Reasons 4 through 1

Return to Reasons 7 through 5

4. Access publishing platforms like branded desktop applications.

Branded desktop applications (BDAs) are a flexible and powerful brand publishing platform. With a single grant of permission, the user opts into a set of desktop channels that provide highly relevant messaging, rich media and custom functionality. Messages can be targeted based on user authentication or by self-selected parameters. BDAs typically see far higher levels of interaction than almost any other digital marketing technique.

Hawaiian Airlines partnered with the Hawaii Visitor and Convention Bureau to deliver photos and calendar events through its Hawaii Anytime desktop application, which also includes weather and webcam feeds. Targeted special fare offers help spur conversions.

3. Interesting content encourages viral pass-along.

In the early days of digital marketing, desktop application viral rates routinely ran to 30 to 40 percent of downloads, and it was not unusual to see viral rates run well over 100 percent. These days, people are a lot more conservative about what they will send to a friend, and successful viral rates generally run between 5 and 10 percent of adopters (users who keep the application for more than one day). However the value of those users and their recommendations is enormous. Viral rates can be improved by providing multiple viral paths such as sending the entire application to a friend, sending content to a friend, sending an ecard to a friend, or sending a custom soundboard message to a friend. If audience members find the content compelling, they are much more likely to send it along.

2. Consumers are controlling media.

Much has been written about Web 2.0 and the consumer-generated media revolution. Using a brand's audience to generate content that will interest other members of that audience can be cost-effective and generate its own buzz. It is increasingly important for a brand to build two-way communication channels into its publishing platform.

The blogosphere and social media environments have become critical message marketplaces where a brand's story will be told, retold and commented upon. All brands will need to proactively participate or they will be forced to reactively reciprocate.

Kimberly-Clark has developed the Common Sense Community as a collection of consumer-generated tips, articles and other interesting content, in support of its Scott line of products. Check it out here.

1. Publish on multiple platforms to reach your audience where it is.

Today's audience increasingly is tailoring its own information space, whether that be through customized start pages such as My Yahoo!, or by selecting various desktop applications, widgets and gadgets, or by customizing social media environments such as MySpace or FaceBook. Mobile and other devices are also gaining a greater share of the consumer's mind space. Once consumers are ready to opt in to your brand's publishing environment, giving them multiple channel choices will make it more likely that they will stay engaged longer.

Vail Resorts makes its content available through multiple channels, including browser toolbars, Mac widgets, and Yahoo gadgets.

Conclusion
There are challenges to engaging with your brand's customers and consumers by publishing to them as an audience, but the rewards are great. Not only will your audience be more deeply engaged with your brand, but you will be more in touch with your customers. You will be better able to deploy content that will keep them engaged, and have multiple outlets for the marketing messages you, your teams and your partners develop.

Mitchel Ahern is the director of marketing operations for OTOlabs. Read full bio.