Viral Helper

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Originally published at Internet.com

Word-of-mouth marketing is tricky. It's an advertising campaign that can work wonders for brand building but it's difficult to initiate. A good marketer can try to anticipate a mass viral reaction, but unfortunately, identifying what Internet users will embrace can often be unpredictable.

SmartReachTM helps to accelerate a viral marketing campaign by offering incentives. Customized and targeted e-mails are sent to existing customers or subscribers, asking for referrals in exchange for rewards. The viral offer appears to come directly from someone the recipient knows with a link to a branded Web brochure. The recipient can choose to respond, while also having the opportunity to pass the offer along and gain reward eligibility too.

The combination of viral marketing with rewards increases customer acquisition and retention simultaneously. The incentive programs are multi-tiered with offerings such as free trials or subscriptions, monetary discounts, and eligibility to win a luxury car.

The proprietary technology comes complete with comprehensive tracking tools that collect information on clickthrough, response and acquisition rates, while also managing referrals and actions. Pricing reflects the level of customized service required such as creative development, execution, management, support and reporting.

SmartReach research has determined that 50,000 customers can yield 1.35 million multi-generational leads. Offering rewards can potentially increase conversion rates, adding many new customers who can perpetuate the viral cycle.