Buzzmarketing

Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff - Mark Hughes
"Buzzmarketing captures the attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand or company becomes entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy" (2). "To put it simply: buzz starts conversations" (2). Hughes argues that traditional marketing methods result in traditional results. The market is saturated. It takes a lot to get a message through. The best advertising remains word-of-mouth. Get people to talk about you or your service and the buzz begins. I couldn't help as I read this to think of the catchy line from Jesus Christ Superstar: "What's the buzz? Tell me what's a'happening!" Throughout the book Hughes highlights buzzmarketing success stories. He offers a six-fold strategy of buzzmarketing: (1) Give people something to talk about with stories of the taboo, unusual, outrageous, hilarious, remarkable, or secrets revealed; (2) Get the media to pick up on your story - the best free advertising available; (3) Use a variety of media - both traditional and creative; (4) Give your all, take risks; (5) Be ultra-creative - out-think or out-spend your competition; and (6) Police your product - make sure your provide the best product. Obviously, not all these insights are applicable to growing a church, but it is certainly true that the church has "something to talk about" and should make every effort to get its message out creatively and provocatively.