Here are some word-of-mouth marketing strategies you can use for your own website or business. All of them are D-I-Y and you don’t need to hire an expensive marketing firm to initiate them, although you should preferably have access to web designers and programmers, along with a basic budget for viral marketing.

1. Leverage Existing Social Networks. Online communities have a tightly knit group of users who can help to increase brand awareness for your product. Tap into these communities with tools or content targeting their specific sub-culture and you are likely to get a lot of attention.These can include applications for platform-specific websites like Facebook, Firefox and Wordpress, which each have a large body of users. Content which examines, mentions or analyzes mini-communities or sites within large overall niches will work as well.
2. Target the Influencers. Look for individuals who are trend-setters or authorities on a specific topic. They should preferably be individuals who have many personal connections or a large and loyal audience.If these people spread your message, your website or product will very easily be disseminated within a targeted group of potential users.Identify these influencers, build a relationship with them and market through their existing sphere of social influence. Examples of influencers include celebrities, power users on social websites like Digg and popular webmasters or bloggers with many loyal supporters (e.g. Ashley Qualls).
3. Exclusivity and Scarcity. Many websites or businesses launch virally through the private beta approach by offering a limited number of site invites. Some dangle the bait of limited edition products or temporal discounts. Combine this with influencer marketing and you’ll have an excellent method to disseminate brand awareness for new websites, products or services.Exclusivity invites curiosity and scarce products generate consistent demand and conversation. Remember how people were incessantly asking for or writing about Gmail, Joost or Pownce invites a while ago?
4. Micro-Market. While online viral marketing leverages the interconnectedness of the web to spread unique content or user-supported promotional schemes, micro-marketing focuses on marketing to the individual by providing highly customizable products.Nike and Puma’s Mongolian Buffet are examples of micro-marketing schemes which allow you to design and purchase your own unique sneaker online. Micro-marketing can be combined with scarcity and existing social networks to generate word-of-mouth exposure.
5. Industry Marketing. Instead of focusing directly on customers, focus on the people who can build your brand. Instead of seeking for thousands of views from a wide audience, make your mark within a niche community (like Sphinn) to build relationships and leverage-able connections.Get recommendations from others in the similar industry to be mentioned, promoted or included in an industry-specific ranking or recommendations list. This builds your overall brand within a specific niche, which in turns promotes your site to traditional media and buyers looking in from the outside.If you were a consumer, would you buy from a reputable brand that is recommended by many others within the same industry or would you go for a little known company with no reputation or recommendations?

You know those cool image and text animation effects on our website? They’re accomplished with a powerful website tool called Flash.

But wait! Isn’t using Flash a no-no if you want your site to be found by Google? Well, earlier this year the answer would be yes, but the image screenshot below is current proof that FLASH text is now optimized on Google.

Sure that’s all fine and dandy, but what does this mean to you?

Before this announcement having a website designed in Flash made it difficult for top search engines like Google to find your pages. The simple explanation for this is that Flash uses graphics and text embedded into files, whereas plain html pages have text and images out in the open. So even though Flash offers animation and eye catching effects, for many the trade off for potentially not getting found was not worth it.

However, now you can have Main-1-Media add Flash elements into your pages or build an entire site with Flash and Google will find what it needs.

Contact Main-1-Media and let us bring your website into the 21st century with optimized graphics, designs, video and Flash.

I personally am a big fan of quotations. In fact I enjoy them so much that for several years now I’ve been creating wallpapers for my quotes. Below, is my three favorite Douglas Adams quote wallpapers. Click on the images to download them in full resolution.

For those of you out there who don’t know who Douglas Adams is, I would suggest reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And for those of you who regularly celebrate towel day, 42.

Our very own Media Consultant Randy Sipe is pictured leading a Fishers BNI meeting in today’s business section of the Indy Star. The article explains how BNI networking groups are able to significantly increase sales leads. Read the full article here.

Photo courtesy of IndyStar.com