Experiential Marketing: What is it?

They are programs that allow consumers to become active participants in a marketing effort. Well planned and executed experiential marketing programs can be very memorable and relevant and can result in a positive change in consumer behavior (such as making a purchase) and attitudes (such as changing brand preference).

Experiential Marketing played a big part in the promotion of the new touring show of Cirque Du Soleil OVO under the Big Top near the Mall of America. Fortunately I was able to participate in both the show and the Toddler Tuesday event where I observed young children and their parents learn how the performers prepare for a grand show.

Watching the little ones dance like no one was watching, picking out the design for a swoosh of color on their cheeks and a tickle of the brush on their nose was fun. They are so carefree and giddy with excitement hoping to look like the bugs on the stage. With OVO being a new show teeming with insects while people buzz about the high energy acrobatics that are performed by amazing artists I can’t help but wonder what impact we could have on our own businesses if we studied this performance.

I was in awe with the differences of what goes on behind the scenes verses what we see on the stage. Each costume takes up to 80 hours to complete, the performers work 6 days a week with 8 performances and everyone works together for one common goal. To put on an amazing show that will create memories for years to come.

The preparation, details, dedication and belief within the walls of the Big Top are lessons to be learned for every business owner.

Take a moment to ask yourself these questions about Experiential Marketing in your business:

Do my customers experience my products or services so they tell all of their friends? I certainly bragged about how OVO was incredible and that people show do what they can to go and see a live performance.

Did I WOW my audience with quality work? The costumes take up to 80 hours each to create. They were definitely amazing to look at.

Have I planned and prepared my presentations so that they go on without a glitch? The OVO performers are constantly practicing, tweaking and making sure they are in tip-top shape for the evenings performance.

Do I have the right team in place to help my business run like a well oiled machine? OVO’s team included people selling tickets, food station managers, ushers, technicians for lighting and safety, musicians, and more.

What I love about experiential marketing is the fact that you are engaged with the brand and become one of the best advertising channels for the company. Wouldn’t you rather have word of mouth referrals instead of paying for ads that may not capture the feeling and emotions like your neighbor can?

Do yourself a favor and go to the show. Not just for the entertainment but to watch how people are engaged and energized while at the show. Listen and you will hear the words and phrases like “incredible”, “amazing”, “talented”, “beautiful”, “they must practice all day long”, “I can’t wait to tell my friend”, etc.

Do you have the WOW factor in your business? Watch a short clip from the show now:

Categories : Market Research, Sales & Marketing

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Dec

5 Incredible Lead Generation Ideas

Posted by: Lisa Saline | Comments (1)

Ideas for capturing new leads and converting prospects into customers

As an expert in your field, you’ve got a ton of really important information in your
head. But you’ve got to get it out of your head and into some useful format for
lead generation. Information is the heart and soul of marketing, so you’ve got
to have some idea about the products you want to develop as part of your
overall strategy. Let’s talk about the top five.

1. White Papers
“White paper” is the corporate, fancy-pants term for an online article. A white paper
usually ranges from two to three pages and stands alone as an item customers or
prospects can download. White papers work great as a lead generation tool when
you ask prospects to provide their email address in exchange for your
valuable”"yet free”"information.

2. Free Reports
A free report is like a white paper, just a bit bigger. From a lead generation
standpoint, it holds more value than a white paper and is usually several pages
long. Free reports are great products to use as an add-on to online purchases.
“Buy Product X and receive three Free Reports!” You can also use them like
white papers and offer them as free downloads in exchange for contact
information.

3. E-Books
E-books are the killer product that can create a lead generation bonanza! Like a real book, an e-book is going to be long…at least 50 pages. The fact that it’s a real book makes the perceived value huge. If the copy inviting prospects to download your e-book is well-written and compelling, you can generate several thousand new
leads from this one lead generation tool alone.

4. Audio Reports
An audio report helps prospects get a feel for what you and your company are all about. It’s a way for prospects to talk to you about doing business without really
taking to you. Using audio reports as part of your campaign can boost brand
loyalty and help you prospects commit to a sale. If you are well known in your
industry – or if you can hire someone who is – you have the power to generate a
LOT of leads using audio reports.

5. Webinars
No joke. Webinars can drive an endless stream of customers to your business. Like audio reports, they give customers a feed for your company. But webinars go way beyond teaser information. The power-punch of the webinar is that it lets you cover the entire sales pitch AND close the deal. Another bonus is that webinars can be recorded. That lets you leverage your time by making the pitch once and then playing the presentation again and again for new groups of prospects. Talk
about a time saver!

How Does It Work?
Here’s the way it works, in a nutshell.

Develop information products.
Make the available on your site in exchange for contact information.
Send out an announcement to your email list that also creates a sense of urgency.
Put tools in place to track downloads and capture new leads.
Follow-up with leads to convert them into customers.

Bingo!
You’ve got your very own lead-generation machine!

To check out some real lead generation products, download a free
report about Email Marketing 2.0.

Categories : Contact Management, Keyword Research, Market Research, Traffic Generation

Comments (1)

Apr

6 Forms of Inbound Marketing Campaign

Posted by: Lisa Saline | Comments (1)

The majority of marketers on the Internet use outbound marketing in some way or another in order to draw people into their website. If you really want to make use of the Internet to the full, however, you need to utilize inbound marketing properly. When you do this, the amount of traffic that visits your website can really be overwhelming. Here are 7 different forms of inbound marketing that you might want to use in your business.

Blogs – it seems that everybody is blogging nowadays, and not only does it help you to have a voice on the Internet, it is also an excellent way for you to be found. Many blogs are interlinked together through what is called RSS, and this can help people to hop from a related blogs over to yours. Simply by posting things that are related to your business, you can have inbound traffic.

E-books – E-books have been around for quite some time, and that they are an excellent way for you to pull people into your website. One thing that you may want to do, is try putting out a free e-book that will be passed around. This form of viral marketing pulls people into your website, and once it gets started, it seems to take on a life of its own.

Videos – The most popular type of websites that are online now are video websites. It seems that online video is here to stay, and you can grab a part of this with your own inbound marketing campaigns. Posting videos that are related to your niche on high-traffic video websites, such as YouTube will naturally pull people that are interested in what you have to say.

Search Engine Optimization – This is the mother of all inbound marketing techniques online. By optimizing for keywords and keyword phrases that are related to your target audience, you can pull free traffic off of the search engines directly to your website. The people that tend to come from the search engines visit as a result of some very specific searches. This means that you have a hot audience from the start.

Webinars – Holding an online seminar is also an excellent way to promote your service or product through inbound marketing. People love webinars, and even if they don’t make it to the actual event, you can post it on your website in recorded form and it will act as a form of inbound marketing for many years to come.

RSS Feeds – You can use RSS feeds in order to pull traffic into your website, as they generally get posted throughout the Internet on related websites. Not only that, it many times acts as a form of inbound link which helps to boost your SEO and get you more free traffic from the search engines.

The majority of marketers on the Internet use outbound marketing in some way or another in order to draw people into their website. If you really want to make use of the Internet to the full, however, you need to utilize inbound marketing properly. When you do this, the amount of traffic that visits your website can really be overwhelming. Here are 6 different forms of inbound marketing that you might want to use in your business.

1.) Blogs – it seems that everybody is blogging nowadays, and not only does it help you to have a voice on the Internet, it is also an excellent way for you to be found. Many blogs are interlinked together through what is called RSS, and this can help people to hop from a related blogs over to yours. Simply by posting things that are related to your business, you can have inbound traffic.

2.) E-books - E-books have been around for quite some time, and that they are an excellent way for you to pull people into your website. One thing that you may want to do, is try putting out a free e-book that will be passed around. This form of viral marketing pulls people into your website, and once it gets started, it seems to take on a life of its own.

3.) Videos - The most popular type of websites that are online now are video websites. It seems that online video is here to stay, and you can grab a part of this with your own inbound marketing campaigns. Posting videos that are related to your niche on high-traffic video websites, such as YouTube will naturally pull people that are interested in what you have to say.

4.) Search Engine Optimization - This is the mother of all inbound marketing techniques online. By optimizing for keywords and keyword phrases that are related to your target audience, you can pull free traffic off of the search engines directly to your website. The people that tend to come from the search engines visit as a result of some very specific searches. This means that you have a hot audience from the start.

5.) Webinars - Holding an online seminar is also an excellent way to promote your service or product through inbound marketing. People love webinars, and even if they don’t make it to the actual event, you can post it on your website in recorded form and it will act as a form of inbound marketing for many years to come.

6.) RSS Feeds – You can use RSS feeds in order to pull traffic into your website, as they generally get posted throughout the Internet on related websites. Not only that, it many times acts as a form of inbound link which helps to boost your SEO and get you more free traffic from the search engines.