• Quick Response: How Strategic Execution Makes QR Effective

  By Jessica Donlon | Posted Oct 6, 2011 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Technology

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  Quick response (QR) codes are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been around since 1994, when Toyota used the scannable labels on auto assembly lines. More recently, QR has entered the marketing world as a tech-savvy way to connect mobile users to the web, and your brand.

  According to Fast Company, it’s a craze that Americans have gone wild over. Before your company gets too excited about QR, consider why mobile is important to any marketing campaign, and how the most effective QR campaign (however flashy it may be), starts with a solid strategy.

  Know the Mobile Landscape

  Any time you leave your home, it’s likely that the three things you have with you are your keys, wallet and phone. However, cell phones aren't just for calls anymore, they're for access to information when and where you need it, whether it's a map to the closest pizza shop or a review of the product in your hand at the checkout counter. Therefore, when you are in a store or on the road and ready to buy, you are more likely to use your mobile device; less aggressive product browsing is easier on a desktop.

  Tapping into buyers while they’re mobile is a great way to hit your audience at a point further in the decision-making process. In fact, a study commissioned by Google found that 88 percent of users looking for information on their smartphones are likely to take action within one day. QR codes are a fun and engaging way to put your brand directly onto a users mobile device when they need it most. 

  Start with the Strategy

  As with any of your other marketing tactics and channels, make sure not to become so caught up in the details of shiny, “new” QR to forget about how it will tie into the overall strategy of your larger campaign, message or objective. When planning for a QR campaign, consider the following:

  Audience: Is your audience familiar with QR technology? While marketers are knowledgeable, adoption among the general public has grown slowly:

  • ComScore research found that in the US, QR codes are mainly used in traditional ads. 
  • Another study from Lab42 found that of 500 Americans, 58 percent were unfamiliar with QR codes.
  • Among the student demographic, a Ypulse survey found that 64 percent of high school and college students say they are unfamiliar with QR codes, and of the 36 percent that are familiar, only 17 percent have scanned them.

  User Experience: There’s a technical side to what happens after the scan.

  For the best user experience, make sure your website is mobile. Consider dedicating a specific landing page to the campaign, or an even more personalized user experience with a pURL campaign that tracks responses and preferences.

  Ensure that you have analytics set up, are using a credible link shortening system to avoid hacking or unintentional redirects, and have the functionality (large buttons, clear calls to action, etc.) to make for an enjoyable user experience.

  With the right technologies in place behind the scenes, the creative marketer can now devote time to the meat of the campaign—what happens for the user after the scan?

  Purpose, Value & Call to Action: What is the purpose of the QR code? Hopefully, it relates to a larger campaign, or the QR campaign itself is a creative and engaging way to drive leads while providing value to your audience. Start planning with this end-goal in mind to make sure QR makes sense for your marketing strategy.

  QR Codes with Purpose

  While attending the FutureM conference in Boston, Farrah Bostic (@farrahbostic) shared one of the best examples of QR technology I’ve seen to date. What made it so great? It had function, utility, and it provided value to its audience.

  Tesco Home Plus in Korea set up virtual grocery stores in subway and metro stations for people to do their grocery shopping while in line for the train. (See video below.) Using QR codes placed on each product, users can create a virtual shopping list, check out, and have their groceries delivered to their homes or office—all via a mobile phone.

  Why it’s great:

  • Tesco knew its audience. Launching the campaign on-the-go to Korean professionals—profiled as some of the busiest people in the world—gave the company an early win and nod to expand in other markets.
  • It’s useful. The QR codes do something, as opposed to taking you to an ad or mobile site for additional information. The campaign makes customers’ lives easier.
  • It’s beautiful. The creative behind the campaign makes you feel like the subway or metro station has been transformed to a grocery store. It catches attention, while the functionality and usefulness keep it.

  What campaigns have you seen that drive traffic, work seamlessly, and make you take notice? Do they also tie to an overarching brand strategy, message or objective?

  Jessica Donlon is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Connect with Jessica on Twitter @JessicaDonlon.

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  Image Credit: Hudson

• Nonprofit Text Message Marketing Campaigns

  By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Apr 15, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Marketing, Technology

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  “Text ‘Haiti’ to 90999… “

  This simple call to action, which was broadcasted on television, the radio and across social networking sites, helped the American Red Cross raise more than $32-million for Haitian earthquake relief in January. To date, it is the most successful mobile-giving campaign; and therefore, has sparked much interest from other nonprofits looking to emulate the Red Cross’ success.

  With today’s wide adoption of mobile phones — 83% of U.S. adults have cell phones or smart phones and 35% of users have accessed the Internet via their phone — there is a growing opportunity for nonprofit organizations to use short message service (SMS) campaigns (also known as text message campaigns) to gather support and funds for their causes.

  However, prior to doing so, it is important to evaluate both the pros and cons of implementing this type of fundraising, and to consider how a mobile campaign would fit into your overall marketing strategy.

  Convenience Factor

  The main benefit of texting campaigns is that they are convenient and instant for donors. All the donor has to do is send a specific text message to the short code provided (“90999” in the case of the Red Cross). Donations are then charged to the donor’s phone bill.

  Since this can be done while a contributor is on the go and doesn’t require providing a credit card number, it makes donating fast and easy, thus increasing the likelihood that people will contribute.

  As stated in “Has Mobile Giving Reached a Tipping Point?” by Tony Aiello, co-founder and CEO of mGive, a mobile-giving technology company, “The real power of text donations is in its immediacy and its ability to expand the number of people involved in charitable giving.”

  Characteristics of Successful Texting Campaigns

  Despite the benefits, mobile fundraising campaigns can be costly to implement. For example, mGive charges from $399/month-$1,499/month plus successful donation transaction fees to use its platform. (Note: Monthly fees vary based on the number of outgoing messages.) Because of this, nonprofits need to evaluate how much they stand to make, and whether their organization will achieve a significant return on investment with mobile giving, prior to launching a campaign.

  Tied to an Event

  Geoff Livingston (@GeoffLiving), co-founder of Zoetica, a communication agency for nonprofits and socially conscious companies, said, “For texting to be really effective in my opinion, you need an event in time (good or bad), and significant stakeholder base to make it financially viable,” during a Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion.

  For example, the Red Cross’ campaign centered on the earthquake in Haiti, and the organization had a network of more than 700,000 volunteers, 34,000 employees, 4,000,000 blood donors, 180 national societies and 720 locally supported chapters to rally behind its cause, in addition to a large percentage of the population who were educated about the campaign through advertisements, news media and social networks. Other event-based examples include: Tom Brady and United Way's campaign during the 2008 Super Bowl and Alicia Keys and Keep a Child Alive's campaign during Keys' American Idol Appearance.

  Stakeholder Base

  As for the size of the stakeholder base, Livingston recommended a base of at least 100,000 cold contacts. That way, if the nonprofit has a 1% success ratio at $5-$10, it will roughly cover the costs for one month. For example, 100,000 contacts would result in approximately 1,000 donors, and consequently a minimum of $5,000. Compare this to the typical cost of $3,000 to $10,000 to run the campaign. For smaller organizations, the costs will likely outweigh the benefits.

  It is also important to consider the demographics of the stakeholder base. In the case of the Red Cross campaign, younger people were more likely to contribute via text than older generations — a trend that is likely to span across organizations. By taking a good look at its current donor base, organizations can better determine whether SMS campaigns will appeal to their contributors. 

  Organizational Reach

  A final item to consider is whether the organization has the power and reach necessary to promote the campaign. Consider the following:

  • Does the organization have a community of followers on social networking sites that will help spread the message?
  • Do they have an email or phone list to promote the campaign through?
  • Are there key influentials who are interested in, and willing to, spread the word?
  • Are funds available to advertise the campaign via traditional, online and mobile outlets?

  Common SMS Fundraising Challenges

  Even for organizations that seem to be a good fit for texting campaigns, there are still some challenges to consider, including:

  • Working with third party vendors — According to the Mashable article “5 Real Challenges For Non-Profit Texting Campaigns,” nonprofits cannot simply partner with the cell phone carrier, instead they need to go through third party vendors, who typically have strict regulations when working with them.  Note: Some third party vendors to look into include: mGive, Mobile Giving Foundation, Wireless Foundation and Mobile Commons.
  • Donation restrictions — Due to regulations, individual donations are capped at $5-$10. Because of this, organizations run the risk of limiting someone’s donation, since donors might give more if solicited through other channels, such as direct mail, the Web or email marketing.
  • Mistyped codes — As mobile giving increases in popularity, donors will need to make sure they are typing in the correct keyword and short code; otherwise, the money may not go to the organization it is intended.
  • Length of messages — With a 160 character limit on text messages, organizations need to learn how to be short and concise in their appeal, while still driving people to action.
  • Funds are not immediate — During the Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion, Wendy Harman (@wharmon), social media manager at the American Red Cross, said that it typically takes 60-90 days for the nonprofit to receive donations through text.

  Marketing Integration

  The final piece to a successful mobile fundraising campaign is integration with other marketing efforts. By including the campaign in an integrated marketing plan, nonprofits can maximize the effectiveness of text-message campaigns, build up their databases of supporters, and increase awareness about their causes.

  Opt-In for More

  One integration element may be to follow donations with a message that asks donors to opt-in to receive text message updates about the organization, connect with the organization on social networks, or sign up for an email newsletter. Establishing a channel for ongoing communication will allow nonprofits to follow-up with donors after the campaign.  Note: Never send unsolicited text messages or emails to people. Only send to those people who have agreed to receive updates.

  During the Chronicle of Philanthropy live discussion, Wendy Harman explained the Red Cross’ follow-up this way: “The American Red Cross can text those who opt in to receive texts from us four times per month. We have used these additional texts to share the impact the donor's donation has had in Haiti and to invite them to follow us on Twitter or sign up for email updates.”

  Link to Existing Campaigns

  Another tactic to consider is linking mobile giving with existing fundraising campaigns. For example, the American Cancer Society may be able to incorporate text message fundraising into its Relay for Life events, or public broadcasting outlets may be able to incorporate it into their annual phonations. Think of those initiatives you already have planned, and whether this added fundraising platform could enhance your efforts.

  Advertise through Established Channels

  Promote your texting campaign through established channels, such as your organization’s email newsletter, annual publications, direct mail pieces and social networks. Use these outlets to spread the message among those people who already have a vested interest in your cause.

  Encourage Supporters to Tell Others

  Consider prompting donors to alert their friends or followers of the campaign through status updates on Facebook or Twitter, or providing tell-a-friend options where donors can send text messages to those people in their address book, asking them to donate as well.

  Your Thoughts on Mobile Giving

  • Which organizations/situations are ideal for mobile giving campaigns?
  • What effect will mobile giving have on future fundraising campaigns?
  • What benefits and challenges are associated with mobile giving?
  • How can mobile giving fit within a larger marketing strategy?

  Special thanks to Geoff Livingston, Wendy Harmon and the Chronicle of Philantrophy for hosting the "Text-Message Fund Raising: What Your Group Needs to Know" live discussion in March, which inspired this post.

  Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.
  

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  Photo Credit: isla_yelo

• Paying Attention to Your Alexa Rankings?

  By Laurel | Posted Apr 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Business, Internet Marketing, Resources, Technology

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  If you check your Website’s Alexa Ranking on a regular basis, chances are you noticed a change over the past week.
  
  Whether your Alexa Ranking improved and you started patting yourself on the back for your SEO skills, or it weakened and left you scratching your head, you can rest assured that you (fortunately or unfortunately) most likely had little to do with it.
  
  Thanks to the Internet marketing gurus at HubSpot, we know that the drastic change experienced by many sites occured because Alexa recently changed its algorithm.  Here are the basics:
  

  • Rankings now include more data sources.
  • Alexa has improved the methodology behind its algorithm.
  • The changes provide you, the one concerned about how your Website traffic stands up on the World Wide Web, with more accurate rankings.

  Learn more about the new Alexa Rankings straight from the source.

  Not sure what we’re talking about?

  Find out more about Alexa, a free online tool that ranks your Website traffic and how it compares to other sites on the Web – including those of your competitors.

  
  

• Talking Management with Jason Fried, 37signals

  By Paul | Posted Dec 30, 2007 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Business, Management, Resources, Technology

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  If you aren't familiar yet with 37signals, and its founder, Jason Fried, do yourself a favor and check out this video from Crain's Chicago Business. Founded in 1999, the company designs web-based software for individuals and businesses. 37signals estimates that more than 1 million people use its products. To date, Jeff Bezos of Amazon is its only outside investor. Their products are simple and affordable, and as their Web site says, "they do everything you need and nothing you don't." Here are a few outtakes from the Crain's video, Talking Management: Leadership Lessons from Jason Fried. He offers an interesting perspective as the leader of a high-growth technology company that has become a media darling, and is sought after by investors:

  • "We're not big into increasing our headcount. We're big on increasing our influence."
  • "Interruption is the biggest enemy of productivity that there is."
  • "We have free versions of all of our products. And that's actually the best way to get someone to pay for something."
  • "We're focused on building things that provide way more value than they cost."
  • "People are always willing to pay for something they find valuable."
  • "I love the idea of building simple tools that work really well."
  • "I don't think you need to be a big company anymore to do big things."

  Screenshot from Basecamp, 37signals' project management and collaboration platform.

  

• What Can Google Do For Your Business?

  By Paul | Posted Dec 30, 2007 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Technology

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  On the heels of surpassing the $200 billion mark in market value (which by the way is more than the combined value of News Corp, Disney, Viacom and CBS), Google amassed nearly 4 billion search queries in September, according to the latest report from Nielsen Online.
  
  That's 54 percent of all online queries conducted at the top U.S. search providers. Yahoo! Search is second with 1.4 million (19.5 percent).
  
  So, as Google's influence continues to expand, here are a few practical tips to help your business tap into the wealth of services offered by the search giant:

  • Sign up to receive Google News Alerts for your company, competitors and industry.

  • Create custom Google Maps of your headquarters to post online, and send in emails.

  • Research and monitor discussions and trends in the social media world through Google Blog Search and Google Groups.

  • Launch a pay-per-click campaign with Google AdWords.

  • Submit your Website to be indexed by Googlebot.

  To find even more uses for Google in your business, check out the Google Business Solutions site.

• Is Social Media More Relevant Than Mainstream Media?

  By Paul | Posted Dec 30, 2007 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Business, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Technology

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  Mainstream media (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc.) continues to play an essential role in every PR campaign; however, social media sites such as Digg, Reddit, Mashable and Del.icio.us are becoming more relevant and rapidly changing the way people consume news.
  
  The Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ)recently released an intriguing report - "The Latest News Headlines - Your Vote Counts" - comparing the news agenda of the mainstream media for one week with the news agenda found on a host of user-news sites for the same period.
  
  Here are a few of the key findings:

  • The news agenda of the three user-sites that week was markedly different from that of the mainstream press. Many of the stories users selected did not appear anywhere among the top stories in the mainstream media coverage studied.
  • The sources news sites draw on are strikingly different from the mainstream media. Seven in ten stories on the user sites come either from blogs or Web sites such as YouTube and WebMD that do not focus mostly on news.
  • The user-news agenda, at least in this one-week snapshot, was more diverse, yet also more fragmented and transitory than that of the mainstream news media.

  The report goes on to conclude that, "For now, the percentage of Americans who rely exclusively on news from user-driven sites is just a fraction of what it is for mainstream news sites. And in this increasingly fragmented era, many who visit Digg, Del.icio.us, and Reddit may also be reading the online versions of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal."
  
  "But whether or not we see further divergence between user-driven sites and mainstream media over the next few years will surely remain a key question for researches, journalists, and of course, citizens."
  
  While the debate continues, one thing is for sure - the PR industry is evolving, and traditional agencies that don't quickly adapt to integrate social media will be left behind.
  
  See what The San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the PEJ report:
  
  User-news sites offer diverse stories, some questionable source
  The San Francisco Chronicle
  By Joe Garofoli - Sept. 12, 2007
  
  . . . The traditional news outlet wants to put a lot of gravitas on their front page. They want the readers to eat their spinach," said Kourosh Karimkhany, general manager of Wired Digital, which owns Reddit. Technology allows users to create their own news "agenda" from multiple online sources, rendering a traditional front page increasingly "irrelevant," he said.
  
  Instead, on these growing sites - Digg welcomed 19.5 million unique visitors last month - consumers rely on the "wisdom of crowds" (other readers) to figure out what are the top stories of the day.
  
  The study found that the news items on these sites are "more diverse, more transitory and often draw on a very different and perhaps controversial list of sources." It found that 40 percent of the stories on user-news sites originated on blogs and 24 percent came from mainstream sites like BBC News. Only 5 percent came from wire services. . . .

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