Calendar Sharing Becoming New Social Phenomenon

Online calendars have been available for many years now but the calendar-sharing feature that Google has included in Google Calendar has opened the door to a great a form of social marketing that is bound to make waves and possibly increase your bottom line. What is Google Calendar? If you are not a GMail user or even a fan of Google you may not know what I am talking about so here is some background. GMail is Google's free web-based email program, which has many features that has helped it create a significant user base. After the emergence of Google Mail (GMail), Google launched a number of additional free applications for Gmail users, which culminated in a combined solution called Event Publisher Guide . Found in the 'About' section of GC, the Event Publisher Guide explains how anyone can offer their calendar publicly on their personal or commercial website. Trust Google to cover all the bases because this useful page provided the tools required to make Google Calendar very commercially viable. So how does this work and how can it help you? The unfortunate fact is that it may not help all of you but it is likely to help those who need to market events. Here is an example of how this free technology could become an easy and effective method to market your business. Application Example Imagine you are the marketing manager of a local playhouse and your job is to get the word out about all of the upcoming plays and concerts. You currently have a website that advertises this information in the form of a schedule but you are always on the lookout for additional ways to keep in the public eye. You also know that your target market will not always remember to check your site for the latest events. Here is what you need to do to leverage Google Calendar and increase your exposure: 1. Event Publisher Guide to find the address that directly links to your new calendar. 5. Now you can either add a text link or create a button for your website that accurately states what you are offering your viewers. Remember that they may not have a clue what Google Calendar is so be very clear. In this instance creating a link that states "Add Our Events to Your Google Calendar" may be enough to secure some interest; however, you might want to add a second link stating 'More Info' where you can provide a brief educational note. When a visitor clicks on the subscription link they will be taken to Google Calendar, asked for their login and password, and then asked whether they want to add your calendar to their calendar list. When they say 'yes' your calendar (based on the name you chose) will appear in their list of calendars. Why Is This So Cool? So now you know how to implement Google Calendars into your website, but why is it so worthwhile?

Your potential customer will be reminded to check for upcoming events whenever they see your calendar in their calendar list. Google Calendar is bound to be used more and more to aid planning nights out for busy couples and families. The calendar your potential customer subscribed to is dynamic. In other words, whatever you add or delete is reflected in every person's calendar immediately. This form of customer interaction is a marketer's dream and has been previously impossible with the exception of opt-in email notices, which have become seriously ineffective due to today's inundation of SPAM. Don't Give Up Hope After seeing my example above you may be disheartened that Google Calendar has no commercial application for you. Before you dismiss this new tool, I challenge you to spend a little more time considering the potential applications for your business. This is a relatively new social phenomenon, and as such it is largely unexplored. After a little deep thought or a night's sleep, you may just discover an entirely different application that will work perfectly for you and your bottom line. Catch the Gravy Train Google Calendar is catching on like wild fire and I expect that additional functionality will make it irresistible to marketers. Step up and get your foot in the door now before the Calendar craze becomes another SP@M fest where users get jaded and the potential gains diminish. If you have been keeping up on my StepForth Search Engine Placement Inc., an SEO firm that has been providing expert services since 1997. Rosss considerable experience in the world of search has made him a respected writer for countless publications and an SEO consultant for small business and Fortune 500 web properties.