Poor RIM. Not only do they constantly seem to receive backlash regarding their lack of marketing efforts from “experts” like myself and other folks as qualified as myself (you know, like yourselves), but even when they make some sort of showing, there’ll still be some naysayers in the crowd. This time we’ve got blogger Rohit Bhargava talking about the recent “Share Your Stories” campaign that RIM has run and lists four crucial mistakes that the series makes. Come on, Rohit. They’re trying.
Mistake #1 – Not offering a payoff or incentive for users: Asking consumers to share their stories with you is one thing, but giving them an incentive beyond relying on their affinity for your brand is vital. This is not about turning any campaign into a contest with winners and prizes. The incentive could be as simple as guaranteeing that your story is shared with the most relevant people inside of Blackberry, or sending a personal email of thanks back. The point is, an incentive answers the question of why … and without necessarily promising a financial reward as the answer.
Mistake #2 – Forgetting about photos and video: It probably seems odd in this time of popularity for online video and YouTube for any User Generated Content campaign to launch without some ability for customers to include their photos and videos as part of their submissions. Of course text based entry is easier – but for those customers who really love their Blackberries, why not let them submit images and video. Particularly when one of the coolest features of the new Pearl is the integrated camera.
Go ahead and read the rest if you’re so inclined.
