| Recently I had the chance to mingle at an Internet | | | | It's useful. People can add their own files to the USB |
| marketing luncheon. I brought a friend, another Internet | | | | key to move between computers or even delete your |
| marketer. | | | | files off there permanently if they want to. |
| The two of us are not sales types... and I am definitely | | | | Branding. This is definitely not required but these guys |
| not a people-person. We purposefully did not bring | | | | had their domain name printed on the memory stick. |
| business cards or CDs to the event, we were just | | | | Even if someone forgets these guys forever and |
| there to mingle, meet a few people we'd known for | | | | deletes all files he will still look at that domain name |
| years on message boards, eat some hotel food, and | | | | printed on the stick every day. |
| maybe get some ideas in the process. One idea that | | | | Cost. USB drives are so cheap these days. I |
| totally blew me away by its simplicity and coolness: | | | | remember around the year 2000 I bought one of the |
| place products on USB keys instead of CDs or DVDs. | | | | first USB thumb drives... 80 dollars for 128 megabytes |
| There were a couple of guys who had been to a few | | | | of storage! These days it is common for that size to |
| events before, and were recognizable, so they did a | | | | sell around 9 dollars. |
| little bit of networking. It's just like with autoresponder | | | | To get in on this, Google for "USB logo" ... as usual, |
| follow-ups... if you get someone on your mailing list, | | | | stay away from places that charge a setup fee. Get |
| don't try to sell them something right away, get them | | | | 50 or 100 keys shipped to you and use the local |
| to know you first, give them freebies. And what better | | | | neighborhood lawnmower or trained monkey to drag |
| freebie exists than a USB key? | | | | and drop your files to each key. |
| You've seen one... it is a little stick, about the size of | | | | I've found a program called "Automatic USB Backup" ... |
| one stick of gum (a stick, not a pack). It's a memory | | | | I don't know if it's any good but that's the kind of tool |
| stick that plugs into your computer's USB port and | | | | you need. While this program is running, it waits for you |
| acts as a tiny little drive. | | | | to insert a USB key. When you insert it, it copies the |
| They go on your keychain. I've even seen one that | | | | files and once it's done you pull it back out. Use the |
| acts as an INK PEN as well! You don't have to be that | | | | local kid, or your own children if you have them, then |
| fancy... just a small memory stick that contains a | | | | after that half-hour it takes to copy the files into the |
| freebie product of yours and maybe an HTML file or | | | | USB keys pay him $20 and a gift certificate to Chuck |
| PDF with your contact details. | | | | E. Cheese. |
| While other people were handing out business cards, | | | | This idea isn't limited to seminars by any means. You |
| or writing down their information by hand, these guys | | | | could use this to ship your physical products. A USB |
| gave out USB memory sticks. They don't have to be | | | | key has an even higher perceived value than a CD |
| very big, just 16 or 64 megabytes, which are about 5 | | | | because it's reusable. And coast wise... you will save a |
| bucks. | | | | little bit on shipping. A smaller-sized memory stick will fit |
| Not only are these things unique, but they are super | | | | into a regular envelope, that's 41 cents for shipping |
| cool because... | | | | instead of 2 dollars... but you pay 5 bucks for the |
| Everyone likes a gift. A business card is not a gift... a | | | | memory stick instead of 25 cents for the CD, so it |
| USB key is a gift! | | | | costs just slightly more. |