The Prepaid Press - February 2009 - (Page 24)

GIFT CARDS & PROMOTIONS February 15 · 2009 - 24 MARKETING STRATEGIES by Ingrid Ricks Seven Cost-Conscious Marketing Strategies for 2009 Online marketing, social networking key to driving big results with a small budget customers, raise awareness for your products or services, and increase traffic to your Web site. Whether business networking through sites like LinkedIn, promoting your expertise by starting a blog on blog sites such as wordpress.com, or marketing your company through how-to guides uploaded to sites like Work.com, a social networking strategy needs to be at the top of your company’s list. 6. Write and Submit Information-Based Articles: Writing and distributing informational articles does three things: 1) It helps establish you/your company as a leader in your industry; 2) It drives traffic to your Web site; 3) It helps you connect with target audiences in a non-advertisement oriented forum. In addition to posting articles on blogs, you can pay a nominal fee to have them distributed to a variety of online sites via article distribution services such as articlemarketer.com. For a more targeted approach, identify key industry publications and approach them about submitting an informational article that would be of interest to their readers. Connecting with customers is more important than ever this year, making it critical that your company invest in creative, cost-effective marketing strategies that resonate with your target audiences. So how do you make a big impact with a smaller budget? Below are seven musthave strategies to get you started. 1. Invest in a great Web site. Ensuring your Web site is the best it can be, from both a content and lead generation perspective, should be your top priority for 2009. Why? Because done right, a Web site can serve as a powerful revenue generator for your company. a. Communicate with Customers. Your Web site is your company’s mirror to the world. It is often your first interface with a prospective customer, which means the image you project and the message you deliver could be the difference between winning and losing business. Your Web site is the most important marketing tool you have, so put it to work for you. Make sure that the design reflects the image you want to reflect, and that the information effectively communicates your product and service offerings, as well as the benefits you bring to the clients you serve. Because keeping information current is critical, a content management system that enables you to post updates on your own is a wise investment. An inside tip: Most Web sites are compatible with Adobe Contribute, a content management software package that costs under $200. While not ideal for all situations, it’s a great starting point if you don’t have a content management system in place. b. Drive New Leads. Your Web site can work as a valuable lead generator – but only if it is set up properly. In order for search engines such as Google and Yahoo to index your site and serve it up as a reference in Web searches, your site needs to be key word rich, and feature backend title descriptions that can be easily picked up by the search engines. Your Web site should also feature lead capture points – such as places where people can register to receive your newsletter or access case studies. 2. Write and Submit Press Releases: There are tens of thousands of print and online publications that constantly need relevant, timely content to distribute to their readership. And if your business has news to deliver, there are bound to be publications interested in sharing it on your behalf. The key word is “news”. Before writing a release, ask yourself if the information you have to share is really newsworthy – meaning something that would be of general interest to readers. If the answer is `yes’, the next step is to write a compelling headline that conveys the news and grabs the attention of the editor you are targeting. Keep in mind that your press release is one of dozens that has arrived in the editor’s email box that day. As such, if you want to get past the automatic trash bin, make sure the subject line is compelling enough to catch the editor’s eye. From there, write a succinct release that answers the basics: who, what, why, when and where. Need help structuring a press release? Do a quick Google search and you’ll find plenty of examples and tips. 3. Distribute an e-Newsletter: If your company doesn’t yet distribute an e-newsletter, now is the time to start. Informative e-newsletters filled with case studies and short, relevant content about your company and industry ensures your business stays in front of prospects. It also provides you with fresh content to feed to search engines. E-newsletter distribution services such as iContact are ideal because a) they are inexpensive; b) they offer newsletter templates for use, and feature comprehensive tracking tools to measure the effectiveness of your newsletter; c) they have agreements in place with all the major Internet service providers to prevent blocking – ensuring that the newsletter you send out gets delivered to the intended recipient. Note: Service restrictions prevent mass emailing to unknown recipients. 4. Seek Out Speaking Engagements: With competition for customers fierce, business credibility is more critical than ever. And speaking engagements are a great way to establish this credibility and stand out from the crowd. Identify conferences that target the audiences you want to reach, then submit a session topic that complies with speaker submission guidelines. 5. Get Involved with Social Networks: If your business isn’t taking advantage of the vast array of social networking and social media sites now available, you are missing out on the single most cost-effective marketing medium of the 21st Century. There are numerous social networking sites that can connect your business to 7. Offer Enticing Incentives: Especially in tough times, there is nothing like the chance to win big money to generate buzz and motivate your prospects to act. And if you think that offering a big prize sweepstakes is out of your budget reach, think again. There are companies that specialize in large prize promotions featuring promotional risk coverage – meaning that they will work with your company to develop a big money promotion or sweepstakes, calculate the odds of having a winner, and then underwrite the promotional risk with an A+ insurance company. The result is that you can offer prizes ranging from $10,000 to $1 million or more, for a fraction of the actual prize value. And should a win occur, your company is paid the money so you can award the prize. Ingrid Ricks is Principal of RC Strategies Group, a digital promotions and e-marketing firm. For more information, visit www.rcstrategiesgroup.com. http://www.wordpress.com http://www.Work.com http://www.articlemarketer.com http://www.articlemarketer.com http://www.rcstrategiesgroup.com http://www.prepaidmarkets.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Prepaid Press - February 2009

Payments & Processing: Prepaid Debit Card Trends Contents The Retske Report: A Courthouse Divided Regulatory Rundown Prepaid Business: 5 Minutes With Darren Dat Lu, CEO of Lunex Group Prepaid Telecom: International Mobile Top-Up Virgin Mobile USA Compliance Plan Accepted by NYSE Tata Communications Launches One IP World KIT Communications Selects PhoenixSoft Sprint Nextel Increases Payments to Virgin Mobile Motorola, Sprint and Boost Mobile Welcome iDEN Flip PhoenixSoft Announces New Program Virgin Mobile Partners with Susan G. Komen The State of Prepaid Technology: Prepaid Virtual Operators Emerge Prepaid Wireless Roundup Boost Launches ‘Monthly Unlimited’ in More Cities Cricket Selects Callidus On-Demand Solution ICC Worldwide Expands Prepaid Products IPsmarx Launches SIP Based Card Platform The Legal Line Prepaid Telecom in Brief Pinnacle Rolls Out Ingenico’s Payment Terminals TransCard Makes Staff Announcements H&R Block Bank Selects MasterCard Avangate Pays Vendors and Affiliates with Prepaid MC TIO Networks Announces Grant of Stock Options TSYS Offers Enhanced Loyalty Solution First American Payment Systems Inks Deal with RDM Hypercom Introduces HyperSafe Remote Key System i2c Expands Team iPayStation Integrates with Movistar Payments & Processing in Brief New Javelin Report on Evolving Prepaid Card Market TransCard, Socialwise Plan to Revolutionize Prepaid Congresswoman Introduces Financial Literacy Act Industry Analysis on Mobile Banking Available Gift Cards & Promotions: Seven Cost-Conscious Marketing Strategies for 2009 Ntreev USA Announces PvP Tournament hhgregg to Help Circuit City Customers NRF Releases December Industry Sales Cellfire Expands Kroger Mobile Coupon Program Petrofix.com Offers a New Fuel Solution Gift Cards & Promotions in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - February 2009

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