[Welcome back to the You Can Be a Word of Mouth Marketing Supergenius! newsletter. This is text from the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]
Handouts, giveaways, and freebies are classic word of mouth tools. But before you put in the next order for yours, make sure you’ve got these key ingredients in the mix:
1. It’s valuable
2. It’s reusable
3. It’s fun
1. It’s valuable
A great handout will be valuable to your talker. Think umbrellas at a Seattle conference, seat cushions at the stadium, maps at tourist spots, or sunscreen at the beach. Remember, “valuable” doesn’t have to mean expensive — it just has to solve a problem for your potential talkers.
2. It’s reusable
Here’s an important element most handouts miss: It works best when your fans hang on to it and reuse it down the road. Sure, they may carry your cheap bag around the conference for a day — but it’s a much bigger win if they use it all year. More than the quality of the product, think about its design (does your logo really need to be that big?) and practicality (if all you’re going to offer is size XXXL shirts, why bother?).
3. It’s fun
Above all, people love to share the things that make them smile. It works for your copy, for your presentations, and for your handouts, too. We’ve seen it with the pins, buttons, and goofy giveaways we often share — and in another example, longtime sponsor of our BlogWell series, ICUC Moderation Services, hands out a booklet called “The World’s Funniest Moderated Comments: Uncensored” at each event.
