Sharon's Marketing Monthly      

Insightful ideas for maximizing your message

Is it time to start the IMA?

If you want to be part of a marketing group to support your efforts, you've a plethora of choices! There's the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Association of Interactive Marketing (AIM), the eMarketing Association (EMA) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), to name the ones I'm familiar with. That a comprehensive list, but maybe incomplete. Maybe it's time to start the Indirect Marketing Association.

Why be indirect?
Indirect marketing is whatever you do that doesn't "directly" try to get people to buy from you. Google for "indirect marketing" and you get 6,950 results, so it's obviously not a new idea. But it's also not a formalized practice. In fact, many companies seem unaware of the potential payback possible with indirect marketing. That's probably because it lacks the direct correlation between the marketing money paid out and the customer dollars paid in.

But your other marketing has limited effectiveness if a potential customer isn't already familiar with you, especially in a world that bombards these folks with ads, postcards, popups and more. Indirect marketing makes the introduction and can even start a dialog. (Imagine showing up at a stranger's house unannounced. Uncomfortable! What if a mutual friend had mentioned your name beforehand and the poor soul knew something about you before opening the door to you? Do you think you'd get a warmer reception? Yep.)

How to sneak up on your customers...
There are many ways you can increase awareness of your company indirectly, including:

• Branding (the big kahuna of indirect marketing!)

• A helpful Web site with great content that's up-to-date, growing, easy to share, optimized, and linked to by others (which happens naturally when you have great content!)

• Emailed information that's popular and viral, like an e-newsletter or timely updates

• A spokesperson who represents your company as a face, voice, personality or all of the above

• Bite-size pieces, free stuff like tip sheets, white papers, samples, smaller versions of what you're really selling

It also helps to have an awesome product or service that people can't help noticing and talking about. (Think BlackBerry. Or Ann Taylor clothes.)

An idea whose time has come?
Is this a legitimate marketing practice that should be formalized? We could strive to make businesses more aware of and capable of the power of indirect marketing to influence their direct marketing efforts. We could share our strategies and develop methodologies. Just thinkin'...

Until next month!

Sharon

This month's challenge

This month, you have a choice: Think of one indirect marketing method that you can commit to for a year, and do it. Or just start the national IMA and let me know how to join.

And if you like what you read and know someone else who could use some monthly marketing insight, just click on the envelope to forward this to a friend!

Recommended read for April

I loved Malcom Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," so I'm amazed to discover that I love his second book, "Blink," even more. It's a fascinating look into how we make first impressions and snap judgments that are often uncannily accurate. It is, as the subtitle says, the power of thinking without thinking. And if marketers are going to make good use of their limited dollars and extensive research, they'd better read this book first!

(Have a marketing book you love? Feel free to recommend your favorites.)

Who is Sharon?

Sharon is the president of We Know Words, a sustainable marketing communications firm helping you connect with your past, present and potential customers. Being a woman of many opinions--and words--she writes the Marketing Monthly as a way to have her say. Besides, she loves newsletters.

What's up with the flower?

It's just us. Fresh, flourishing, cheerfuland it ties into our job: Helping clients grow their businesses through an effective mix of off- and on-line marketing. Besides, it's fun! Have you seen it plastered all over our Web site?