Looking for a way to build your prospect database without glad handing at every after-hours event around town?  While not applicable to every business, social networks make the perfect tool for gathering information on potential clients.

Aside from allowing you to gather contacts 24/7, online resources like Twitter, Facebook, etc. provide other tangible benefits. First, the prospect must opt in to follow your company. Unlike mass e-mails, advertisements, commercials and so forth, social networks net only folks who are interested in your operation. They must be – they signed up for more details.

If maintained properly and on a regular basis, this targeted approach tends to yield loyal fans. They check in from day to day, recommend friends become followers, and keep your business name at top of mind. Moreover, these accounts build a relationship – the most essential rule of marketing.

Social networks have been around for some time, so none of this is new. However, the methods we use to run a social network campaign have changed. Companies continue to concoct fresh approaches to get the most people inspired to sign up.

One of the more elaborate approaches involves holding a contest of sorts. The business announces its goal to reach online supremacy – or something like that. For example, Acme Beer pushes for 500,000 new followers. If they reach this number, they will give everyone a free shirt that says “Official Acme Brew Taster.”

The idea is to create incentive to not only sign up individually, but to encourage others to sign up as well. The participants, in a sense, become part of a movement. As a result, Acme Beer gets a half-million contacts for its database. Even better, those same people serve as living advertisements, wearing apparel (that they clearly wanted) that dons the Acme name. It’s cross marketing at its finest.

Other ideas for growing social networks – hence building a prospect database – include offering valuable advice (weight loss tips, recipes, etc.), coupon codes to other Web sites, to-be continued content, etc.

Remember, the end goal isn’t to draw everyone and everything, but to reach a core of people with a real interest in your business. After all, these are the folks who most likely want what you’re selling.

Every now and then, a television advertisement forces me to set aside the remote control and calm my trigger finger. Usually, the spot runs itself into the ground after about 100,000 airings, but some never seem to lose their magnetism.

Recently, American Express released a series of 60-second clips that prove the most creative visuals sometimes come from the simplest of scenes.

The advertisement campaign, dubbed “Don’t Take Chances, Take Charge” shows everyday objects organized in a way that makes them appear to be smiling or frowning. A purse with a tight-lipped grin… Imagine that. Well, I know it’s not my wife’s shoulder bag. Hers always has its mouth open and is throwing up money!

Nonetheless, I can’t help but watch to see what inanimate item will flash its emotions next. A  sink with a leaky faucet as its nose… An oven with a stovetop grill for hair… A bowl of soup with floating air bubbles for eyes…

These ads blend two commonalities – emotions and objects in our lives – to strike a chord of familiarity with the audience. There’s no special effects; no witty writing – just the most basic items brilliantly presented.

But what really makes this particular promo stand out? Well, it’s just plain catchy. I even find myself motoring down the road, on the lookout for faces in street signs, homes, trees… I didn’t think it was possible, but I’ve actually discovered something else to preoccupy me while I drive –caution all Wilmington commuters.

Seriously, someone with a good imagination clearly came up with the concept for these commercials. To see human features in a toilet bowl: Well you either spend way too much time in the bathroom, or you got a hold of some potent Glade air freshener.

So, I offer up kudos to American Express for choosing a different direction in marketing message: Simple, clever, and somewhat interactive (inspiring viewers to try and see the faces for themselves). It begs to question, what items smile and frown in your life? Wow, my office chair looks miserable – sorry down there.

There are many reasons we love living and working in Wilmington. Historic downtown, mostly sunny days, choice of beaches, eclectic restaurants, a strong business community, compassionate and creative people… I could go on and on.

Being out and about – whether it’s for shopping, filling our bellies or meeting with our fantastic clients – we’re constantly witnessing just how creative businesses are when it comes to marketing. We’d like to recognize these companies somehow. So until we come up with an awards event where we give out golden bonsai trees, we’ll give them some airtime on the Bon’s Eye blog.

On a recent trip to Islands Fresh Mex Grill (260 Racine Drive/ Right near UNCW) it was hard not to notice the restaurant’s latest marketing push. Signs plastered everywhere – where you order and pay, at the drink machine and salsa bar, on the walls by the bathroom – enticed patrons to sign up for weekly mobile coupons. Sweet! I’m all about coupons, so I dug out my Blackberry from the pantry/medicine cabinet/diaper bag that is my purse. I punched in my text, receiving our first coupon before I even finished my meal.

I’m hooked – on the coupons and burritos.

Owner Lucas Jones started using mobile coupons through Coupons to Your Phone about six months ago, and the results have been good.

“It’s definitely worked well,” Jones said. “It helped us develop a client base. People started coming in for the coupons. Now they come in all the time.”

Since opening about 16 months ago, Islands has been written up in the press and Jones has run radio and TV spots. But, he said, the mobile coupons have been one of the most effective forms of advertising.

He did have a word of caution, though, about using the service.

“You have to be careful about what you’re offering,” Jones said. “If you don’t put something that’s worth it, they won’t come in. But you also don’t want to give away your restaurant.”

I’ll admit that I’ve DVR’d shows just so I don’t have to endure the commercials. My buying habits and brand loyalty aren’t usually influenced by TV ads. Most of the time I can’t remember what products a spot is trying to sell. While I’ll sit and watch hours of infomercials (how can you not be sucked in by Jack Lalanne’s juicers or that British guy making all those meals/drinks with the Magic Bullet), I have yet to pick up the phone and place an order.

Sometimes, though, I’ll tune into the commercials. Two have recently caught my eye: Read more…