Marketing has changed dramatically since the dawn of the digital age. Websites, email and social media have largely — but not completely — supplanted printed trade magazines and newspapers and made a sizable dent in the number and scope of direct mail programs. But even though the marketing tools have changed, if yours is a new company or brand — or even if it’s not — building buzz and getting people talking to, about and for you is critical to your growth and success.
To build your brand and name awareness effectively, start with the basics: know who your best prospects are and keep them squarely in your sights. Make sure your marketing material is geared specifically to them and has a recognizable identity, with a consistent logo, palette and tag lines. Hone the message to be piercingly clear, simple and persuasive, then use it without fail.
With your basic marketing strategy and tactics in hand, try some of these techniques to build buzz and get people talking.
- Make a splash. Especially if you’re new to a market, find the conventions, trade shows and exhibitions that attract your top-of-the-line customers, then spend what it takes to get attention. Make your exhibit booth or presentation a real jaw-dropper. Throw a black-tie dinner party or, if you’ve got the chops, host a press conference. Can you arrive by rocket-pack or dogsled? If you’re prepared to go big, make a standout impression at a high-profile event, and believe me, people will talk.
- Get the right endorsements. Who are the opinion leaders in your market or industry or town? Identify and cultivate them early on to put your brand on everyone’s lips. Pay particular attention to columnists, seminar leaders, top consultants and others whose words carry extra weight with your prospects.
- Show, don’t tell. Look for ways to demonstrate what you do to make your claim concrete and memorable. Can you set up a comparison test at a trade show? How about a video showing your widget in use by a satisfied customer? Videos can be especially effective for improving your click-through rate using digital advertising or social media.
- Get with the program. Bite the bullet and spring for a professional public relations and social media program. Professionals following a consistent and well-thought-out strategy can often get you more and better exposure than you can on your own, and having your name appear dependably online and in print is an essential element in the buzz factor.
- Be outrageous. Face it: people don’t buzz about the commonplace, people buzz about the unusual, the off-the-wall, the extraordinary. Exercise your creativity. Ask yourself what would get you talking and start brainstorming from there.