You’ll attract customers like flowers attract bees!
Earlier this week we told you the story of how Nordstrom used a clever trick to generate amazing BUZZ around their annual sale. Cordoned off super-secret-selective areas, yellow caution tape everywhere, employees busily preparing something mysterious...it had the desired effect of turning casual lookers into ravenous buyers. If you didn’t see our story and the pictures of the event, check it out HERE!
Today, we’ll teach you other methods to generate curiosity, excitement, and BUZZ for your next event or product launch.
The FIRST step, as always, is to figure out your end goal before you get started. Do your market research to define your target market.
Unwittingly targeting your killer Mixed Martial Arts class to the senior citizen center is just money wasted.
Not to mention a total buzz-kill. (Sorry, but you knew I had to say it...)
Knowing who wants your product or service and where to find those people is key. (By the way, if doing market research seems daunting, Emotive Pull can help!)
Then, ask yourself these questions. They’ll help you determine which BUZZ inducing method you want to try:
How long do should your promotion last?
What resources do you have to create it?
What kind of content will click with your target audience?
What is your ultimate goal? Sales? Interest? Exposure?
Now that you’ve got a clear understanding of your goals, choose which methods fit your business and get started on them well ahead of your launch. It takes time and effort to build the excitement you’re looking for.
MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE
How does Apple get lines wrapped around their building before the doors open? They begin by dropping a hint here, a rumor there, and BANG, a buying frenzy ensues. You can do the same thing!
Keep an element of mystery as you talk about big things to come.
Share sneak peeks, share tidbits to your email list, post a mysterious photo on Instagram, Tweet tantalizing clues
Post a teaser "trailer" on YouTube - would you ever go to a movie without seeing the trailer first? There’s a reason movie studios do that!
Share a countdown to the release.
Share behind the scenes views of your creative process. Don’t just focus on the product, but the people, the process, and the core beliefs that drive your business.
ENGAGE WITH INFLUENCERS
Influencers are the public heavy hitters in your industry. They’re different in each business, so spend some time researching who is relevant to your niche. Gaining the attention of an influencer is a great way to gain credibility, especially if your business is new.
Watch what they’re talking about and where they hang out. Introduce yourself in person or online.
Shout out to them and link to them in your posts. Share and retweet their content.
Send them a free sample of your product.
MEDIA OUTLETS
Although we’re often focused on social media, traditional media outlets are still a valued source for publicity.
Sign up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out). There, you’ll gain access to media queries on various subjects. Find one that’s relevant to your business. If you respond with something useful to the reporter, you might just gain some free publicity that you never dreamt possible!
Send out a good, old fashioned press release.
PRIVILEGED FEW
Everyone likes to feel special, and giving early access or exclusive offers to a select few is a great way to gain BUZZ. If your target market values exclusivity, this may be a good tactic for you.
Create a “by invitation only” pre-launch event.
Send customers an invitation for exclusive access to your product before the general public.
Create an online waiting list and let them know where they fall in the queue when they sign up. The more people they get to sign up, the higher they can move up in line.
Offer a limited promotion deal to your select group.
Take pre-orders before your product is available for purchase.
GO VIRAL WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s undeniable. Social media plays a huge role in marketing these days, and if done properly, you may even be able to go viral. That’s serious BUZZ!
Try these techniques on your social media platforms:
Create quizzes - everybody loves ‘em! Show how different people can use your product. Woobox is a fun website where you can create custom quizzes.
Create contests and giveaways - encourage sharing!
Create a hashtag for your brand for Instagram and Twitter.
As Nordstrom did when they created their anniversary sale spectacular, you can employ several of these techniques at the same time to create MEGA-BUZZ.
Whatever methods you choose, have fun and get creative!
Just remember to always keep your customers’ desires in mind.
After all, you’ve worked hard to create a product or service that fulfills a need, solves a problem, and makes life better for your customers.
Make sure you use those psychological rewards to pull your audience to your business.
When you do, your customers are sure to be BUZZING with excitement!
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