We’re exploring ideas for creating buzz for your business. And one idea is to use YouTube to stir up some attention and drive traffic to your website.
In his book, Buzzmarketing, Mark Hughes (www.buzzmarketing.com) tells about BlendTec, a company which makes blenders. They were little known until they made a video in which they took a brand new $500 iPod and threw it into one of their blenders and turned it on.
Partly because this is a little outrageous and partly because the news about iPods has been so hot, this video went viral and BlendTec’s revenues rose 500%.
Today, anyone with a cheap video camera and a little imagination can take a shot at doing something relevant but outrageous to create some buzz. Here are nine more ideas.
A hardware store could get a local juggler to juggle odd items from the store, such as a hammer, a wrench, a paint brush and others.
A plumber could engage the services of a local magician to create some kind of plumbing-related magic trick with a toilet. “We make plumbing problems disappear.”
A luggage store could video local high school football players in full uniform slamming into pieces of luggage to show how durable they are.
A dentist video could show a dentist pulling his drill and other dentistry tools out of his satchel (as the patient waits apprehensively in the dentist’s chair). Then the dentist reaches into the satchel one more time…and pulls out a puppy! He hands the puppy to the patient. The video makes the point about the dentist being as gentle as a puppy.
A computer store could show a baby playing with a new computer.
(You can’t go wrong with puppies and babies. In fact, a mattress store could do worse than just show a mattress with babies and puppies asleep on it.)
A bank video promoting home equity loans could show a homeowner finding huge wads of cash under the couch, in a drawer, inside the fridge, in the rain gutters, etc. (“There’s money in your home.”)
An optometrist could show a video of a near-sighted guy walking down the street, bumping into things, as in the old Mr. Magoo cartoons.
A pest extermination company could dress up a guy in a mouse suit and have him lounging on the couch with the family, eating popcorn, changing the channel, sitting with them at dinner, joining in family games. (“Do you have uninvited guests in your home?”)
The possibilities are unlimited and these days it doesn’t cost much to try. You can put your video on YouTube and then mention it on your website and elsewhere and see what happens.
Use your imagination and see if you can come up with some unique ideas for using YouTube for your business.
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