10 tactics to create online buzz without the bucks
Bee-ing the buzzing bees online, we totally understand why sometimes not so good products do well while the great ones fail miserably. Look at Elon Musk when it comes to launching products, with the rest of super inspirational things he does, he definitely makes a buzz.
The most horrific downside of online media is when the wrong aspects of your product/service go viral. So you must definitely have a sound digital strategy before you start posting content online. Be clear about the story that you are going to tell the world, live by that story and not to forget, stay humble once your idea takes off. Make sure you know that every online channel (or social channel like facebook, twitter, instagram) if a different world entirely and our approach has to be different for each one of them.
We have compiled a guide to launch whatever it is that you intend to showcase online. This is essentially how you need to roll out your presence online for it all to integrate, engage and eventually propagate to its fullest potential.
1. Tease while you please
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The key to master the first step is the word “Reveal”. Never show, always reveal. Keep things mysterious by offering just enough information about the product, its features, etc.
Hide information and make them wait. Tell them to come back tomorrow for a little more information.
Make it share-worthy. This will create buzz even before you go ahead with the launch!
2. #DesignateAHashtag
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Hashtags helps you categorize yourself. Hashtags can also help you start conversations and integrate all of them on multiple social media channels. Making all the information related to your campaign easily accessible, hashtags can be a powerful tool if used properly.
And your product launch being right around the corner, it makes it very convenient for the customers to just click on the hashtag and get all the relevant information.
Keep all your hashtags original, short and the first alphabets of the words in capital letter. Categorizing all the chatter around your brand helps track your buzz efficiently as well.
#LikeAGirl is a beautifully done campaign. Do check it out for some inspiration.
3. Contestant is always right
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People love contests. And they definitely love winning them. Having a campaign and not having an integrated contest can jeopardise your online growth.
Keep it real. The contest idea should be as concrete as the overall campaign. Do not switch lanes, coz there ain’t no money in your veins. Lol. Buzz without bucks come with effort. So put in the work by thinking in the right concrete direction to get a jumpstart.
Make your friends and other users share the contest posts, talk about it and comment. To keep users motivated to share and engage, reveal the criteria to them for winning the contest, and sharing it on multiple social media channels has got to be on that list.
Remember friends, you do not necessarily have to include each and every detail in the image. Information about prizes, rules, deadlines etc. can also be shown in the copy.(Like Facebook notes, or a Google Doc public to all).
4. The A-Listers
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These are the A-Listers of your campaign. They could be the ones who have actively engaged with you online or just the ones who showed interest early on.
Giving special treatment to your first customers can work wonders. We all have heard the story of the Nordstrom employee who literally went a few extra miles to personally deliver the urgently needed clothes.
So create special closed groups on Facebook or Reddit where you can have exclusive offers for the loyal ones. This can be done in various ways. Sending out a newsletter and creating a post around it can be to provide that “Insider” stuff can be lots of fun.
Regularly engage with them, ask for feedback and down the line these customers are the ones responsible for word of mouth marketing. And buzz without bucks basically works on word of mouth.
5. Get Excited
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Could be the day when the winners are going to be announced, or when the max impact your campaign has created or simply to keep everyone excited and engaged. DO NOT over sell, it is annoying and could potentially ruin the entire thing.
The purpose behind this is to remind the audience that things have just started to get awesome. This is easy to do. You only need to change the number on the template you have been using. This makes sure that the buzz you created is on-going and people can still get some value from it.
Fashion brands love doing this before opening a new store or launching a new line of clothes or accessories. The hype should definitely lead to something substantial though.
6. Consistency is Key
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If you are true to what you do, you do not need to worry about this. But if you believe in fake it till you make it, you have to consciously take care of this part.
Be consistent with your words, actions and thoughts while curating content for the campaign.
The audiences are smart. And even if they are not, Google has empowered the investigative tendencies that we all have when we feel cheated. They can smell something fishy is going on – For example a restaurant website talking about fashion deals.
So be original and consistent on every social media platform. This includes the font, colours, theme and the core idea. Period.
7. Timing is everything
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No one goes on a vacation in the digital world. In fact the digital world goes on vacation with the vacationer. So what do we learn from this highly ambiguous statement? We understand that posting original content consistently is of prime importance.
Use social media planner tools and keep yourself accessible at all times, especially before a product launch. Don’t be a lazy bum. Creating a space in your audiences mind can only happen if your subliminally keep showing up in their newsfeed. Things tend to get registered unconsciously. And who benefits from all this hard work? The sales dude. The sales!
For a contest, create a series of posts that you can post everyday. For a campaign, do the same. For anything else online……DO just the same. Series of original posts, being posted regularly is the key.
Check out Niryas Shudh AtiShudh Navratri campaign for some raw inspiration. (Yes, it’s done by us)
Be mindful of the times and days your posts get the most engagement. Keep a check on your analytics for this purpose. Posting on Saturday Nights is generally of no use. So be mindful of engagement activity of any social media karma you indulge yourself in.
8. Quiz them
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Everyone knows the answer. But nobody cares about that. People like to be right. They like to comment when they feel they are right.
Spot the differences to more intricate quizzes made using free online tools, these things work really well to get engagement. Funny, quirky, dark or sad, they gotta be engaging; the answers can be really obvious as well.
The crux of it is that your quiz should revolve around your campaign. It should direct the customer to know more about your company and what you offer. This is literally the buzz without bucks method!
So basically, it has got to be a Fun Quiz not a quizzing quiz, your audiences should not leave feeling dumber.
And once everyone has commented, you should comment with the answers and a glimpse of what’s to come.
9. You need CTAs!
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Because it is simply still not enough to create original, creative, engaging, fun and awesome content. You gotta direct the herd now. Tell your audiences to spread the word, subscribe, share etc.
They should know exactly what to do once they have engaged. This is the non-monetary benefit that you deserve for putting in the work.
The call to action should be beautiful, just a little in the face and precise. It can also lead people to other landing pages where you should capture their e-mail address at least if not their personal details. It will keep the buzz going.
10. Talk/Converse/Speak/Say/Tell
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Talk. Reply to every comment and make it as personal as you can. Automated responses are great only if you get thousands of comments everyday. But for a beginner, personalised responses work wonders.
This part is so important that Online Response Management is a career choice these days.
Apart from all that, it is really important to build brand loyalty and show that you truly care. You need to be sensitive to the needs of your customers. Read carefully, read between the lines, read what the customer maybe not telling you directly and address those issues.
Listen carefully and join all the conversations that are happening related to your campaign, contest or simply line of business. This would not only create another touch point for your audiences but also increase the chances of your share worthy content getting recognized for its potential.
While trying to grab attention online organically, always remember that Rome was not built in a day. Patience bears fruits!
Let us know what you think? Comment, share, like and love everyone.
Also read: 10 types of social media personalities you should be aware of!
WeBeeSocial is a full service creative digital marketing agency in New Delhi India. Our In-house Digital planning team can help chalk out the best strategy and plan for your business. Read more here.
