SME lessons from viral campaigns

Promotional products retailer 4imprint has created a new infographic entitled 'Going Viral' which outlines what small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could learn from successful viral marketing campaigns.

For instance, it advises that linking a campaign with something that is already popular, such as a TV show or a book, can be a particularly effective way of enabling a marketing drive to catch on among a certain audience or demographic.

Companies are also encouraged to think about product trials and giveaways to generate long-term interest in their offerings and to build customer loyalty.

Source: 4imprint.

Another key lesson for businesses is that social media can present SMEs with many opportunities to market their brand, with methods such as clever hashtags to spotlight a campaign.

Cheryl Jackson-Leafield, Marketing Manager of 4imprint UK and Ireland, commented: "While SMEs can never guarantee that a new marketing campaign will go viral, they can significantly boost their chances of taking the world by storm by ensuring it ticks all the right boxes."

View the full infographic here.

Blue paper to help SMEs craft Pinterest strategies

Promotional products retailer 4imprint has released a blue paper* that helps SMEs leverage on Pinterest to grow their businesses. The document shows how big brands have benefited from the social media platform and discusses how Pinterest could operate as part of a wider multi-channel marketing campaign. 

Source: Pinterest.

A key point is that Pinterest is visual-based and is therefore ideal for firms in sectors such as food, interior-design and fashion, says the company. Grow your Business with Pinterest notes that there is a lot of potential with 70 million registered users** for the site.

Cheryl Jackson-Leafield, Marketing Manager of 4imprint UK and Ireland, commented: "Pinterest draws traffic to websites, offers insight into customers' tastes and best of all is proven to inspire future purchases.

"Since the site is rapidly growing in popularity the opportunities to build brand awareness among a wider audience and to attract new customers are considerable." 

Read the blue paper here.
*Blue Papers are in-depth, 'how-to' articles covering a variety of topics to help organisations to succeed. 

**Pinterest has 70 million users, Semiocast, 10 July 2013.