Caitlin Jenner. That Blue or Gold dress. Gangnam Style. You instantly know what I mean right? Welcome to “The World of Buzz”.
Some things make it on our radar, generating talkability and conversation. Everyone I knew was debating the merits of Blue vs Gold and for 24hrs that dress was all we talked about. The power of the Internet means that word of mouth can be generated in merely hours, perpetuating over days and building over months.
Generating word of mouth is something that you can do for your business. Not only can you do it, but you should.
So How Do You Make your Business the Next Blue Dress?
Give People Something to Talk (Buzz) About
Encourage people to share their experience with your business. Online sales? What does your product arrive in? Is it a treat to open and something people would share? A popular subscription box service in the US called Birchbox sends their samples in sturdy cardboard boxes. Each month a beautifully decorated box arrives. No wonder #Birchbox is popular on Instagram as people share their new arrivals. Our friends Winnie & B an on-line children’s clothing retailer send their packages in beautiful (sometimes golden) shimmering envelopes.
Sure it costs extra, but their shoppers talk about it.
Help Them Share The Buzz
Giving people a coupon code or even extra product to share with their friends is one way to share the experience. Uber does this well, not only do I get $10 for referring you, you get Free Ride to start your account: Here’s a real life example (Click it, you’ll get a free ride with Uber, and so will I).
Not only do I want share it because you get a free ride, there’s something in it for me.
Make their Experience Worth Sharing
Companies who go the extra mile really get the extra mentions from their consumers. Read my article on Customer Satisfaction for some of the basics on getting this right.
What are your thoughts? How do you create buzz? What else should we add to this article?