Let’s face it, we’re past the age where internet marketing is new and optional. Digital marketing on the internet is critical to any business. However, creating the right content that elicits a positive response or a reaction from your audience is the key. You can’t just expect to build a website, throw some words in the mix, add a few photos and call it a day. No, In this current age of the internet where the digital arena is saturated with websites and social media posts, standing out is harder to do. Do you want to avoid getting lost in the shadows of everyone else online competing for your audience’s attention? Of course, you want to avoid that!  Every company, organization, public figure, and celebrity who wants to be at the top of the industry wants to get noticed. But you can’t just get noticed.

You Must Create A Buzz Online

The internet is a place where even the slightest meme, mention from a celebrity, or unique content can catch fire. Your brand can become hot in an instant and go viral with one single image or social media post. The open nature of social media platforms gives you a unique opportunity to not only reach your audience directly but also go viral. But what exactly does “go viral” mean? What does it entail, and why should you want your message to “go viral?” The term viral, in terms of social media, describes a post, photo, or another medium that gets shared globally at a rapid pace. The tricky part about going viral is that it can be a double-edged sword. A perfect example of this nature is the case of actor Will Smith’s Oscar ceremony incident. Unless you live under a rock, we all know that Will Smith slapped comedian, Chris Rock on live television. While those watching the broadcast in the U.S. did not see the entire incident, the full, uncensored version made its way to the internet in mere seconds. Within mere minutes of the incident being available online worldwide, people began reposting the clip on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms. Five minutes later, that swelled to well over 300k worldwide views related to the incident. Less than 24 hours after the ceremony, it was reported that posts related to it, cumulatively garnered well over 100 million times. Yes, you read that right—over 100 MILLION. Then it became social media marketing gold for companies to create their own buzz. Pop culture topics are often parodied with tongue-in-cheek posts by organizations tying their brand into the imagery. We know—we did it too. So as far as creating a buzz online—mission accomplished. However, not all outcomes of creating a buzz online are the same.

Not All Buzz Is Good Buzz

This is a perfect example of why it’s important to create the right kind of buzz for your brand. In the case of Will Smith, the buzz that he created was overwhelmingly negative for his brand. On the other hand, Chris Rock, while not the instigator of the buzz created, got a huge boost for his brand. He sold out many shows following the incident which is significant given his popularity had somewhat cooled before this. So what does this have to do with you creating buzz for your brand online? Because it shows that you have to create the right buzz online if you want to get a bump in traffic and brand awareness. This means you need to strategically develop content and set a tone for your online presence. You also need to use all the tools available in establishing your presence.

• Social Media
• Blog Content
• Website Content
• Video

These are all tools that you should be including in your digital marketing strategy but you also need to know your audience.

Knowing Your Audience And Catering To Them Is Key

You have to know your audience—plain and simple. You should become friends with them, so to speak. Learn their interests, their turn-offs, what motivates them, what their needs are, and their values—deep dive into their psyche. That is the only information you have that will guide you to know what kind of buzz to create. Create captivating content that touches on their needs and interests and you’re in. On the other hand, develop boring, cookie-cutter content, or worse—content that puts off your audience, and you are toast. It’s a delicate balance and one that does involve some inherent risks of failure. The important thing you must remember is that the internet has evolved to a point that it gives you a serious advantage. Every man, woman, and child on the face of this earth can become an instant celebrity with fifteen seconds of fame on Twitter, YouTube, etc. So, the platform is there for the taking. But the way you go about generating that buzz has to cater directly to your audience. Try to please everyone and you’ll please no one. Even if the buzz only lasts for two days, in this age, that’s all you need for your company to get the necessary traffic and drive up sales. The concept of creating a buzz online is the easy part. The hard part is learning how to get started. Let us show you five tips to create a buzz online for your brand.

CREATE SOMETHING PEOPLE CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT

Today’s society is all about emotions and what is trending, the next debatable news article, the emotional tear-jerker, or the inspirational masterpiece. It is up to you to decide what’s going to be the next creative story, image, or video that evokes emotions about your brand. Whether that’s piggybacking off the buzz of pop culture news or making your own news and packaging that. You have to ask yourself: “Is what I’m offering worthy of people talking about? Is it something that people will get excited about? Is it something that can evoke emotions and opinions, and create a bond with my audience?”

LEARN THE CRAFT OF TELLING YOUR BRAND STORY

It’s human nature to be drawn to a good story. From the time we are born, we are told nightly bedtime stories and as we get older we are fed everything from Saturday morning cartoons to Snapchat and TikTok stories. No matter what your brand offers—it needs its own story. That story has to be more than informative words on your website. More than a basic image on social media posts. Your brand story needs to position itself as the hero, fulfilling the needs of your audience. People don’t want to be sold, they want to feel connected to your brand. They want the decision to buy or not to come of their own volition. Being sold feels like being told—nobody wants to be told what to do. So, you have to package your message within a story, cinematic even, if you will.

• Lay down the scene
• Reveal the problem
• Show the customer’s struggle
• Introduce the hero, your brand

If your brand is worth what you believe it is—make the story worth it too.

REINFORCE THE MESSAGE WITH VISUALS

Since the first time humans could communicate with visual drawings, imagery has been critical to telling a story. With all the technology in today’s world, we are more visual than ever. While words tell the story, images and videos that are moving are what make the words penetrate the memory. When you see the Air Jordan, Jumpman logo—you know what that brand evokes. Excellence, athleticism, premium athletic gear. But look deeper at what the image means. It is subliminally reinforcing the concept of soaring above obstacles. Achieving lofty dreams, being—“Like Mike.” Do you see, how in those two words, you probably remembered the commercials for Gatorade? The song jingle lyrics: “Sometimes I dream, that he is me. You’ve got to see that’s how I dream to be…like Mike, I want to be like Mike.” Those commercials will live on for generations because they spoke to people’s aspirations, values, and desires to achieve their own dreams. IS YOUR BRAND STORY SPEAKING TO YOUR AUDIENCE LIKE THIS? It should be. It means the difference between being a brand that’s a frontrunner or just another horse in the race.

SHARE, SHARE, SHARE

In 90 seconds, it is possible to share your post 900,000,000 times. Okay, that number has no statistical research, but you get what we mean. Look at the Will Smith incident example from above. Utilize every form of social media in your arsenal. But—use it effectively. The “buzzability” (yes, it’s a word, we made it up) of your post is measured by how many people have seen and shared your post. However, people don’t share things that don’t excite them, move them, or make them feel various emotions. People share posts that make them laugh, that make them feel inspired. Posts that stimulate their intellect or fascinate them. By nature, we have a tribe mentality. When we find something worthy of our time or valuable information, we want to share it with our “tribe.” In the technology-driven world we live in, that tribe is much larger due to social media. What we share travels quite literally at the speed of light. Encourage your audience to like your posts, but also to share them with their friends and relatives. Without people sharing your posts, they become null and void—as if they never existed.

CREATE AN AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO DIALOGUE

When people share with others, it’s natural for there to be feedback or banter. The more people are engaged in the conversation, the better it is for you. The internet is the modern office watercooler of society when you think about it. People are hungry to hear the latest news and want an opportunity to talk about it. As we mentioned earlier, often with social media, there are some inherent risks. One of those is people that will respond negatively to your posts. If you think people talk about things they like online, they talk twice as much about things they don’t like. That’s the nature of the beast, you just have to make sure you’ve thought out your strategy enough to overcome negativity. The negative comments will always be there, if you played your cards right, the positives will outnumber them. Many times, loyal supporters will even defend your brand against these attacks. That being said, the worse thing you can do is block comments from happening. Someone once said, “All publicity is good publicity.” People are going to talk anyway. Make sure you give them something to talk about.

Let BrandNation Tell Your Story

We know that what we do isn’t hard. However, it does require some inherent talent, a ton of patience, and time. You have a business to run, doing the things that earn you a profit. We are storytellers. That’s our job. Let us do that for you and share your story with the world. Contact us today! Or call 713-820-6925 and let’s build together.