Referral Marketing: Viruses!

It's that time of year when viruses (like this flu virus) run through society ... spreading their discomfort from person to person. It's also that time of year when people do alot more networking due to the many holiday parties jammed within a short amount of time. Viruses LOVE networking events and parties! You can bet they're the first ones to arrive at any function just waiting to shake your hand. These viruses can knock you out of commission and cause your wonderful holiday feast to taste like cardboard in your mouth.

Not all viruses are bad when it comes to referral marketing and networking. According to Wikipedia, "viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can also be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet.

Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along marketing message voluntarily. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or even text messages."

So, let's see if you're interested in spreading my new viral marketing message to your contacts. Check out this website http://www.29percentvideo.com/. Then, spread the word ... share it with your contacts ... ask them to view it too! Let's see if viral marketing is all it's cracked up to be.

In the meantime ... wash your hands ALOT. Especially before, during, and after a networking event. And never touch your nose!

Referral Marketing: Keep Your Promises

Today I read an article that really addressed the need to set standards that build trust and integrity in all you do. It was about keeping your promises.

In the article, posted in Smart Business Magazine Pittsburgh, by Jim Huling, it recounted a situation like one I'm sure many of us have faced before. Imagine, a typical busy day that includes traveling through an airport. In an airport, Jim met a long time friend (Sam) and after catching up a bit, Sam suggested that they meet up the following Tuesday for lunch. Jim agreed and then hurried off to catch his plane. On the following Tuesday, Jim gets a text message from Sam that says, "Are you coming?" In that instance, he remembered his commitment to Sam and failed to put it in his calendar. Consquently, he now had an appointment that prevented him from joining Sam for lunch. When he called to explain, he could tell Sam was dissapointed, but what he said to Jim stuck with him! Sam said, "I can understand what happened, but I wouldn't have expected it to happen with you."

I'm sure that this has happened to you ... it's happened to me too. The lesson learned is to focus on the moment ... know your weakness of forgetfulness ... record your promises, regardless of what it is. Be careful to make promises you can keep. Commit to keeping the promises you make. This will no doubt build trust and credibility in your relationships and in the long run, significantly enhance your overall referability, too!

Referral Marketing: Cast Your Ballot!

Today is a special day in our country! It's a day to freely express your opinion. A day to execute an American right to cast a ballot for the person you feel is right to move our country forward. A record number of voters is anticipated today and there are many assumptions as to why that will be the case.

In my opinion, the record turn-out will be due to the fact that people have been motivated like never before! People have participated in registering first time voters like never before! People have been inspired into motion ... like never before! Motivated, inspired and involved people can make things happen.

Imagine if you and your business were surrounded by motivated, inspired and involved people to help work your word of mouth marketing campaign? Imagine if the people who were referring you were as passionate as the campaigne volunteers have been for their candidate? Imagine if your message was shared with as much conviction as each candidate attempted to share to its supporters?

Each candidate took the race very seriously. Do you take YOUR word of mouth message as seriously as a run for the White House? Why not? Imagine how things might change if you did?

If you haven't done so already ... VOTE!