In the marketing and communications world, every where we turn these days we are being bombarded by social media strategies and information on viral marketing.  And rightfully so. 

The way that social mediums, like blogs, networking sites and search engine rankings, have transformed MarComm as we know it is mind boggling.  Nowadays, a marketing and communications strategy is not complete without incorporating some Web-based and/or viral tactics. 

One of our favorite viral marketers is Brett Blankenship, who is not a marketer by trade at all.  In fact, he runs a small business in Orlando, called Nutty Idea, selling custom trail mix online.

Bucky Diggs, the official spokes"person" of Nutty Idea

The way we met Blankenship was through another blog  we manage, that he so carefully found by trolling the blogosphere for leads. 

Like many small business owners, Blankenship does not have a huge marketing budget like that of his competition.  Rather than spending big bucks with one of the marketing gurus who profess to get brands all over the web for pennies on the dollar, Blankenship jumped in and did it himself.

I visualize my competition sitting at home enjoying their families. They can out spend me but they can not out work me … that is one area I can compete with them in. - Brett Blankenship of NuttyIdea.net

You know what he found?  Nothing is free.  If time is money, then Blankenship is spending millions.  He claims success by pure relentlessness - one of they key reasons he has turned us at CMA  into a customer - and also a fan. 

Trolling the blogosphere:

• Find blogs with high Page Rankings (Blankenship went for at least a rank of 4-5 out of 10) and join the conversation. You don’t have to be a blatant advertisement with every post, but insert your product and how it can help, when applicable.
• Understand your demographic - Blankenship’s target customer is mid-to-upper class and well educated on search engine rankings.  Because of this Blankenship put more emphasis on having his site appear in natural search engine rankings than cost-per-click rankings
• Use search terms to find free blogs or discussion groups
• Like your customer, put the blog first - don’t always jump right in with your product or Web site; join the conversation and the rest will flow naturally
• Think outside of your area of expertise.  Rather than just hitting up blogs specific to trail mix and snack food, Blankenship mines through other blogs that capture the interest of his target demographic.  For example, he religiously trolls the blog of Bob Parsons from GoDaddy.  Not only does Blankenship get free input into viral marketing from Parsons’ posts,  but as long as he stays on topic he can mingle the Nutty Idea  personal URL into his responses. According to AW stats, NuttyIdea.net  usually gets 11 - 15 percent of its monthly traffic from just a simple post or two on Parsons’ blog.

Social Networking:

• Facebook 
  • Network through existing friends and family’s contacts to grow your “friend” base
  • Find a common thread - Get to know something personal about your contacts and see how your product might benefit them
  • Develop a fan page and ask your network to pass it along through their network
  • Provide FREE relevant, timely and useful information for your “fans” on your page
• Twitter
  • Find contacts in your target customer demographic - search by region, interests, age, etc.
  • Respond to DMs, @ replies and re-tweets
  • Use the hashtag to your advantage - do a search for key words grouped by the # sign; join the conversation, provide a solution and follow new contacts

While Blankenship is  the utmost purveyor of trail mix, we simply can’t believe he doesn’t have at least some sort of classical training in marketing.  In closing his CMA interview, he reminds us of this:

Even all the posting on the blogs can be a detriment if I drop the ball on service and quality of my product.  That is another area that all these viral marketers forget. I need less traffic to do more business. 

When I get a new customer, I have an 80 percent rebuy, so that is residual income.  While all these num nums get customers to their site; they under deliver what they promise  and never to see that customer back again.

Protecting my brand is the most crucial.  There are convience stores that want me in there and even a high-end clothing chain that wants to offer my products, but I am afraid the freshness of my product, thus my brand, will be compromised, so I shy away.
- Brett Blankenship, NuttyIdea.net

We couldn’t have said it better, Brett.  

There are thousands of opportunities to gain new business and customer loyalty by use of viral marketing tactics.  How many hours in the day do you have?

For more information about NuttyIdea.net or developing a viral marketing and social media strategy for your super brand, contact us at info@consultmyagent.com.