As marketers seek to capitalize on the latest technological advances to deliver their integrated marketing messages, they must develop strategies that not only grab consumers’ attention but also actively engage their interest in a significant fashion. One such way is to inject humor into your messaging. Consider these tips:

• Use humor to make a point, not just to score a laugh. That was the thinking behind the classic ad by direct mail marketer Jeff Paul, “How I Made $4,000 a Day Working in My Underwear from My Kitchen Table.” “[Paul] painted a comical word picture that got the customer’s attention and made him chuckle, while at the same time showing the consumer that he too could make money in his Jockeys,” notes humorist Peter Fogel, a copywriting expert in Richmond Hill, N.J.

• Get serious after you get a grin. “Carrying the humor throughout an entire piece could turn people off, cloud your company’s message, or, worse yet, give the impression that the company itself is a joke,” says Brian Baumley, public relations manager at Telcordia, a software provider based in New Jersey.

• Make fun of yourself, not your product. In his first TV ad, Pete Slosberg, creator of Pete’s Wicked Ale, was shown trying to peddle “photos with Pete” from a booth on a downtown street. “Who’s Pete?” a passerby wanted to know. The ad’s tagline: “Not yet world famous.” Thanks to this kind of self-effacing humor, Slosberg and his company quickly built a well-known brand.

To help companies of every size make their integrated marketing communication strategies stand out in an environment where consumers pick and choose which messages they will allow in, FuelNet has released the new Smart Paper 10 Effective Marketing Tips to Engage Your Customers. The free paper includes actionable insights on how to:

• market to a customer’s lifestyle
• target influential consumers
• capitalize on green marketing
• play into customers’ emotions
• get more sociable on the Web.

1. Focus on the set-up. In the first paragraph, deliver a mini-version of your complete email marketing message. State the offer and provide an immediate response mechanism, such as clicking on a link connected to a Web page. This appeals to Internet prospects with short attention spans. After the first paragraph, present expanded copy that covers the features, benefits, supporting evidence, and other information the buyer needs to make a decision. This appeals to the prospect who needs more details than a short paragraph can provide.

2. Include a bribe. As with printed direct mail marketing campaigns, an email marketing offer that contains a “bribe” — a discount, free gift, free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free, etc. — are extremely effective. And when you have a strong offer, put it in the subject line and the lead of your email. Do not bury it midway through the text.

3. Encourage pass-alongs. Do not make the offer exclusive to the recipient, as is sometimes done in traditional direct mail. Encourage the recipient to forward the email — and the offer — to friends and colleagues. Example: “Give this special gift offer to your friends by forwarding them this email now. They’ll be glad you did!”

4. Think integration. Most people think about only one element of a direct email marketing strategy: the email copy. But in reality there are two key parts: The email the prospect receives, plus the Web-based response form (or landing page) he or she arrives at after clicking on the link embedded in the message. The headline and copy at the top of the response page should carry the theme of the email and motivate the reader to complete and submit the form.

5. Don’t dismiss the “From” line. Some e-marketers think the “From” line is trivial and unimportant; others think it’s critical. Internet copywriter Ivan Levison says, “I often use the word team in the ‘From’ line. It makes it sound as if there’s a group of bright, energetic, enthusiastic people standing behind the product.”

— Robert W. Bly, author of Internet Direct Mail: The Complete Guide to Successful E-Mail Marketing Campaigns (bly.com)

• Get real. It’s far better to take the “It’s fear; it’s here; get used to it” approach than pretend you’re all on a butterfly hunt. Tell employees, “Yes, the economy stinks. It isn’t going to get better soon, it will exact a price from everybody, and it compromises many aspects of our lives.” Such openness will help reduce anxiety and allow people to focus on productive work.

• Encourage and reward people, especially salespeople. Salespeople are doing everything short of pleading and begging and end up completely emotionally disengaged. That said, when a salesperson takes a risk to generate sales leads, praise that person. If the risk yields results, reward them. Not only will you encourage repeat success, you’ll encourage coworkers to follow that person’s lead.

• Live by the theory of abundance. This theory holds that there are infinite resources available to you, and you can pick and choose opportunities that mesh with your values and that ultimately benefit you. Look at it this way: People still need your product or service and they have to buy it from somebody. Why not you? Focus on being the best at what you do, and move forward confidently. You’ll not only keep your customers, you’ll probably gain new ones.

For more tips on strategic communication management, download the October issue of FuelNet Monthly, an 8-page newsletter designed to help owners and managers of companies of every size maximize their marketing opportunities and grow their business. Other issue highlights include:

• how to reach a key audience: at-work consumers
• key tactics for improving internal marketing
• the biggest benefits of cause-related marketing
• what lessons you can learn from the automakers
• tips for credible online testimonials

But companies must do more than simply select a cause to support; they must practice the “ART” of social responsibility. That entails being Authentic, Responsible, and Transparent. Brands that meet those criteria move beyond initiatives that simply add to integrated marketing communication objectives and create lasting campaigns that support the company’s values and vision.

Aramark, for example, recently launched Aramark Building Community, an initiative that enhances community centers in 30 cities. Aramark provides food services, facilities management, and career apparel to businesses all over the world. The Aramark Building Community program utilizes employees’ skills and aligns with company goals.

Growing businesses have the opportunity to build brand equity, boost sales, and increase customer retention through social awareness efforts such as cause marketing and corporate “Socialanthropy,” a strategic platform developed by the Cause Marketing Forum that combines community relations, foundation giving, and employee volunteerism. Such efforts have a positive impact on individuals, the community, and the world.

Here are some ways to create a culture of corporate citizenship in your company:

• Assess the company’s mission, vision, and culture to determine which relationships would benefit the company. The best socially responsible programs are created when organizations share strong core values. In addition, businesses should consider the amount of time employees have to devote to these efforts.

• Conduct an external audit of potential nonprofit partners. Companies should assess the potential partner’s category (e.g., arts, health, education, environment, etc.), location, culture, organizational effectiveness, and management to find the best match.

• Ensure that the partnership is mutually beneficial for the company and charity by establishing joint priorities and goals. Making the program a collaborative effort and a true partnership is the surest way to ensure success for both parties.

• Get company executives to walk the walk by actively supporting the company’s social efforts.

• Evaluate initial results and satisfaction, and then enhance the program for the future by challenging the company to commit to increased participation and success.

— Scott Pansky, co-founder and partner of Allison Partners (www.allisonpr.com)

SOLUTION: Woodman understood that surfers have specific needs for a camera, and the integrated marketing communication strategies used by big companies wouldn’t fly. So he brought the camera, which is worn on the wrist, out into the waves, where surfers could put it to the test. He also went to surfing trade shows and visited surf shops to get retailer feedback. These aggressive sales techniques provided critical details that allowed him to effectively communicate with surfers.

Woodman then looked to other extreme sports — like mountain biking, rock climbing, and kayaking — and their buyer demographic groups. “Because surfing is so demanding from a usability and environment standpoint, our product also worked very well for other adventure sports,” he says. “Traditional cameras are not designed for surfing, skydiving, or riding a bike, so people could only capture the famed ‘parking lot photo’ before and after the event.”

When adapting a product to a new sport, Woodman goes into the field and asks people to use the product, beat it up, and give feedback. The approach has paid off in differentiating GoPro, allowing the company to become a niche marketing leader. “We don’t ask our grandmother what she thinks about our [motorsport camera and mount],” Woodman says. “We ask race car drivers.”

1. Steering clear of illegal lotteries. If a contest involves a prize, an element of chance, and consideration (something of value, like money, provided by the customer as a prerequisite to participate), it qualifies as a lottery and is illegal. Companies running any sort of contest, promotion, or sweepstakes must avoid or eliminate at least one of those three elements.

2. Complying with state and international requirements. State and international laws vary significantly and impose different procedural requirements. It is important to consult a legal professional for expert advice regarding state and international requirements for entry instructions, eligibility and geographic restrictions, prize descriptions, disclaimers, and more.

3. Respecting intellectual property laws. Contest sponsors must always exercise caution while running their promotions to avoid infringing on the trademark, copyright, or patent rights of others — especially when advertising prizes by using a brand name without consent from the trademark owner.

4. Deferring to privacy laws. Stiff fines may be imposed for contests that invade privacy by collecting personal information — especially from children.

5. Acknowledging additional state and federal laws. Certain types of contests, such as instant-win games and direct mail marketing promotions, may be subject to additional sate and federal laws. To ensure compliance, review by legal counsel is recommended prior to the start of any promotion.

• Get active. Unless a salesperson makes prospecting an urgent task and a daily (or weekly) priority, it is easy to procrastinate for prolonged periods. Develop a prospect contact strategy that incorporates a variety of strategic communication tactics, including phone calls, emails, and text messages. But keep the next step in mind.

• Respect your prospect’s time. Today, more than ever, your prospects are extremely busy, and their time is at a premium. Recognize that an in-person sales call or phone call is an interruption of their daily schedule. Learn how they want to receive communications, and the best time to contact them.

• Make the first phone call or keystroke. The toughest phone call or email is the first one. Stop procrastinating. There is only one way to begin a relationship with a prospect and that is by talking to them. Confucius said that a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Pick up the phone, type that email, and make contact. Strike up relationships with as many prospects as possible because even if you don’t win an account, second place is for future winners.

1. Create a landing page for your ad. When your prospects click on your ad, what do you want them to see? Certainly not your Web site’s homepage, as that lacks a specific focus or call to action in relation to your ad. The same is true of your product or service page — it isn’t likely to help your potential customers know what to do next. By creating an ad-specific landing page, you can expand on your online advertising message or offer a specific call to action. A great landing page:

• Offers a concise and well-articulated marketing message that includes the value proposition of your product or service and ties directly to the message you make in your ad;
• Shares the look and feel of your online ad and your branding, which helps build brand awareness and reinforces for potential customers that they’ve landed in the right place;
• Provides links that move prospects through your Web site to learn more about the specific product/service; and
• Registers prospects for promotional giveaways, technical articles, e-newsletters, white papers, or discount coupons, among other offerings. (Getting potential customers to sign up for free information is also a great lead-generation tool for a growing business.)

2. Keep your ad consistent with your branding. So often, online ads and other integrated Internet marketing vehicles seem like they were created in a vacuum, leaving one company looking like several to unfamiliar prospects. Follow the lead of major successful brands by keeping a consistent identity. It’s possible to remain fresh and creative within your brand boundaries. Just be sure that anyone looking at any of your marketing materials will recognize that they come from you.

For more on how to advertise your business online, download the October issue of FuelNet Monthly, an 8-page newsletter designed to help owners and managers of companies of every size maximize their marketing opportunities and grow their business. Other issue highlights include:

• how to reach a key audience: at-work consumers
• key tactics for improving internal marketing
• the biggest benefits of cause marketing
• what lessons you can learn from the automakers
• tips for credible online testimonials

But as serious as we are about our content, we do have a sense of humor. Here’s a good example of how we keep things light: In conjunction with the release the FuelNet Smart Paper 10 Secrets for Successful Customer Relationship Marketing, our chief content creator, Ken Beaulieu, wrote, directed, and starred in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video as part of our strategic employee communication strategy. The video, about a longhaired sand and gravel company owner whose fortunes changed after he discovered FuelNet, was so well received that it has received four and a half out of a possible five stars from viewers on YouTube. Here’s the backstory on the making of the video, straight from the director:

“I came up with the idea during one of my 5 a.m. runs. I wanted to build buzz internally for FuelNet and the new product we were launching in a way that excited my coworkers. Given the rise of user-generated advertising and the success of YouTube, I figured a video spoof was the best way to go. But amid the humor, I wanted the video to send the right message — that FuelNet provides the marketing smarts to help businesses grow.

“I wrote the script late one Friday, then convinced my wife and two youngest daughters to help me pull it off. From my years of running, I knew of a perfect location to shoot the video without attracting the attention of passersby. My wife handled the filming, while my kids played supporting roles in the video. We did four takes, and the whole production took less than 45 minutes. It was a great family experience. I later wrote a FuelNet jingle to add to the end of the video for branding purposes. Then there was the all-important editing process, which can be a costly proposition. Fortunately, I was introduced to a small business owner from my hometown who does this sort of work on the side. In exchange for his services, he requested a free subscription to FuelNet Monthly. It was a no-brainer. I think he had as much fun working on the video as I did.”

To see the video for yourself, please click here.

1. Optimize your Web site for the search engines. “Search engines don’t discriminate between large companies and small companies,” notes Paul Gillin, a Framingham, Mass.–based consultant and speaker and the author of The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media. In fact, small businesses sometimes have an advantage with the major search engines because their sites are more likely than a large company’s to be written in basic HTML. More robust sites often use complicated content management systems that make them harder for Google to search and rank, Gillin says. “By doing things like using simple page titles combined with frequent use of the right keywords, small businesses can zoom up the ranks in very specific Google searches,” he adds.

   Lisa Wehr, president and CEO of OneUpWeb, an integrated Internet marketing company in Traverse City, Mich., says the title tags in the HTML coding of a Web site are especially critical because search engines use them to rank a site. Be sure your site’s title tags contain the two or three keywords that your potential customers are most likely to type into a search engine, Wehr recommends.

2. Launch a blog. A blog is among the creative integrated marketing communication techniques offering the greatest marketing benefit, Gillin says. It’s simple to set up, inexpensive to maintain, and flexible in that you can incorporate photos and audio/video content. By posting frequently and including keywords relevant to your business, you’ll get your blog indexed on a regular basis and, as a result, get a high ranking on the search engines, says Jonathan Fields, a marketing consultant in New York.

3. Write once, syndicate widely. When you create a piece of valuable, high-quality content, Gillin suggests that you repurpose it in as many ways as possible, so it reaches a broader audience. “Nothing that you write, photograph, or record should be used just once,” he says.

   For example, you can take your blog entries and include them in your e-newsletter or post them on your Facebook page. Offer a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed so customers can subscribe to your blog. Provide myriad ways for users to access the information in exchange for their name and email address.

4. Use social networks. Establish a corporate presence on Facebook and other social networking sites. Social networking helps you build a community of potential customers that you can leverage in many ways. For example, Facebook lets you conduct polls. Your business can also use the platform to distribute news about your company or invite customers and prospects to events, such as a workshop.

5. Use pay-per-click advertising judiciously. Paid search can be costly unless you’re careful, Wehr points out. She recommends that you be as specific and descriptive as possible when choosing keywords — but choose a lot of them. By using a bevy of narrowly focused keywords, you will pay less per click because those are unlikely to be in high demand. The broader base will also drive more traffic to your Web site’s topic-specific landing pages, making it more likely that people will buy from you, Wehr says.