL: Develop interest and awareness to maximize launch effectiveness.
What will you do?
Whom will you reach?
What vehicles will you use?
What will you tell them?
How often will you touch them?
What does success look like?
How will you measure success?
PreLaunch Teaser
Small business owners, CEOs, operations managers.
Press release, teaser home page, social media.
“More efficient timemanagement is coming.”
One month leading up to official launch.
Drive prepurchase, build list of leads.
Click-throughs, web search stats, info requests (other channels)
Website SEO
Small and midsize businesses.
Website.
Keywords: cloudcalendar, SMB productivity, scheduling, project management.
Update weekly based on ongoing analytics.
Rise in search engine ranking, drop in visitor bounce rate
Weekly site visit stats and subscriptions. Page views/ clicks.
Official Launch
Press, small business owners, CEOs, operations managers.
Press release, one-pager, website, print ads, video demos, launch event.
“More efficient timemanagement is here.”
100k site visits, 1k subscriptions, lead acquisition.
Weekly site visit stats and subscriptions. Page views/ clicks.
Build Awareness
Small business owners, CEOs, operations managers.
Social media, print ads, blogs, conferences.
“Get more efficiency for your business.”
Increase awareness, increase site traffic, increase subscriptions.
Social media mentions, web analytics, subscription trends.
Need more help? Check out the Objective Setting Planning document available here.
How much $ do you have to execute your plan?
Free and paid analytics tools, in-house optimization.
Free online analytics and in-house measurement.
Remember those goals you set earlier? Now is the time to look at the performance of each vehicle to determine what vehicle and messaging works best with your audience . The great thing about marketing is that when you see what IS or ISN’T working, you can change your messaging and update your plan on the fly. ONLINE, EVERYTHING IS MEASURABLE Clicks, opens, downloads, responses, movement across pages. Amazing amounts of data can be tracked in practically real time. To gain the greatest insight, take advantage of the many web analytics tools available, including those available through Bing Ads. The secret is to put your tracking devices in place BEFORE you launch your campaign. Here’s a quick overview of what types of data can be at your fingertips.
Website
How many people visited your site today, this week, this month? Which pages did they view and how long did they stay on each page?
There are tons of easy-to-use web analytics tools/services available.
Where are those people and what browser did they use? How many people followed through and completed a certain action ( joined mailing list, downloaded your solution)?
Online Ads
How many people clicked on any specific online ad? What site did they come from? What city/region are they in?
Print/ TV/Radio
How many people took action due to an ad they saw?
There is an array of tools to measure these stats, too. You can test one CTA versus another to see what pulls best. Use dedicated phone numbers (versioned across ads) to track calls. Use unique URLs, and possibly create dedicated landing pages on your site.
It’s a good idea to start simple. Regarding your online initiatives, just see which ads are clicked most and which pages on your site get the most views. Then expand to learn where on the web your customers come from, and where they go next. Information is power—and you’ll have power to spare.
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D O use vehicles that effectively reach your target audience. D O use consistent language—reference your value prop and clearly state the customer benefit.
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D O build a plan to keep focused and control costs.
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D O monitor results and focus on the things that are working.
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D O use social media to listen to what people are saying.
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D O use customers and case studies. People are more likely to listen when it’s coming from a “real person.” Word of mouth is the most valuable marketing out here and it’s FREE!
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D ON’T try to do everything.
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D ON’T create an online presence and then ignore it.
common pitfalls It’s not about you: You’re rightfully proud of your solution, but avoid the trap of talking about it. Instead, focus on how it helps your customers. Talk about benefits instead of features. Talk about intuitive use instead of your UI. Consider what customers want to hear, not just what you want them to know. Missed opportunities: There’s a lot of information floating around the Internet. And a lot of people willing to trade their email address for access to something valuable like a white paper or a tutorial. Don’t just let all that info float by. Build a database of information that you can use to build a mailing list and relationships with your customers and the media. Going quiet: If you’re going to use social media, be consistent. Blogs don’t have to be updated daily, but weekly is good. Don’t go quiet and expect your past contributions to rake in attention.
Lost purpose: Every communication must have a goal, otherwise you’re just making noise. Don’t just throw content together for the sake of “having a presence.” Use your messaging and have a plan. And never forget your customer.
Define your goals, build a plan, and go for it. Be smart. Be creative. Be innovative. Don’t do just one thing: multitouch is always more effective. Don’t forget to measure results—find out what works and do more of it!
Use these tools and templates to help you create demand for your solution . Customize them with your brand colors, your logo, your contact information . Incorporate your value prop and a clear call to action in every vehicle . n
M arCom plan guide and template
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One-pager template
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W ebsite template
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W eb display ad templates
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P ress release template
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H ost-an-event guide
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E mail/newsletter template