Photo by Joshua J. Cotten
This method taps into the very human desire to be in the “in-crowd.” If there’s something special to know, we want to know it. We also want to be the know-it-all who gets to share it with our friends.
To use “secret” to generate word-of-mouth, offer information to your prospects that few other people know. Whether it’s a handy statistic, an industry tip, or an exclusive invitation or group, your B2B marketing prospects will thank you.
Even better, they’ll feel like you and them are in the same “secret” group that knows the special information. Together, you’re members of the secret group, and as they initiate more people, they’ll share your message, too.
This type of content is better than your run-of-the-mill how-to article. It provides an edge against the competition, because it’s exclusive.
Don’t feel like the “secret” has to be limited to information in an article or PDF. This strategy applies in the real-world as well. Perhaps your team is having a hush-hush product launch, where only a few sites get the “leak” about the newest release (Apple and other tech companies use this strategy a lot).
Exclusive clubs or membership programs are a great way to use the element of mystery. Anything that makes your audience feel like they are the “in-crowd” for associating with you and your brand. Offer VIPs behind-the-scenes footage, or create a clubhouse space, real or virtual, where only exclusive members can hang out.
It can be hard to find a good “secret,” but once you do, you’re on your way to word-of-mouth buzz. People aren’t very good at keeping a secret, after all, and when they tell other people about the awesome perks or insider info you’ve given them, they’re hyping up your brand.
For a client partner, we used the element of “secret” to add excitement to their gifting.
On opening the package, recipients would find that somewhere in the box was a gift, something great like Airpods or a Bluetooth speaker. The catch?
The gift was hidden in a secret compartment. The recipient had to remove a decal to reveal their gift.
This did a number of helpful things: instead of just opening the box, saying, “Oh cool” about the Airpods, and never thinking about the company ever again, people had to get involved in the experience.
For content creation: Read! Start by reading good books and the latest research about your industry. Then, you’ll be able to bring that information to your audience, “initiating” them in the insider knowledge you’ve gained.
For “secrets” in the real-world, offer your audience a tantalizing glimpse of something they want, and then make it clear that only a few, exclusive people will get access. Keep things under wraps, then slowly reveal the “secret” to your VIPs.
