Creating the Internet Buzz - Forums, PR and Secrets
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5. Forums
People seek out forums for advice when they don't know who to turn to for help. For example, I can't go to my mom or my sister, who frankly doesn't know how to use email properly, and ask them who the best web host might be for my business. I will probably visit WebHosters for that. In fact my current web host was not only recommended on WebHosters, but was also advocated by one of my editors. That is buzz marketing. And it works. I trust that the people there know what has worked for them, and what to look for. And I certainly trust my editor, especially if he tells me I can write...
There are forums for everything, from computing to quilting to raising orphaned kittens. It's those individuals who want to impart their knowledge to a particular niche group of people looking for exactly what that forum has to offer. And it's those members that are looking for the kind of advice they can trust in a forum setting.
Further, if you hang out on the forums that pertain to your product or service, and become a trusted member, then your product or service will become trusted as well in time. Just remember that flaming in forums probably won't build other members' trust!
6. Press Releases and Articles
Companies always advocate a press release or a news article for a product. There are many people out there that know that press releases are nothing more than a company tooting its own horn, and hoping it gets picked up as an interesting story by the press. Well, yes, this is exactly what they are! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, because it doesn't cost you a thing except a little bit of effort.
If you hear it on the news, you are very likely to believe it. Journalists will tell you that they report the news without bias and completely objectively, but I've never met a news story that wasn't spun in one direction or another. If you are able to pique the interest of a journalist, then you can count on the fact that your product or service will be regarded as newsworthy, and worth checking out. Then when your story is put out there, people will, more often than not, believe every single itty-bitty word.
7. Have a "Secret"
People love mysteries. In fact, sometimes the more obscure the references are to something, the more people talk about them to figure them out. While writing this, I was listening to the Beatles, and it occurred to me that people not only love mysteries, but sometimes they create them where they might not otherwise exist. There is much speculation about the Beatles' songs and their meanings, and especially now with John Lennon gone, many of these mysteries that people know are there just will never be answered. In fact, there are entire websites that are devoted to the meanings of lyrics that John Lennon wrote. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself.
This spring, an online game for the hit TV show "Lost" fanned the flames of excitement from the show's fans to people who'd never actually watched the show. I have to admit, I was one of those people. This is such an excellent form of buzz marketing. The game required you to watch the show for "clues" to help solve the puzzles. This is a very effective marriage of action and media, and a good way to build interactivity into a product.
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