Matt Heinz has taken the buzz challenge and is moving through the list quickly.  He is getting all the low hanging fruit out of the way before doing the uncomfortable ones.  (Don’t we all…)

 Take a look as he blogs it.

A second person has joined in on the Buzz Challenge to do all the buzz activities from the book, Buzzoodle Buzz Marketing.  See Ben and Jords.

If you feel like participating, copy the list below into your blog and mark them off as you do them.  The book is written to make it easy for any employee, family member, friend or customer to create buzz for themselves and for you, so buy this book for the buzz challenged in your life.  If you are already marketing savvy, this list will already make sense to you.

1. Email an Old Friend or Acquaintance
2. Contact a Stale Connection
3. Email Extended Family
4. Call Someone You Have Never Talked To
5. Congratulations Call or Note
6. Send a Surprise Letter
7. Any Day Card
8. Mail a News Clipping
9. Social Networking
10. Online Directory
11. Squidoo Expert Lens
12. Tag Your Website or Blog
13. Blog/Message Board Comment
14. Join/Participate in an Online Group
15. Talk to a New Person in Person
16. Contact a Reporter or Writer
17. Contact an Old Employer/Employee
18. Customer Follow-up
19. Call/Email a Person You Respect
20. Mini Announcements
21. Digg Your Site
22. Flickr Fun
23. Personal Success Email List
24. Did You Know? – Trivia
25. Instant Messaging
26. Text Messaging
27. Email a Useful Link to Someone
28. Testimonials
29. Celebrate Success
30. Write a Blog
31. Have a “Get To Know You” Meal
32. Host a Dinner Party
33. Arrange a Networking Lunch
34. Publish an Article
35. Meet More Neighbors
36. Send a Press Release
37. Give a Speech
38. Volunteer
39. Online Interview/Podcast
40. Conduct a Survey
41. Local Government Involvement
42. Open House
43. Interview a Leader
44. YouTube.com
45. Meet Business Neighbors
46. eNewsletter or Newsletter
47. Produce an eBook
48. Nominate an Organization
49. Challenge a Coworker to a Buzz-Off
50. Podcast Show
51. Host a Seminar or Training Session
52. Unexpected Booth
53. Organize a Group
54. Become a Board Member
55. Conduct a Focus Group/Roundtable
56. Conduct a Customer Contest
57. Organize a Charitable Event

Please email me and let me know if you start doing your own public Buzz Challenge.

If you create a lot of buzz, you still have to be able to get people to convert.  They either need to purchase your product or service, or if you are an Internet Company, you need to get them to start using your website and it’s tools.

Guy Kawasaki has an excellent post.  Top 10 Stupid Ways to Hinder Market Adoption.

[tags]Market Adoption[/tags]

One way to do word of mouth marketing is to get heavy talkers to talk about you.  By heavy talker, I mean those people that already have an audience.  This is a good way to build buzz, and anyone can do it with consistent effort and a good product.

Another way to do Word of Mouth Marketing is to give people who are advocates for you the proper training and tools to broadcast their love of your product or service.  Like what, you ask?

1. Employee Blogs – Getting employees to blog is a great way to create more content that will generate interest in what your organization is doing.  The key is to carefully set guidelines and expectations for each blogger.  Choose employees that want an opportunity to shine and advance their career, because these people will be more committed to writing well and writing to promote the organization.
2. Testimonial Pages – Asking people for testimonials is a good way to get stories from your customers.  What would happen if you shot the testimonial on video and posted it on your website?  People would tell their friends about the video they “Stared” in and drive more people to your site.
3. Refer a Friend Tools - There are lots of tools available on the web that make it easy to “Tell a Friend“.  The simpler this tool is the better as it is easier for a casual way someone can create buzz for you.  This is helpful because people do not spend their day thinking about how to promote you, but they may let a friend know about something of value if they can do it in 30 seconds.
4. Affiliate Programs - If someone is taking the time to create valuable content, they may pay much more attention to you if you offer an affiliate opportunity.  Some people will say that financial rewards should not be put under the word of mouth strategy.  I agree that it is not for every product or service, but it can be a useful tool to spread your message.  And what if your product is in a crowded marketplace?  Maybe the buzz would be about your great affiliate program along with your good (but not remarkable) product.
5. Viral Emails – Build resources that your existing advocates can share with people they know, such as eBooks and other resources that can be easily sent to people.  If your topic is not a topic that can go viral, put together something that people will want to chare, and slip in some branding and information about you.  An example would be “The 10 Best Things for Families to do this Summer in your city.
6. Contests – Create a contest that is compelling enough that your advocates will encourage the people they know to participate.  Again, make it easy to spread.

These are just some ways you can get your existing fans to have a more focused reason and way to talk about you.

A couple of years ago a local sign company made the decal that is on our office window.  We did the design and they printed it out for us, no big deal.

Little did I know that they would like the design and use it in their portfolio as a sample to show other clients.  They show people our company name every time they get that out.  Today someone let me know about it and it added to our buzz.

What could you do to get other people to buzz about you like this?

• Let people know that it is OK to use something as an example of their work.  The person who designed your business cards, maybe?
• Give something to people that they can bundle as a give away, such as an ebook.
• Sponsor artwork or products that are visible in someplace with high traffic.  I have a client that donated an AED to the local chamber, and they mention the AED and the company to everyone that tours the chamber offices.
• Give testimonials generously.

These kinds of things may not generate huge sales, but it is one more way people see or hear buzz about you, and it costs you nothing in most cases.

Ben has listed the entire secret buzz challenge list of my book and is now doing all the challenges here.  It is going to be interesting to watch and he is adding lots of good comments to how each challenge goes.

The biggest advantage he has is that he was already doing many of these.  It is like he is starting the race half way to the finish line!

How am I ever supposed to sell books when people keep giving them away?  Phil Gerbyshak just concluded a contest and gave away a copy of my book to someone for making a comment on a blog.  Next he will probably give away a copy for brushing your teeth!

Come on Phil, Make them stand on their head and rap the words to the star spangled banner the next time (and post it to utube.)

I guess I should say thanks though.  Phil is one of those super powerful bloggers that controls the Internet.  Thanks Phil.

While I have not publically said it, Podcasting is a lot more effort and I question the return on time invested, especially if you do not have it transcribed as well.  However, it is less about there being one right avenue to create buzz and more about finding the right avenues that you enjoy.  (I love writing, for example.)

So when I got an email this week I was plesantly surprised to find I’d influenced someone’s opinion of the Buzz Marketing industry via a podcast.  He gave me permission to post his email:

Ron,

I’ve started to download marketing podcasts as it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to get to work. I happened to catch your podcast, I think it was a phone in number, the audio was fairly sketchy but I was impressed by how you cut through the bullshit about Buzz Marketing.

I’ve always had the concern that companies such as yours were similiar to Amway. Get your friends to to tell their friends how good you are, and then reward them. Maybe I’m a cynical aussie, but I found it off-putting when I started to look into it a year ago.

Your podcast changed my perception somewhat.

Christopher Noble – www.worldnomads.com

So yes, Podcasts are worth doing.  The information travels in a different medium, is used by different types of people and is found in ways unique to podcasts, such as podcast directories.

And on that note, would any of you like to buy some soap?

You should have a forum on your site…..

If you are a business owner you have probably heard advice like this.  If you hear it from an important client, you may feel obligated to appease them and put it up.  However, it is unlikely to succeed.

When you are contemplating any new website feature, blog, marketing message or product feature, it is important to listen to people but it is also important not do make decisions based on one person’s whim.  It does not cost someone anything to give you random advice, such as You should start a blog, everyone has one…

It does cost you considerable time and money to take these ideas and make them a reality.  Here is a reality check for before you do something based on someone else’s advice.

• Do I have a clear picture of what successful outcomes look like for this initiative?
• Will this effort or project result in an increase in revenue?
• Is the opinion I am basing this on a wide spread or narrow opinion?
• Will this person pay for part of the development costs to have this feature?  (If they have a new idea for a new product, service or feature.)
• Are there any free ways to meet this need?  Opensource?
• Are other companies doing this successfully?
• What do I have to give up to do this?  Is it a good trade off of value?
• Are you taking action because you believe it is a great idea, based on research and reflection?  Or because someone told you it is something you should do?

Years ago a company I owned got sidetracked by someone else’s idea.  They told us if we built an Incident Management System every university and school would want it.  It was not a bad idea, but we never took the time to look at what it would take to sell the schools.  The truth was, it is hard to get into universities and we lost money.

Now when someone tells me their great idea, I look at how it effects my core mission and my bottom line.  Our success depends on focus and results for our clients where they expect it.  Not in a new idea every other month.

For you to create buzz, you have to know what your core message and mission is and build on that.  Don’t get lost in all the new technologies and pet projects.

Blogging is very viral.  Companies should participate, but not as a company.  Instead as people that work in a company.

A couple of weeks ago this blog got on a list called the Z-List.  It seems to be slowing down but initially spread quickly and generated a lot of links.

Now there is 2000 Bloggers and people are posting it around the web.  I sent my request and am part of it now.

People frequently take up blogging because they hear me or someone else talk about it.  Then, when they do not get hits and comments quickly they want to know what is wrong.  You have to participate in the community and once in a while you will get an opportunity to get involved in some viral blog thing and your blog will really take off.