Have you ever met anyone that doesn’t like surprises? Now, I’m not talking about surprises like losing your job or something tragic. I’m speaking of surprises that bring a positive response.

A few years ago I was pleasantly surprised when my family threw a surprise birthday party for me. I was blown away by the people that came to make this day special. While many would think that this might be intrusive, because I had a relationship with my guests I welcomed their unexpected gesture.

There are also occasions that I’ll receive random things in the mail from t-shirts to books – totally unexpectedly that makes the sender look pretty cool in my eyes.

Mobile Marketing Should Include Surprises

Consumers sign up for text alerts to receive score updates, bank alerts, notifications, news updates, as well as a host of other services. Advertisers are always looking for opportunities to leverage SMS campaigns, but often times the most effective strategy is sprinkling a few surprises in with the rest of your messaging.

Text messaging should never feel like spam. If you build your campaign around a double opt in feature, your surprises should be welcomed by the consumer.

Surprises such as:
1. Coupons
2. Free Wallpapers
3. Free Item or product
4. Free Service for a limited time
5. Notice of a contest to win an item of value

All of these are just ideas that not only surprise the consumer, but also have the potential to generate buzz around your text messaging campaign. Many times the most effective results come from word of mouth.

If you can generate buzz by just sending a few unexpected surprises, then you increase the opportunity to build your database and hopefully begin the transition from consumers to evangelists.

Since the core of what we do at Doe-Anderson is building relationships between consumers and brands, we thought it would be cool to use relationships as a theme. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, all this month we’ll be sharing 28 Days to Make People Fall in Love with Your Brand. We hope you enjoy it.

Ever plan a romantic surprise with someone you’re trying to get closer to, only to have it blow up in your face?

Sometimes, a surprise can be a good thing.  But sometimes, it can be a disaster.

In marketing and advertising, nowhere is this more the case than in website user interface design.

While a company website should be creative and surprising, things like the navigation and layout should still follow common conventions.  No one likes to feel stupid and confused.

“Mystery meat” navigation is a major turn-off to your site’s visitors.   Love them enough to make “where do I go next” a nice, predictable, comfortable experience, and you stand a better chance of getting them to love you back.

Offer your website visitors a simple, easy-to-grasp user experience, and their response will be no surprise at all.

Since the core of what we do at Doe-Anderson is building relationships between consumers and brands, we thought it would be cool to use relationships as a theme. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, all this month we’ll be sharing 28 Days to Make People Fall in Love with Your Brand. We hope you enjoy it.

The three letter word that everyone likes to hear is “YES!” However, it can be the hardest commitment to get.

The biggest frustration in the digital space in when you’re not seeing the results that you would like to see. The most common mistake is not because their website doesn’t look cool or their blog lacks content, it’s often because there is no clear call to action.

What is it that you want the person to do?

Do you want them to subscribe, send to a friend or purchase your product? If there is no call to action they’re not going to do it on their own. It’s vital if you want to accomplish your business goals that you clearly call out what you want them to do.

Here are a few tips to consider when creating an effective call to action.

1. Language
Sign up Now, Download Now, Subscribe Now, Leave a Comment are all short messages that ask the visitor to do something.

2. Create a Sense of Urgency
Words like “now” and “today” are words that command an immediate response.

3. Make Sure Your Call to Action is Specific
Again, tell them exactly what you want them to do.

4. Size, Color and Position
Mixing up color, size and positioning are all effective ways to enhance your call to action.

5. Make Your Call to Action Clickable
If it’s a text link it should at least be underlined and buttons should have a 3-D look to them.

If you’re not getting the results that you are looking, check out your call to action. Make a few changes, test and see what happens.

Since the core of what we do at Doe-Anderson is building relationships between consumers and brands, we thought it would be cool to use relationships as a theme. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, all this month we’ll be sharing 28 Days to Make People Fall in Love with Your Brand. We hope you enjoy it.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  Whether your beloved left a copy of The Five Love Languages lying around conspicuously open to the “Gifts” chapter, or has been walking around the house singing “Diamond’s Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” it’s likely that you’ve given some thought lately to expressions of affection that are more tangible than a kiss on the cheek or a really great compliment.

The Beatles may have known that you can’t buy love, but affection is somewhat more negotiable.  As Madonna sang way back in the 80s, we are living in a material world.  And one way to endear your brand to consumers is by, well, giving them stuff.

For a brand, that may look like an online contest or sweepstakes to court people who aren’t already passionate fans.  It may be the surprise and delight elements of a brand ambassador program to reward those who already love you.

It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be special.  It has to authentically reflect you as the giver, and be genuinely desirable to the intended recipients.

It should be memorable, and it should get the recipients talking about you to all their friends.

Because an engaged, passionate brand fan?  Is priceless.

Since the core of what we do at Doe-Anderson is building relationships between consumers and brands, we thought it would be cool to use relationships as a theme. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, all this month we’ll be sharing 28 Days to Make People Fall in Love with Your Brand. We hope you enjoy it.

Desperate times can cause you to do desperate things. However, just because you’ve been given someone’s email address or mobile number doesn’t mean you’ve been given permission to fill their inboxes with spam.

There’s a fine line between providing useful content and being labeled a spammer. Whether your managing a CRM program or your executing an email or SMS campaign, strategic insight into your consumer base is vital.

The strategy is knowing how much content to send, and how often it should be sent. The challenge is knowing that if you don’t communicate enough you could lose your place of influence with the consumer. There also is the challenge that if you send to much communication you lose your voice and become just another noisy spammer.

Once you have lost your place of influence it won’t be long until the consumer will unsubscribe from your content.

I can’t count how many CRM programs and email newsletters I’ve unsubscribed to because the sender’s strategy was quantity over quality. At the end of the day, the goal is for the consumer to follow your call to action.

Communication is an art. Consumers are real people and email addresses are gold.

Perhaps the next time you think your consumers need another “blast,” you should ask yourself, “what would I do with the content I’m sending?”