Did you see that iStock by Getty Images has teamed up with Vince Vaughn and the co-stars from the movie “Unfinished Business” and Twentieth Century Fox? They came together to create a variety of stock photos featuring the co-stars that anyone can use for free.

It’s genius. And funny. And relevant.

I absolutely love creative moves like this.

If you look closely at this creative move, there is a tip in there for us, the small business owners. It’s about tapping into pop culture to build buzz around your business, just like iStock did. You may not have the budget to hire Vince Vaughn, but here are some other ideas to get you thinking!

1. I have a client who owns a spa. For five years, she went on her local TV station and recreated looks from the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Can you tie your business to pop culture events like Hollywood Awards Season, the Superbowl, the Olympics and so forth?
2. Holidays. Everyone talks about the upcoming holidays. There is likely a way to tie your business to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and other holidays. Several of my life coach clients have gotten media coverage by tying their businesses to New Year’s Day by finding a new way of talking about the quintessential “New Year’s Resolutions” in fresh ways. Not looking for media coverage? How about an executive coach who writes an article about “How to love your leadership style” or “How to let love inspire your leadership.”
3. Holidays. There are thousands of off-the-beaten-path holidays that you can use to build buzz. There is Beautiful in Your Skin Month, Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month, Great Outdoors Month, National Family Caregivers Month, National Inspirational Role Models Month and so on. Use these holidays to tie into a current holiday. Find out more about these holidays on chases.com.
4. Is a celebrity in the news? If so, can you tie into that somehow? Guilliana Rancic was in the news recently about some things she said on the TV show, Fashion Police. Do you have an expert opinion on that? Perhaps you’re a diversity or leadership coach. Can you comment on the lessons you hope people are learning through this experience? If you are a communication or public speaking coach, can you comment on the sincerity of her apology? A branding coach could comment on how this may affect her personal brand. The “unretouched” photo of Cindy Crawford is another hot topic right now. As a photographer, what is your expert opinion? As a life coach, what’s your take-away? As a coach for mothers of teens, what’s your comment? Was it real? Does it matter? What does the conversation mean to us as a society? Write about it or create a video about it.
5. Do you remember back in 2011 when Ted Williams, the homeless man in Columbus, Ohio made the national news for his amazing speaking voice? Here’s an article I wrote about that which received a significant amount of attention because his name was trending and my article popped up in online searches.
6. Other ideas: The weather, the list of “what’s trending” on Yahoo!, a popular TV show, basically most anything that you see on the news or see in your feed.

I’m sure it hasn’t gotten past you that this article itself picks up on the idea of taking what people are currently talking about and using it to make a point that relates to your business. The point is that if a story in pop-culture is out there and people are already talking about it, why not jump on it and gain some traction as you make a point, share an opinion and share your point of view? The outcome is that you will build buzz about your business and be seen as relevant and current.

 

© 2015 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing