Dear r2,
There are various methods, which can maximise your effectiveness in
spreading a message through email. I would refer to it as "marketing"
although your intention ("what high school people around the world
went to for a research project") could be also research (here I should
add that there are many problems attached to the validity of research
using Internet quationaires, so if that was your intention, you migth
want to re-consider).
Anyway, there are several "proven" methods to spread your messages to
as many people as possible.
One of them, pretty known, is to have some kind of "viral" effect in
it. No, it's not a virus and if you prefer a more "positive" term, it
is also called "word of mouth" marketing. It is something that would
make people forward this email to others. That could be a joke, a
game, a graphical component (movie, gif, etc), a sweepstakes
annoucement, etc. Sometimes it could be just a signature in the email
- something like "get your answers at google asnwers!"
If you get forwards with funny pictures, jokes, and contests from your
friends, you probably know what I mean.
These site contains many articles regarding email marketing in
general, and viral marketing in particular :
http://www.digitrends.net/marketing/13640.html (this site also
contains information regarding the legal aspects of email marketing,
and as already noted in the comments, adhere to the law and don't
spam, create Pyrmide schemes, or do anything that might be illegal).
http://caars.doveexpress.com/ - this site offers viral marketing
tools.
http://www.meesels.com/pages/solutions/viralmarketing.asp - also offer
viral marketing tools (which seem to me more reliable).
http://www.involveinc.com/products_viral.html - another commercial
marketing tools supplier.
http://www.viralmarketer.com/ - the name says it all
http://www.addme.com/issue114.htm - this guy offers free tips in his
article on "DIY" viral marketing.
http://www.dsc-webservices.com/articles/case_study.htm - idea from a
company that does viral marketing.
http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=77 - another article that
claims to explain how to do it.
http://www.markneting.com/word_mouse.htm
It should be noted, that viral marketing also has its cons, as this
article - http://todmaffin.com/articles/viral.htm - clearly shows. You
might not get to the people you want; your message might be distorted;
and in general - you're not in control as to whom this message gets
to.
Another strategy, could be to receive potential lists from companies
specialising in email marketing, and send the emails through them. The
problem with this strategy, is that your mail is identified as spam in
many cases and is deleted. Thus, despite its cons, viral marketing is
probably the best solution for you (however, if you want a list of
companies supplying email marketing tools such as mailing lists that
could be broken by elements such as age and country -
http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Marketing/Internet_Marketing/Marketing_Services/Opt-In_Email/
). These two fields are pretty close, so there might be some overlap
between companies.
So after we agreed that you must create an incentive to make people
forward this mail, here are several suggestions. The first, and most
simple, is that to ask people to forward the message. However, don't
use anything that might make it into a "chain letter" and the such
("Mary Kelly was a sick 78 year-old widow. She didn't send the letter
and died the next day!; Bill G. of Seattle was a college drop out with
some stupid computer idea. He sent this letter and became one of the
richest people on the planet!"), use legit ideas:
(1) Contest/Sweepstakes - Kids love them and are probably the main
users of freebies sites. It's pretty simple - answer the quiz (your
quetionnaire on highschool research), enter a sweepstakes for "X".
Your investment (except for the prize) is on constructing legal terms
for the contest, and starting the engine running. Remember that there
are legal limits on soliciting to minors, and on involvement in
sweepstakes under the age of 13.
(2) Forwarded commercial - much more expensive - a commercial that
would be original enough and would draw the prospective receivers to
forwards the email and/or to answer the quetionnaire.
(3) Game - lso very popular in this age group. Creating a simple but
fun game is not as creating a commercial (moreover, there are sites on
the web, like the ones listed here -
http://directory.google.com/Top/Games/Game_Design/Resources/ - which
provide you tools, usually shareware free ones - to create games).
In his book "Let Your Fingers do the Talking"
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0935047298/ltc-political) ,
Godfrey Harris and Tom Clarcke-Hill provide many useful tips on
Internet "word of mouth" marketing. I must admit, as someone who have
read their book, that it sometiems tend to be like those advice-books
that actually tell you thinks you could have thought of yourself.
However, they organize and explain everything very clearly, and it is
a very recommended book to start from. Furthermore, They also have
"don't-do"s, which are sometimes as important as the "do"s.
Other recommended books:
The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Trigger Exponential
Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth by George Silverman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0814470726/ltc-political - this
excellent book also have a website - http://www.mnav.com/default.htm
The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
by Emanuel Rosen - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385496672/ltc-political
Online, you can also find some (although somewhat shallow) guides to
the issue of viral/"word of mouth" marketing:
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/6246/ - good advices
http://www.wiredwebmasters.com/webmasters/viral_marketing.html - How
To Unleash Your Own Viral Marketing Campaign
http://www.rumorsofwar.net/Word_of_Mouse/word_of_mouse.html - a free
ebook - how to spread word of mouse":
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol43/buzz.htm - general tips
http://www.theglassceiling.com/wib2/ww4_48.htm - general tips
http://www.freesticky.com/stickyweb/articles/viralmarktricks.asp -
general tips
I hope that helped. Please contact me if you need anything else. I
also add here my search terms - there's a lot fo material on the
subject online.
Search terms:
viral email marketing
viral email marketing tools
"game programming" free tools
"word of mouth" marketing guide
"word of mouth" marketing manual
"word of mouth" marketing
viral marketing "step by step"
"word of mouse" |
