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Whether it’s “going viral” or becoming “the talk of the town,” generating buzz around your business is essential if you want to grow your audience and, consequently, your bottom line. General marketing efforts are a good start; however, you’ll need to do more to make a big name for your business.
According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, the following 10 strategies can give your brand the boost it needs to really take off. Consider adopting one or more of these tactics to build buzz around your business, get your product in front of more consumers and increase your sales as well as your odds of success.
Hit the Road to Get in Front of Your Audience
We started doing road shows in May 2021, once we got vaccinated. We’ve been calling it Juicing Across America, but any company, especially those with products to sample, can generate more buzz by doing tours, going to trade shows, giving live product demonstrations and posting highlights from the trip. They’re hard work but also fun and valuable. – Brian Framson, Citrus America Inc.
Open Up a Content Contest for Your Customers
User-generated content contests are great, especially for tech companies. Not only do they get people creating marketing content for you, but they are also a great way to see how users interact with your product. It’s community involvement plus practical market research in one! – Jessica Billingsley, Akerna
Tell Stories About Your Brand’s Impact
Tell stories about the impact your brand or products can have, and make them relevant to today. One example we used at The Bouqs Co. was “A Thousand Thank You’s,” where we sent 1,000 bouqs to front-line hospital workers nominated by our social audiences smack dab in the middle of the pandemic. Then we shared their amazing stories. What’s the latest need that your company can meet? – John Tabis, M13
Be Brave
Think bravery over buzz. Brave brands radiate confidence, inspiring trust and loyalty. Their willingness to innovate attracts talent, engages customers, generates PR and draws investors in. Bravery does not guarantee success, but without it, you might as well stay home. – Harrison Wise, Wise Collective Inc.
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
Say Something No One Else Is Saying
Be original. Say something no one else is saying, something no one else will dare say or something no one’s yet thought of saying. So much “creative” gets dumbed down into being mainstream enough to be palatable for everyone, which has its place, of course, but is antithetical to being creative and anything that generates buzz because it’s noteworthy. – Cate Rubenstein
Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Provide excellent customer service for both your clients and vendors. We let our clients and vendors speak to our services organically. If you provide original and authentic service, the word gets around no matter how small or big the business or industry is, and buzz is created. – Kice Akkawi, Treblemonsters
Leverage Brand Activations
Create a buzz with brand activations — interactive events, pop-ups or sponsored experiences. This tactic allows your customers to establish a strong relationship with you from the jump. Memorable and shareable, brand activations set your business apart, generating word-of-mouth excitement and leaving a lasting impression on your customers. – Dan Serard, Cannabis Creative Group
Create Quality Educational Content
Content, content, content! If you are producing and putting out new educational content in the form of blogs, podcasts or videos, you will build organic buzz that actually resonates with your core consumer. Bad content starts to degrade the moment you put it out, but good content will continue to drive buzz and awareness for months, if not years. – Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA
Promote Interactive Online Challenges
Create an interactive online challenge related to your business that encourages user participation and sharing. This tactic taps into the power of social media virality and personal engagement, making your brand memorable and widening its reach organically. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
Get Involved in the Community
Get involved with your industry’s community and share what you’re up to. Consumers can sense inauthenticity, so it’s best to avoid gimmicky techniques and instead focus on your brand’s values. Slow and steady PR exposure that focuses on your company’s involvement with the community will generate a solid, long-lasting reputation that’s far more powerful than any single “buzzy” campaign. – Evan Nison, NisonCo
