Jump In and Lead the Conversation.The Web Provides Opportunities for Grassroots Marketing at its Best Word-of-mouth. Its potency potency /po·ten·cy/ (po´ten-se) 1. the ability of the male to perform coitus. 2. the relationship between the therapeutic effect of a drug and the dose necessary to achieve that effect. 3. as a source of viable prospects and clients is indisputable and the power of the Internet has done nothing less than supercharge su·per·charge tr.v. su·per·charged, su·per·charg·ing, su·per·charg·es 1. To increase the power of (an engine, for example), as by fitting with a supercharger. 2. this age-old marketing technique. Almost every portal and Web site features "communities" that are designed to generate conversations and interactivity on whatever interests its audience. Recently, many CalCPA members have joined the online conversation stream as guest experts and instructors in places like Quote.com University, a personal finance site located on the Lycos Portal, which features bulletin boards, live interactive events and a wealth of knowledge and information. These sites are teeming teem 1 v. teemed, teem·ing, teems v.intr. 1. To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms. 2. with potential clients and appearances have lead to new business for CPAs who are involved in personal financial planning Financial planning Evaluating the investing and financing options available to a firm. Planning includes attempting to make optimal decisions, projecting the consequences of these decisions for the firm in the form of a financial plan, and then comparing future performance against , investment advice, taxes, and business and systems consulting. FINDING THE RIGHT SITE Following are a few hints for determining whether or not to pursue a site: * Is it a vertical (specialized) portal that would attract an audience you would be interested in or would be interested in you? * Is the site part of a horizontal (general) portal that draws millions of users from the general public then funnels them to the specialty site? * Does a big media parent own the site? This indicates good funding for ads which bring traffic, and increases the possibility of additional distribution capability. * Is the content rich, original and frequently refreshed re·fresh v. re·freshed, re·fresh·ing, re·fresh·es v.tr. 1. To revive with or as if with rest, food, or drink; give new vigor or spirit to. 2. ? This is yet another indicator of funding because it takes editors and writers to fill the space with good content, and funding means traffic or the potential for it. * Is the community vibrant? Does the site have active chat spaces and billboards? Is all interactive content moderated? Are the moderators knowledgeable and fun? GETTING INTO THE PARTY So, how do you get invited to the party? On most sites, there is a list of contacts whom you can e-mail. Send them a note complimenting their site and ask them to consider you as an expert instructor or source. Be sure to include a brief statement of your qualifications. If you have trouble finding or getting in touch with a contact, call CalCPA and we'll try to help you find one. If you're scheduled as a guest expert or instructor, there are a few things you can do to make the experience go smoothly: * Go to the site ahead of time and observe other guests. Try to get a feel for how the site works. * Negotiate the amount of work you are willing to do. There's a limit to what anyone can or will do for free and you're no exception. Never commit to answering more than 15 billboard questions a week for any site. The average is 10 questions. * If the site has live chat, and you are comfortable with that technology, use it to lead the conversation. It's convenient because it usually takes only an hour and you can do it from anywhere. THE DOWNSIDE Downside The dollar amount by which the market or a stock has the potential to fall. Notes: You might hear someone say that the downside on stock XYZ is $10. What that means is that the stock could fall by this amount if things got bad. IS SMALL As with any form of communication, there are some risks and pitfalls, but they are manageable. Since visitors to chat rooms and billboards are anonymous they often make bold assertions. The best defense is a facile (language) Facile - A concurrent extension of ML from ECRC. http://ecrc.de/facile/facile_home.html. ["Facile: A Symmetric Integration of Concurrent and Functional Programming", A. Giacalone et al, Intl J Parallel Prog 18(2):121-160, Apr 1989]. mind, lots of professional knowledge, an ability to type fast and a very thick skin. Sometimes, participants look for very detailed answers. Keep your answers as universal as possible. Mention often that you are in a community with many people who won't be interested in the questioner's unique situation and that you are bound to try to help the entire group. Generally, the moderator moderator - A person, or small group of people, who manages a moderated mailing list or Usenet newsgroup. Moderators are responsible for determining which email submissions are passed on to the list or newsgroup. will help to resolve this issue as well. Avoid potential miscommunication mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tion n. 1. Lack of clear or adequate communication. 2. An unclear or inadequate communication. or legal issues by hedging your language when you provide information. Don't assert that questioners take a specific, single action. Refer to yourself as offering "alternatives" or "options." Never say you're giving advice. Always leave decision making to the questioner. THE UPSIDE Upside The potential dollar amount by which the market or a stock could rise. Notes: This is basically an educated guess on how high a stock could go in the near future. See also: Bull, Downside IS BIG The benefits of participation far outweigh out·weigh tr.v. out·weighed, out·weigh·ing, out·weighs 1. To weigh more than. 2. To be more significant than; exceed in value or importance: The benefits outweigh the risks. the risks: * Serving as the expert in a dialogue with people who are interested in your services provides an opportunity to build your reputation and market through word-of-mouth. * It's convenient and efficient because chat or bulletin board transcripts are archived for weeks, sometimes even indefinitely. * You can get a lot of mileage MILEAGE. A compensation allowed by law to officers, for their trouble and expenses in travelling on public business. 2. The mileage allowed to members of congress, is eight dollars for every twenty miles of estimated distance, by the most usual roads, from his out of each appearance. With permission and a link to the portal, you can post your chat or answers on your own Web site, or e-mail the link to your client list and invite them to check it out. You also can put an item in your newsletter. Think about integrating Web-based grassroots marketing into your overall marketing program, and get out there and lead the conversation. Curtiss Olsen is CalCPA director of communications Director of Communications is a position in the private and public sectors. The Director of Communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. . |
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