Video Campaigns Need More Than Silliness.

It seems like I'm getting more and more YouTube links in my email these days. While individuals are using it to communicate personal talents (or lack thereof), businesses are seeing this as opportunity for brand recognition and lead response. If you have been surfing the web the past few years, you know that this tactic isn't totally new. However, it is increasingly becoming more common as businesses are adding marketing dollars to their web 2.0 marketing strategy every year. But what is needed in order to create a video campaign that is effective and viral.

Below are 7 elements needed for a viral video campaign as was written and explained by Jerry Bader. I found his white paper to be very useful for anybody wishing to use this tactic.

The 7 Viral Video Campaign Elements- Jerry Bader

1. Engage: Grab Attention.

2. Enlighten: Provide Substance.

3. Stylize: Create An Experience.

4. Focus: Be Consistent.

5. Entertain: Be Memorable.

6. Resonate: Hit A Nerve.

7. Excite: Compel Action.

Go Go Goshen!

What comes to mind when you hear the name Goshen? Well, if you are from the Greater Cincinnati area pleasant thoughts may not be necessarily coming to mind...at least for some people. Unfortunately, there are many cities across America that live with a stigma.

This morning I was doing business in Goshen, Ohio with a local small business owner and an interesting question came up: "How does Goshen change it's image?" Immediately strategies and tactics began swirling around in my head...

I'm curious, what marketing advice, tips, tactics, etc. would you give to the leaders of Goshen or any city that carries a stigma?

China's New Brand Takes Center Stage

With only a few more days until the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics, China is hoping that this international stage will begin their successful path to a new brand. However, with the looming evidence of pollution problems, oppression, and censorship, will the Olympics help or hurt China? My answer, China still has a long road ahead of them. Although the Olympics will present them in the most positive light, their culture and mindset will either be their stumbling block or their cornerstone. Check out the worse and better comments on brandchannel.

In the spirit of the games...Go USA!

Web 2.0 Marketing Rules

The other day at business networking event the discussion of blogging, MySpace, Wikipedia, and Flickr came up. Naturally I brought up utilizing web 2.0 as an exciting platform for marketing businesses. Below are 6 rules to remember if you're thinking about utilizing social networking or other web 2.0-like services for marketing your business.

The following is an exerpt from Sean Carton's October 31, 2005 article on The ClickZ Network titled, "Web 2.0 Marketing":

Remember you're part of a community. Members of a community have a vested interest in the greater good of the whole. They only participate in a way that benefits all. Spamming, misleading tags, incorrect information, and sneaky stuff (e.g., creating fictitious Wikipedia entries to promote your products are all activities that hurt the community.

Strike a balance between authentication and anonymity. The Internet was built on the concept of anonymity, but the anonymity that promotes participation and the free exchange of information can also allow malicious types to wreck your project. Contributor authentication can help by allowing you to delete offending material. But you'd better be sure you have a clear, strict privacy policy to encourage users.

Have some institutional guts. If you're going to allow the public in, be prepared for the consequences. Not everyone's going to agree with you or say nice things about your products and services. Don't block critics out. Engaging them in a positive way can often turn around potential problems. If you blog, you know this; often, engaging disagreeable posters turns them into instant friends.

Avoid spin. If you're going to participate in Web-based open services, don't try to spin your content with bland PR platitudes. People can spot "marketing" in a microsecond and don't think too highly of content that turns out to be a thinly disguised ad. On the other hand, using editorial to promote products can be pretty effective if done correctly.

Examine your motives. Are you jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon because it fits your strategy or because it's the current thing to do? Examining this question will tell you whether you're really ready to come to the party. It's a long-term commitment.

Get ready to work. Participating in the open, rough-and-tumble world of social networking and user-supplied content is a lot of work. The content needs to be fed and cared for constantly. Make sure you have the budget and the institutional will to continue the project -- indefinitely.

These are great rules to remember!

To read more from the above article go to:
http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3559851