Incentive is one of the most powerful tools in marketing. For the first time in a while U.S. home sales are up and one of the reasons is the first time home buyer tax credit of $8,000. In marketing incentives work.
Incentives are mainly monetary, e.g. “free trial” or “30% off,” but what happens when the product is already free as is the case with many Web properties?
The incentive has to be delivered in the rational and emotional value that accrues to the product. It starts with the brand (first visual experience), continues on to the product itself (first user experience) and deepens with loyalty (relationship management).
Here’s a quick exercise relating to the first step — first visual experience.
Let’s assume you’ve never heard of any of the following video sharing sites and your first visual experience isthe home page. Read these taglines/about statements and decide which provides the strongest incentive to try:
YouTube — “Broadcast yourself.”
Vimeo — “People connecting through video”
Revver — “Video sharing powered by advertising”
Blit.Tv — “Independent web shows”
CastTV — “One stop watching.”
Stay tuned for steps two and three. Peace!