Kikabink News

Andrew Warner recently commented on my article, 3 Tips For Viral Marketing Success. It turns out that Andrew recently interviewed viral marketing ‘guru’, Hiten Shah, partner at ACS SEO and a guy who has helped grow online traffic for major tech players such as TechCrunch, Guy Kawasaki, HP and Samsung.

During the interview, Shah revealed a number of powerful techniques he recommends for optimizing viral marketing campaigns. Here are six (6) such techniques - techniques you may wish to consider using in one or more of YOUR viral marketing initiatives:

1. Use a ‘beat me’ or competitive approach. Websites that allow users to challenge each other are inherently viral. For example, eduFire.com went viral by allowing its users to play language games and then challenge friends to score higher.
2. Require people to refer others to the viral application or content in order to benefit. Put it this way, no-one can use Skype… unless others also use Skype. And the same goes for numerous other applications and services, ranging from email to PayPal.
3. Let people show off - let people create or contribute content, and share what they’ve created. Doing so is a major reason behind the viral success of GE’s online whiteboard.
4. Encourage people to share - make it super-easy for users to share and embed your content. Who does this exceptionally well? YouTube!
5. Give people something to boast about - give people something to brag or boast about… and they will! For example, when Feedburner created a badge allowing bloggers to show how many readers they had, bloggers everywhere began displaying Feedburner badges – leading to Feedburner’s growth.
6. Measure your progress - measure your viral growth to see what is working… and what isn’t… and make changes accordingly.

To learn more powerful viral marketing techniques, click here to listen to the full interview between Andrew and Hiten Shah.

Source: Andrew Warner, “7 Essential Tools of Viral Marketing - The Hiten Shah Interview”, Mixergy.com, September 5, 2008

Last Thursday I closed my Facebook account. No, it wasn’t out of protest against the new Facebook design… or because I don’t like my Facebook “friends”… or because I have anything against Facebook.

It was simply because… I just don’t use Facebook!

And rather than continue enduring that nagging thought, “I’ve gotta do something on Facebook to promote my business”… I realized I had fallen into the same trap so many Internet marketers fall into: thinking we need to do EVERYTHING to promote our businesses.

Having worked with both small Internet businesses and large corporate Internet marketing departments, I am yet to meet an individual OR an entire team that is able to pursue every single avenue for promoting their business, product or service. Everyone has limited time and resources. And with the Internet evolving all the time, it’s hard enough to stay on top of one aspect of Internet marketing, let alone several.

I’m not saying anything you probably haven’t heard before, but let this article serve as a gentle reminder: it’s better to do a few things really well, than do a lot of things half-baked. And just because you hear some guru preaching about how you MUST get involved in social networking… or blogging… or article marketing… or podcasting (see above!) or anything else… it doesn’t mean you have to at all.

Jay Abraham - a true marketing genius and guru in my opinion - wrote a book called “Getting The Most Out Of All You’ve Got” and that’s really what we should focus on as entrepreneurs. We should do what we can to get the best possible results based on what we have in terms of time, money, skills and other resources. This principle should guide us in deciding what we do in our businesses, and if that means stopping or cutting back on certain things - or closing a Facebook account we never use - so be it.

Of course, let me say that closing my Facebook account doesn’t mean I don’t see value in social networking. Or that you should do the same. It’s just not where I can get the most out of what I’ve got right now. You may find that it DOES work for you, while other things don’t.

P.S. One social network I AM loving at the moment is Imeem. Not sure about a business angle yet (if ever), but I just LOVE creating playlists and listening to music while I work. Check out my Imeem profile here: http://www.imeem.com/annaj/ I also use Twitter. You can follow my “occasionally regular” ramblings at http://www.twitter.com/annajohnson

Yesterday, I listened to a terrific interview with Ken McCarthy - founder of the original (and many say the best) Internet marketing seminar, The System Seminar, and Drayton Bird, founder of one of the first direct marketing agencies, and a true-blue marketing guru.

At one point during the interview Mr Bird explains, very clearly, what is the most important thing in marketing.

It’s not WHAT you are selling… or when, where or why you are selling it.

It’s WHO you are selling to.

That’s worth some reflection.

Actually, Ken and Drayton reveal a lot of other ‘golden nuggets’ during this interview, not least of which is Ken’s opinion of what makes the difference between people who build successful online businesses and those who don’t.

And how much time you should spend learning about Internet tactics… versus how much time you should spend learning about direct response marketing.

I give this interview my highest recommendation and urge you to download the MP3 and listen to it as soon as possible. And, yes, it’s free!

==> Free Audio of Ken McCarthy Interviewing Drayton Bird

Source: System Intensive U.K., Drayton Bird, Drayton Bird’s Blog

Seth Godin has just lost the respect of hundreds, maybe thousands, of Internet marketers worldwide.

His recent blog post, “Ads are the new online tip jar” is surely one of the dumbest posts I’ve ever seen from an esteemed marketing “guru” such as Mr Godin, and reflects a total and utter misunderstanding of the economics of online advertising. And perhaps of the purpose of advertising in general.

In his post, Seth Godin recommends people click on online ads they like. He suggests this as a way of saying “thanks”.

Let’s see, as someone paying to have my ads displayed on the Internet, do I want people to:

1. Click on my ad to say “thanks”?

or

2. Buy my product?

Furthermore, do I want loads of people saying “thanks” for the nice ad… and thereby distort the performance metrics associated with my ad?

And last but not least, do I want to PAY people to click on my ads to say “thanks”. ‘Cause if I’m running a pay-per-click campaign (whether it’s on Google Adwords or elsewhere) that’s what I’ll be doing.

The sentiment of asking people who appreciate online ads to tip advertisers is fine and dandy, but apart from making advertisers pay for others’ “kindness”, it also reflects a misunderstanding of what advertising is all about.

Advertising is NOT art. It doesn’t exist to look nice or entertain. It may do those things. Those things may be a by-product or even be intended.

But the main aim of advertising is to get people to take ACTION. To read something, sign up for something, and ultimately to BUY something.

Seth Godin… what were you thinking?

Source: Seth Godin, “Ads are the new online tip jar”, Seth Godin, August 22, 2008

That California surfer dude and Internet marketing “guru” Frank Kern has released a cool new video at http://www.masscontrolgiveaway.com/.

I suggest you watch it to see an example of a classy video that does much more than convey information (watch closely and think of how the imagery, music, camera shots, and laid-back Frank himself all work together to generate a positive, trusting emotional response).

But there’s one thing that BUGS ME about this video…

Without giving too much away, Frank says there are “three easy steps to selling things”. “This deceptively simple selling system”, he says, “works every time like a champ”. And, by the way, Frank didn’t make this up - he got this selling system from none other than copywriting legend, John Carlton.

So what are the three steps? Actually, I AM going to give these away (you should still take a look at the video). The three steps you should follow in a sales presentation are to tell your prospect:

“Step 1: Here’s what I got”

“Step 2: Here’s what it’ll do for you”

“Step 3: Here’s what I want you to do next”

Only one problem… what if what “you got” isn’t what your prospect wants? In other words, what if you are solving a problem or fulfilling a desire they don’t actually have?

These three steps are fine if you are dealing with a qualified prospect - someone with a problem or desire that your product or service addresses. But it’s no good if you are presenting your wares to someone who isn’t sure they need or want what you are offering.

In fact, depending on WHO you are attempting to sell, you may need to take two crucial steps BEFORE Frank’s three steps. Steps that qualify the prospect and confirm that they’re in the right place because you understand what they’re looking for. These two steps are to effectively tell your prospect:

“Pre-Step 1: Here’s the problem or desire you have”

“Pre-Step 2: Here’s the result you want”

To be fair, Frank’s video is presumably based on what to do when you are dealing with a qualified prospect, when there wouldn’t be any point - and, if anything, it would be aggravating - to go through these pre-steps.

If someone comes into a widget store looking for a widget… they don’t need you explaining how you understand their need for a widget, or how you understand what they’re trying to achieve with that widget… just tell ‘em you got a widget, that it’ll give them the result they want, and how to get it already!

But given that Internet marketers at all stages are likely to see Frank’s video - including those who may not yet appreciate the need to sell products and services that people actually want – Frank might have mentioned that his three step selling system assumes you are selling to someone who is in the market for what you have to offer.

Source: Frank Kern’s Mass Control Giveaway Video