Two Powerful Marketing Tips for Your Web Site or App
By Ryan Carson @ryancarson
27 April 2010 | Category: Web Apps
Here at Carsonified HQ, we're big Dropbox fans. They've implemented two really effective marketing tactics that I'd like to share with you.
#1 – Add Gaming Mechanics
Dropbox’s first marketing tactic is to add gaming behavior to the interface. The game is simple: complete five steps and you win 250MB extra storage space.
The reason why this is so powerful is because the game encourages you to use Dropbox and the more you use it, the more likely you are to become a paying customer.
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What kind of game can you add to your interface to encourage your visitors to become engaged and attached to your app?
It’s worth noting that step #6 (‘Invite some friends to join Dropbox’) isn’t required for earning your 250MB of extra storage. I believe they’ve done this so that you don’t feel strong armed into telling your friends about Dropbox. If they forced you to do this to win the ‘game’ then there could be bad will generated towards the service.
#2 – Tell a Friend
Dropbox’s second marketing tactic is to award you for telling your friends about the service. On the left sidebar, they have a cute picture of a wrapped present with the words ‘Get Extra Space Free’. Who doesn’t want free storage space?
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When you click the link this screen comes up …
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Essentially, they’re awarding their users for spreading the word about Dropbox by giving them extra storage space. This is a powerful way to do marketing for your web site or app, as it’s a being recommended friend-to-friend. When someone receives an invite to try Dropbox from a friend, they’re much more likely to try the service than if they saw an advertisement on a website somewhere.
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If you’ve used any great marketing tactics like this for your site or app, please tell us about it in the comments.
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