Multi channel marketing

Mobile Media Made Easy for QR Codes at the Northeast by Rail 2012 Conference

Monday, January 30, 2012 by Mark Rice

I had the great pleasure of presenting at the Northeast by Rail 2012 Conference in West Springfield, MA in the past week.   This was the first of many "Mobile Media Made Easy" learning events that you will be hearing about and hopefully attending this year.

Northeast by Rail consists of owners and operators of scenic railroads in ten states. I met folks running excursions from Cooperstown, NY to White River Junction in Vermont.   They were all very excited to learn more about QR Codes and how they could use them to promote their exciting train excursions. It was exciting for me to learn that the history and heritage of the old railroad still lives on and is available to people of all ages.   I also learned that the rails of the Northeast have been restored since the damage of Hurricane Irene and the scenic railroads are ready for business.

This was also the first time I used our partner Brainshark application, SlideShark, with an iPad 2 connected to a projector. I could not believe how easy it was to connect and project.   This presentation setup is ideal for demonstrating QR Codes.   I was practically as amazed as the audience when I first scanned a QR Code from the iPad 2 and the destination appeared on the screen.   Everyone saw the same content magically appear as I hovered the iPad 2 over a sample QR Code.

The Slideshark application is also ideal for presenting slide content containing QR Codes. Members of the audience were able to scan the QR codes projected on the wall with their smartphones.

After the presentation, we created some sample QR Codes with our MobExMe QR Code creator.   We also created some sample mobile contact pages using our Quick ContactMe Now landing pages created with ExactTarget. This really was a "Mobile Media Made Easy" experience.

Northeast by Rail promoters planned the conference around the "Big E" train show in West Springfield, MA over the weekend.   I had an opportunity to catch up with my fellow fiddler, Mark, and we entertained folks at the organization's booth with a variety of train tunes, including "I've Been Working on the Railroad".

Webinar Resources is looking forward to presenting future "Mobile Media Made Easy" learning events that are designed to help businesses grow with Multi-channel marketing. It is easy to get started with SlideShark.   You just download SlideShark from the App Store and create a free MyBrainshark account --  the Easy, Free Way to Make Online Video.

This blog post was created with Compendium's "Email to Post" feature.

QR Codes, Kids Like Them Too!

Friday, January 13, 2012 by Mark Rice

Yes, even kids are scanning QR Codes, which means that kids are carrying smartphones. We found evidence of this in our local produce store this week.

Previously, we noticed that Chiquita was labeling their bananas with a QR code that led to their "Ultimate Banana Recipe Contest" http://qrs.ly/r712oo2. Last week, my son walked into the produce store and noticed that the Dole brand of bananas had a QR Code on them. The QR code was also part of a label with one of the Alvin and the Chipmunks characters on it. (We purposely made the QR Codes blurry in this picture out of respect for Dole's campaign and the goodness of the banana.)

When my son went up to the counter with a bunch of Dole bananas, the merchant mentioned that kids were lifting the labels off the bananas and taking them with him.   As my son is "QR-aware", he relayed to the merchant that the QR Code pointed to a Chipwreck ringtone site when scanned.   There is apparently a different ringtone offered every day.   So this was the reason kids were taking the labels off the bananas.

Then my son demonstrated how to scan the QR Code and brought up the Chipwreck site where kids can download a ringtone.   This was a very clever QR application and was clearly targeted toward a younger generation or the parents of young children.

Could the use of QR Codes for Kids be a trend for marketers? We, at Webinar Resources, predict that you will see a lot more applications like this one to attract kids.   We implemented a QR Code magic ticket for our MyChristmasBook application in 2010. Children in Japan are already scanning QR Codes as a game, but QR Codes were started in Japan in the mid 90's. There is more to come and more to learn in managing the multi-channel mix. http://mobex.me/munk

People like to share - make it easy for them! Part I

Friday, September 16, 2011 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

While browsing through some recent news articles about how people use the Internet, I learned some interesting things. One study by the Pew Research Center has found that half of all adults in the U.S. now use social network applications. Another study by Wistia indicates that 64% of workers in the U.S. find video content compelling enough that they can't resist watching it at work - 42% even report watching it on their mobile devices in the bathroom! I shudder to think of what the implications are for productivity in the workplace at a time when we badly need to be stronger economically - but that's not the most interesting aspect of the findings to me.

Obviously many people find video content to be very compelling. Why is that so? The Wistia study shows that the #1 reason people are so drawn to video content is that it's easy to share - not what I would have guessed, but when you put that statistic together with the fact that half of all adults in the U.S. are involved with social media, it makes sense. The applications delivering the videos, such as Brainshark or YouTube, have built-in sharing capabilities that are very easy to use and the heavy involvement in social network applications means that there are lots of people available to share favorite content with.

If you own a web site, what does this information mean to you? I think you should add some video content to your multi channel marketing mix if it's appropriate - Webinar Resources can help you create, propagate and promote multimedia through many channels including mobile devices if you need guidance. I also think it's a good idea to make the other content on your web site easy to share. Stay tuned for Part II where I'll show you some examples of how to add social sharing capabilities to your web pages.

QR Codes are Popping Up All Over

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

From in-store displays to magazine ads to packages of organic spinach, these funny-looking squares are becoming more and more common in our environment. A QR ("quick response") Code or Tag is a square 2D barcode that you can scan with your smartphone's camera with the help of a QR Code Reader app to immediately launch mobile links to a variety of media on your mobile phone's web browser. Said another way, QR Codes are a simple way to connect the offline world with the online world.

Missouri Life Ad for the Route 66 Association of Missouri

At Webinar Resources we've been busy putting this technology to use for ourselves and our clients. For example, I recently included a QR code on a print ad that I designed for the Route 66 Association of Missouri. The association does not yet have any special mobile-optimized content, so for now the url points to the web site. Most existing web sites are viewable on a smartphone, even if they are not optimized especially for mobile viewing. The url is designed so I can change the location and mobile media without changing the QR code, so if there is ever any mobile content in the future that we wish to link this ad to, it will not become obsolete. Shelf-life is an important consideration with printed materials, since they are not as easy, quick, or cheap to change as an electronic document.

QR Codes can make up another part of your multi-channel marketing strategy and can be effective lead generation tools.

Do you want to learn more about QR codes and download a reader for your mobile device? See our QR Code guide.

Blending the Best - Waking up to Your Social Media Connections

Monday, March 14, 2011 by Mark Rice

I opened my Flipboard app on my iPad Friday morning and was greeted with my most recent Facebook post, the iPad2 order announcement and a blog from our "best of blend" partners Brainshark and Compendium. It was like opening my diary and reading about our recent multi-channel marketing activities.

Compendium featured Webinar Resources and our use of QR Codes and I posted a QR code to their blog on our Facebook site. Our Mobile Replay on demand presentation made it to the semi-finals for this year's Brainshark Sharkie awards.

It was also interesting to see the iPad2 announcement as we are researching how the front facing camera could be used to scan QR Codes. Stay tuned for more information on how you can launch our optimized mobile-ready content on the iPad2.

Create and share your own stories with the social media community and they will come back to you when you least expect them.

What Are You Doing For Your Mobile Customers?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

A new survey of 20,000 adults by BIGresearch shows that 13.2% own a BlackBerry device, 11.3% own an iPhone, 9.3% own a device running Android and 5.2% own an iPad. Among other things, these devices enable consumers to browse the web, view multimedia content, scan bar codes and QR codes, compare prices at the point of sale, download coupons and share information with their social networks. These are all intriguing possibilities for a business to explore as part of the multi channel marketing mix. But are the number of users of smartphones and tablet computers large enough to make the effort to cater to them worthwhile? At first glance those don't sound like terribly high percentages of users.

There is other data in the survey to consider. Perhaps not surprisingly, mobile device users are more likely than the general population to shop online. They are more inclined to research products online before making a purchase. And according to Gary Drenik, president and CEO of BIGresearch, "...mobile device owners are more likely than average consumers to give and seek advice on products and services."

The findings of this research lead me to conclude that campaigns designed to woo mobile users are likely to have a very good return on investment, and therefore are very much worth the effort! For example I've recently made a mobile-optimized version of my design portfolio. At Webinar Resources, we are developing a line of mobile-ready applications to support lead generation, multimedia content delivery, personalization and cross-channel communication. Here are a couple of examples of our mobile mix Mobile Replay and url shortener and QR code generator. We invite you to keep in touch with us via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or our newsletter to stay updated about our latest mobile offerings.

Why Small Businesses Should Engage in Content Marketing

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

I've been a passionate advocate of and participant in content marketing for many years, but I know why it can seem like a daunting strategy to a small businesses. You the small business owner already have a lot of hats to wear - now you have to be a publisher too? Here are some reasons why you might consider doing just that.

Large companies have an advantage in many areas of advertising, such as television, print, and big trade shows because those channels require significant investments of money. However in many ways, small businesses can compete with big ones when it comes to content marketing. How is this possible?

I watched the Compendium webinar replay "Content & Social Search Strategies" and learned some very interesting things. For one thing, to get the most out of content marketing, you have to get your SEO, Social, Content, Email Marketing and PR people to communicate with each other. In many large companies this does not happen. But in a small business, these people may be on the same team or may even be the same person, so it's much easier to come up with a strategy that makes sense and can be implemented quickly.

Many companies spend more on distributing their content than they do on creating content. This is not necessary because of all the free or low-cost online options available. Distribute your content via blog and social media in your multi channel mix and cut distribution costs drastically. Put your resources into creating good content instead - if you publish it in the right places, people will find it.

That is where search comes in. A lot of money is spent on pay-per-click advertising. Well, if you don't have a lot of money to spend on PPC, take heart - according to the webinar replay, 88% of clicks are on organic search results, and organic search results are very dependent on content. And when potential customers search, it's usually for a product, not for a retailer. Why not let the big companies create demand for a product with expensive ads and then win the sale yourself by winning the search? Yes it's very difficult to rank high on short search terms but guess what? Long search terms that are very much in your reach have the best results anyway - the more specific the search, the better the conversion rate. It's nice to be the one with the advantage in the customer acquisition process now and then, isn't it?

Santa's Following Webinar Resources

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 by Mark Rice

Hello from Santa and MyChristmasBook.com

We have written a lot about personalized marketing campaigns, mobile Brainshark presentations and social media, but this week I have witnessed the real power of "Community".   As we have been promoting our web storybook, "Santa Claus and the Lost Dog" through a blended multi-channel mix, the jolly old elf himself has started following us on our Twitter account - @webinarresource.

It was quite a surprise to see Santa join the mix of conversations about lost dogs, QR codes, magic tickets and of course Santa.   I think this is the legal evidence and credibility that was needed in the great Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street", to prove the existence of Santa Claus. If that movie were produced today, the evidence that Santa exists would clearly be a Tweet from the North Pole on everyone's mobile phone.

So Santa, we are pleased and privileged to have you follow us.   Now, let's all get together and help Santa find Bella, the Lost Dog and order a child the web storybook at http://www.mychristmasbook.com.   To hear a special message from Santa, text Santa to 88769.

Santa's Call to Action

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 by Mark Rice

As the holiday season approaches, more marketers are getting prepared to capture orders through effective customer acquisition processes.   Santa is no exception.

As more savvy business people use multi-channel marketing to communicate their message, more unique ways to touch the customer are generated. By creating community through subscribers (email), fans (Facebook) and Followers (Twitter), businesses can reach out to prospects they had never thought of and encourage them to interact through a "Call to Action", CTA.   A CTA is an effective lead generation tool. It may be in the form of a coupon offer, a subscription to a newsletter or a download of a white paper.

In the webstory of "Santa Claus and the Lost Dog", Santa uses a post card as his CTA.   This is no ordinary post card as it includes a magic ticket with a personalized URL (PURL) and a QR (quick response) code to get immediate action from a child with the help of a grown up that may have a grown up toy like a smartphone equipped with a camera.

Yes, Santa has gone hi-touch and hi-tech and has joined the social media world. The days of traditional Santa calls over the phone are going to be replaced by tweets, likes, comments and good little girls and boys will get badges.  Will Santa's updates on FourSquare take the place of NORAD's tracking of jolly old St. Nick on Christmas Eve?

You can visit http://www.mychristmasbook.com to order the webstory book.   It makes a great stocking stuffer and can play on mobile devices on your way to Grandma's house.

Mobile Content Creates New Avenues for Social Media

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 by Mark Rice

Webinar Resources has been producing the monthly webinar replays for Compendium. This repurposed marketing content has created new value to Compendium as we now produce mobile replays of Compendium's webinar.

Megan Glover, Marketing Manager at Compendium, recently made a blog post about our services at: http://blogging.compendiumblog.com/blog/blogging-with-purpose/0/0/repurposing-marketing-content. As Megan points out, "Understanding how your audience wants to receive and digest information is critical to your customer acquisition strategy. Mobile is just one avenue to communicate to these prospects."

As our mobile replay content can be viewed on many popular mobile devices, links to our mobile replay can be inserted into many social media sites. Mobile content adds another exciting and engaging element to your Multi-Channel Mix. You can learn more about our Mobile Replay solution at: http://mobex.me/now.

Put a Webinar in your pocket!

Thursday, October 7, 2010 by Mark Rice

Last night I pulled out my iPhone and listened to the mobile replay of the June 10th webinar with Compendium and ExactTarget that was recorded by Webinar Resources. I wanted to review the content that Joel Book, at ExactTarget, covered related to Scotts Lawn Care.   As I listened, Joel reconfirmed our strategy to adopt Compendium's "Web to Post" feature to invite our webinar participants to "tell their story" on how they use multi-channel marketing to build their business.

I put my iPhone into my holster and listened to Joel speak about the compelling reasons to engage your Facebook fans in additional conversations by allowing them to "tell their story" through a simple form that updates your company blog content.

The audio of the mobile replay became valuable new content as it reconfirmed Webinar Resources' decision to adopt Compendium's "Web to Post" feature to reach out to our Webinar Wednesday participants and allow them to "tell their story".   You will hear and see more of this capability in the coming weeks.

With Mobile Replay, you can play streaming on-demand presentation content on many mobile devices. Mobile Replay is a valuable sales and marketing tool that can stream relevant and recent product/service information to your sales team, partners and prospects..

A good friend used to share some favorite sayings from her country upbringing.   One of them was "That's as handy as a pocket on a shirt."   She couldn't have said it any better.  Mobile Replay is "Content On-Hand and On-Demand".    Put a mobile replay in your pocket the next time you get ready for a sales call. Listen, learn and lead the conversation about your products and services that your company can provide for you with Mobile Replay.

Mobile Replay Graphic Accepted Into iStockphoto Design Spotlight

Thursday, September 30, 2010 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

iStockphoto is a stock photo resource that I use frequently. When you complete a design that uses images from the iStockphoto collection, you are eligible to submit it to the Design Spotlight. The image I made to illustrate the concept of creating a webinar replay that can be viewed on a mobile device has been accepted into the Design Spotlight.

Mobile replays can be a great tool in your multi-channel marketing mix. Not only do they allow webinars to be viewed at the convenience of your audience, they have the built-in capability to go viral on social network applications. By including a guestbook, you can capture viewer information for effective lead generation.

Utilizing tools like iStockphoto gives you another source of valuable content that you can post and share with the community. We continue to "fuel the conversation" at Webinar Resources with unique content creation, delivery and tracking solutions and services that drive customer aquisition.

Social Network Applications Cater to Deep Human Urges

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Social media continues to gain in popularity. It is said that the decision businesses face about whether to add social media to their multi channel marketing now is like the decision to get a web site was ten years ago. You may have heard in the news recently that Facebook has overtaken Google as the most popular web site in the US. At the interactive marketing conference I attended last week, Connect10ns, Twitter COO Dick Costolo impressed us all with this statistic - every day Twitter adds 380,000 new users! Some corporations now employ dedicated social media staff - McDonald's has 9 workers just to handle customer relations on Twitter.

During the conference we learned about a community-centered online apparel store called Threadless. Members of the Threadless community submit t-shirt designs online which are then put to a public vote. Some of the designs are selected for printing and sold through an online store. Creators of the winning designs receive a prize of cash and store credit. Threadless was described as "being social before there was social media". I was reminded of another example of social media behavior from my own past before there were social network applications or even general access to the World Wide Web - Mail Art.

Mail Art began in the DADA era of the early 20th century and had a resurgence in popularity in the 1960s and beyond. It's not easy to describe but I would place it in the the conceptual art category. Mail Artists exchange art with each other on a one-to-one basis through the postal system, and also create collaborative works of art by mailing in pieces to a central aggregator, passing around pieces to each other that are added to in turn, or sending pieces in to group shows. Participants in shows and projects would usually receive something in return for their participation, such as a catalog, a printed collage, a special rubber stamp, or a commemorative "faux postage" or "artistamp" stamp sheet. For example some old Mail Art stamps of mine were featured in a artistamp show in Budapest, Hungary a few years ago and I received an exhibition poster by mail.

One of the things that makes Mail Art conceptual is the fact that it's not supposed to be sold, it's supposed to be exchanged, and participants in shows and projects do not pay a fee to take part, nor do they have to be professional artists with art world credentials. Some participate with the idea of transforming the art world, but whether that goal is important or not one of the payoffs for participating is the community aspect - it is a way of making "pen pals" all over the world, of being a part of shows in places thousands of miles away and collaborating with artists you'll never meet in person. It's common for Mail Artists to alter works created by others and pass them on - this is very reminiscent of today's digital content creators who "remix" YouTube videos, graphics, fonts and other electronic assets. In the pre-Internet days communities would form around major and minor photocopied 'zines that could be ordered by mail or picked up in shops that sell small press and "underground" publications. Now we are familiar with communities forming around web sites, on Facebook, and even with conversations guided by Twitter hash tags.

With the rise of the World Wide Web, my participation in Mail Art dropped off because my desire for community building, creative expression and collaboration with people in far-flung areas of the world has been satisfied in other ways, although other Mail Artists have embraced the web as a way to leverage their activities. Perhaps social media has had the spectacular successes that it has because social media applications cater to needs that are built deep into human nature. A recurring theme throughout the Connect10ns conference was the natural desire of your customers to express themselves and tell their story - your marketing efforts will be more successful if you provide your audience with an outlet to satisfy that urge.

Phase 4: Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes

Wednesday, September 15, 2010 by Peter Muir

A quick review of the 4 Planning Phases of Successful Events includes:

Phase 1: Planning
Phase 2: Pre-Event Efforts
Phase 3: Event Delivery
Phase 4: Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes

From the beginning of our webinar series on hosting more successful events I've been driving home that a successful event isn't just about "butts in seats." There can be larger, more targeted objectives you and your organization can reach with the right planning and execution.

I'm a firm believer that Planning and Pre-Event Efforts at the start of your event can make your event more successful and run more smoothly...but it's the Post-Event Efforts that not only can bring closure to the event but also can be your way of connecting in an ongoing way and measuring your ongoing success.

Your Post-Event Efforts can help you keep the ball rolling between you and your targeted audience. It gives you the chance to thank the attendees (event those who didn't' attend), share important points from the event you wanted to make sure they got out of it and provide an ongoing relationship builder that keeps you and them in contact in the future.

Whether it's audio only, video web conferencing or face to face meetings, your Post-Event Efforts are very similar. Depending on the goal of your events your post event efforts should be part of your customer acquisition process or a customer service effort to keep key customers. It could be about seeking more donations or educating donors on how to take better care of themselves. The event itself was a chance for you to connect and share valuable content.

After the event is over you can use multi channel marketing techniques to stay in touch with those who attended. Email, phone calls, direct mail, social networking applications, face to face follow ups and more are all tools you can use in your multi channel mix. Find out which channel(s) your attendees prefer and use that channel to follow up.

Thank those who attended, share resources used in the event, give them a chance to evaluate the event and provide future event ideas and stay connected with them going forward. Continue the connection you started before your event, furthered by your event and fuel the conversations with relevant follow up tools that will maintain and strengthen the conversations as you go forward.

Remember to keep in mind three audiences: those who came, those who wanted to come (registered) but couldn't make it and those who weren't interested. Each is an opportunity to follow up and each has their own set of priorities you can assign to them.

We've been using on demand presentation recordings of our webinars as a great follow up technique to our events. These condensed replays gives us something to share and talk about with our prospects and customers. We've even created more effective landing pages that display relevant and personalized content for each of the attendees! We also have enabled "mobile replays" of the webinars that can be viewed on many smartphones. What will be some of the more memorable post-event efforts you'll use? We will soon give you the opportunity to contribute to this blog to "share your story". In the meantime, feel free to post your comments to this blog.

Do you have another process you use to plan and execute more effective events? I'd really like to hear about them.

Events are just one of the many ways we can do business. Be sure to explore the multi-channel mix for more ways for you and your customers to be successful.

Peter Muir
President, Bizucate Inc.
www.bizucate.com
pmuir@bizucate.com

Merchandisers are Moving Towards Mobile with QR Codes

Monday, August 30, 2010 by Mark Rice

We predicted it would be just a matter of time. Those funny little boxes that look like broken mazes (QR Codes) are beginning to pop up everywhere.   Popular in Japan and other countries for years, QR codes are now making a big entry into the U.S.

Some early adopters in merchandising started the US exposure, but the weekly ad from Best Buy this weekend, is going to open the gates to the public that will inquire, scan, question, download and start using QR codes for mobile communications.   Best Buy used an interesting strategy for marketing their products.   The QR codes appeared at the bottom of each of the right page ads of the weekly circular. Each QR code contained a unique embedded code related to the products on the page.

I visited my local Best Buy store to purchase the Otter iPhone4 case that was advertised.   As I walked in, I noticed the store display that appears in the image to the right.   Best Buy is even offering their own mobile version of a QR Code scanner for the iPhone and Droid smartphones.

Great work Best Buy! It will now only be a matter of time until more businesses follow your lead in creative multi channel marketing.

Webinar Resources has introduced QR codes this year in our Webinar Wednesdays events and in our recent announcement of Mobile Replay.   Scan our QR code below or visit http://mobex.me/now.

Design Influences Perception

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

The 2003 book "The Substance of Style" by Virginia Postrel presents a lot of interesting points about aesthetics in our time and makes the case that our current culture places even more importance on the outward design of things as opposed to just the function than ever before. Design can steer you toward a certain product and can add to ones enjoyment of the item once the decision to purchase has been made. I know one reason why I'm holding on to my cell phone from 2004 when phones are available now that do many more things - I like the way it looks and I like the weight and the way it feels in my hand better than newer phones.

If Postrel is correct, the increased importance of aesthetics to us means that the bar has been raised about what we expect as consumers. Good design is no longer only for the affluent. Have you noticed how even discount brands are giving themselves makeovers? Last September I was in a McDonald's restaurant in Amarillo, Texas where I actually took pictures of the interior because I liked the design so much - there was light wood, metal, abstract art and Eames-designed wallpaper and upholstery patterns! Target has been noticed and praised for the sophisticated design of it's products and advertising for many years now - I noticed my local Wal-Mart is not only starting to carry products with a similar look, the store is also in the middle of remodel with a redesign of the facade to give it a more sophisticated, asymmetrical appearance. It's no longer enough to offer low-priced goods and put them in a plain big box.

Well-designed business identity pieces and multi channel marketing pieces such as web sites, letterhead, logos, emails, webinar replays, on demand presentations and the like used to be something that lifted a business above the competition. Now good, sophisticated design is a basic necessity if you want to even swim in the same pool as your competitors. Here is a great quote from "The Substance of Style" - "The notion now that a corporation of any size would have the CFO's wife design the annual report is ludicrous... But they did in the sixties." Your products might be just as good or better than your competitors, but consumers won't know it unless their first impression of you is as good or better than your competitors. It may not be right, but it's part of human nature, and ignoring it is risky!

Blazing the Acquisition Trail with Webinar Trailers

Sunday, May 23, 2010 by Mark Rice

At Webinar Resources we have been producing short 2-3 minute Brainshark presentations as ticklers or "webinar trailers" to promote our series of Webinar Wednesdays events.   Webinar Trailers are a very effective customer acquisition process for engaging and acquiring registrants as they appeal to more modalities than traditional email invitations.

With Webinar Trailers, we can strengthen our marketing message with an on demand presentation that consists of audio, slides and capture a registration at the moment of the viewing of the presentation.   We also can post Webinar Trailers in many different locations - social network applications, webinar newsletters, landing pages and of course link directly to a personalized email.   Using our proven process of selecting the appropriate multi channel mix, we gain the attention needed to capture registrants for our webinars.

We are now extending the reach of our multi channel marketing to SMS text messages and mobile video.   Registrants and/or past participants can subscribe to our Webinar Wednesdays SMS reminders and alerts by texting to the word "webinar" to short code 88769.   Once the subscriber is added to our list, we can then reach out to them in their preferred communication method with a text reminder.

Soon we will be delivering mobile content to our Webinar Wednesdays SMS subscribers. Stay tuned for more information in our blog or text "webinar" to 88769 and join our Webinar Wednesdays subscriber list.

Building customer acquisition is all about extending your reach through an effective multi channel mix using cross media applications to drive attendance and list growth for your events.   We have partnered with Peter Muir, and his Bizucate team to communicate these strategies and enable our participants to learn how to develop a marketing plan to drive effective events.   Join us at our next Webinar Wednesdays event on June 23rd, from 1-2pm CDT.   Listen to our webinar trailer and register at:   http://www.brainshark.com/webinarresources/WebWed. We hope to see you there.

Phase 3: Event Delivery

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 by Peter Muir

The day of the event (DOE) represents a major influx of responsibility for both the organizer and the attendees. Organizers have to manage a myriad of variables to ensure a successful event from catering coordination to registration to setting up tech requirements, wrangling presenters and more. Attendees have fewer responsibilities but ideally they’re coming into the DOE with the desire to learn, network and/or do business. The multi channel marketing strategy focuses on distributing the traditional pressure of event days through the entire pre & post event campaign. Using the multi-channel approach can help make the DOE far less stressful and chaotic for all involved. Of course, planning & organization are both central to executing a successful event; here are some suggestions for managing the day of the event.

Begin at the very beginning. Before you plan or schedule the pre-event efforts consider what items you anticipate having on your “to do” list on the DOE. Then look at how you can distribute management of them in the pre-event stages so when you get to the day of the event there is less to worry about.

Examples

Make sure you’ve set up a series of informational emails or a website for support staff and presenters. They should know what is expected of them; where to be at what time on the day of event, deadline for submitting, tech requirements for laptops and presentations, etc.
If it is a large event like a conference, let attendees set their schedules early to establish presentation expectations and to cut down on people asking questions.
Delegate the compartmentalized or smaller tasks, like catering and registration, to someone with fewer things to worry about on the DOE.
Delegate the updates of social network applications during the event such as Twitter, blogging and Facebook updates.

Identify three main goals you have for the DOE. They should be tied to the larger goals of the full multi-channel campaign but focused particularly on the day’s events. Then make these three things your mantra. It will keep you focused and make decision making a little easier when you have already identified your priorities.

Examples

To ensure attendees walk away with the information/material they came looking for.
Make sure messages, observations and news from the event are captured for post-event newsletter/follow-up or to share with those who could not attend.
Facilitate smooth running presentations to ensure everyone gets to present and/or learn.
Help make networking as easy as possible for attendees and vendors alike. Assign a QR code to every attendee so they can simply scan to exchange information. Or, offer team with a local print shop to offer discounts on business cards so they have something exchange.

Maximize the multi-channel opportunity. Using new channels for communicating is just as relevant on the DOE as it is to support the pre & post-event variables. Keep in mind ways you can use them to create a more accessible and effective event

Examples

Use SMS to send attendees a link to their event schedule on the morning of the event.
Consider a live webcast or recorded podcast to share the event with those who weren’t able to attend. Webinar replays can be used as a review for those who attended as well as a customer acquisition process in your grand lead generation conference strategy.
Place QR codes or Microsoft tags on presentations, collateral or exhibition displays to enhance attendee’s interaction with content.

To find out more about how to better use the multi-channel approach to events on the actual day of the event, tune into the June edition of Webinar Wednesdays, June 9th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. CDT. Visit events.webinarresources.com/WebinarWednesdays to save the date and receive a reminder for the June 9th event.

And don't forget the May edition of Webinar Wednesdays on May 12th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. CDT. We will cover Phase 2: Pre-Event Efforts of Successful Event Planning. Visit events.webinarresources.com/WebinarWednesdays to register for our May 12th Webinar Wednesday session. You can view replays of past webinars at our Webinar Resources replay portal.

Peter Muir, president Bizucate Inc.
www.bizucate.com

"Help! I'm using so many applications I'm losing track of them all!"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Multi channel marketing is more important than ever before. Your audience is becoming increasingly segmented, and you have to open up more channels in order to be where the action is. Do you remember when just having a web site set you apart from the competition? Adding Facebook or Twitter to your multi channel mix used to be a cutting edge move - now social media applications have become so entrenched that Tweets like this one I saw this morning are possible - "Websites vs Facebook Pages: which URL should you promote?"

Social media applications, email accounts, blogs, web sites, shopping carts, payment gateways, CMSs, CRMs - all of these channels need feeding with new content and/or monitoring to make sure you are engaging with your audience and taking advantage of opportunities. You don't want an important email to languish in a little-used account, a sold merchandise item to go unshipped, a new lead ignored, or a question posted to a blog or Facebook page to go unanswered. How does one remember to check up on all these channels?

Most of the time when your applications need attention, you will get an alert email, but you can't count on getting all the emails you should. Email delivery is a real problem these days, even delivery of emails that you have made it very clear are wanted. To help me keep track of what I need to check on every day, I have made an html page and links to all of my email accounts, shopping carts, payment gateways, and social media applications. There is a shortcut to it on my desktop so it's always handy.

Here at Webinar Resources, I've made a similar page in a password protected area that our whole team can refer to for similar information, plus links to other things we need such as individual contact information, login pages for various hosted services that we use, and links to information important to our collective knowledge. It's a great convenience and time-saver. If you don't have such a resource for yourself, I recommend you make one or ask your web developer to create an admin page tailored to your needs.

Looking for Retention and Lead Generation Ideas, Have an Event! Part 1

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Peter Muir

A basic marketing premise looks at how to retain good customers and how to acquire new ones. Acquisition and retention are a cornerstone in any business venture.

In an effort to show your existing customers how they can be more successful and show new customers new places they can go enabled by your ideas, products and services consider hosting an educational event.

I'd like you to consider 4 Planning Phases of Successful Events.
1. Planning
2. Pre-Event Efforts
3. Event Delivery
4. Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes

Below is the beginning of an Educational Event Planning Guide to Increased Sales. Whether your goal is to create an effective lead generation program, re-develop your customer acquisition process, salvage lost customers with a retention campaign or you just want to say no more to cold calls. Developing your objectives is part of the process. It may seem like the guide is a series of questions, but it's in the process of answering the questions that will help you create an event that fits your organization, your needs and the needs of your current and future customers.

We're just scratching the surface here with Phase 1 Planning. Three future posts will discuss Phase 2, 3 and 4.

Phase 1 Planning
The planning phase has two major parts. The planning process of how the event fits into the larger needs of the organization and the actual planning steps to the event itself.

Planning within the Big Picture

Why have an event, what are your goals? What do you want to get for your efforts? Develop objectives that are SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Based) and align with the current or future needs of the organization.
Having an educational event provides a reason to talk to customers and prospects. It gives you something to buzz about beyond your capabilities and need for business. It could give your customers reasons to invest in new ideas and new products and services to help them grow.

Planning the Event

Content: strategic, operational, sales, business processes? The content is what will be advertised and why people will attend. Theming your event and tying it to actionable outcomes changes an informative event to a results event. Types of businesses and the role of the attendee will be influenced by the content you choose.
Type of Event: Face to Face or Webinar. Each presents its own benefits and shortcomings. Consider your content and audience along with your budget and resources as part of your thought process.
Timing: Early in the quarter? At the beginning, middle or late in the week? Morning, afternoon or all day? What time works best for those you are looking to reach?
Location: If face to face do you host it at your company, at a local hotel, a customers business? To feed or not to feed? Is the location part of your message? If you choose to have a web conference what are the needs of the solution? Browser, OS, phone, voice over IP, Presentation technology, presentation style, ability to interact with attendees.

Use the event itself to help you retain existing customers and acquire new ones. Use a multi channel approach to solicit input to your educational event. Post it on your blog, have sales reps call on the phone, visit face to face, Tweet about it, email it, provide a web page where people can influence the outcome. Use the multi channel mix to help you connect with people!

Let existing customers know you are hosting an educational event and you would like to invite them to "participate" early on and be part of the planning committee. Ask them what they would like to learn more about and why? What challenges are they facing, their industry, their customers facing? What opportunities would they like to go after but can't seem to get started. Why? All of these questions can apply to new customers you'd like to acquire too.

It's not really about the event itself. The event is an indirect approach to help you grow your relationship with existing customers and knock on new doors and acquire new ones. Deliver on what they ask for and you're on a new road to showing your customer why they could be doing business with you and your organization.

Stay tuned for information on Phase 2: Pre-event Efforts, Phase 3: Event Delivery and Phase 4: Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes.

If you have additional planning ideas you'd like to share or have a question about anything we've posted, just let me know!