If you are into brand marketing strategy, the first thing you need to know is this: making consumers fuss about your business isn’t as random as you think. There’s actually a science to producing a brand marketing buzz, and it’s something you can learn to do.

Take note, your business is not there to just create customers. It is to create customers who , in turn, will also create customers (in short, customer advocates). This is the perfect marketing solution for 99 percent of all businesses, and why I believe brand marketing should be considered as one of your most important marketing campaign tools.

By acting a little more clever and unpredictable, you are challenging the consumers who appreciate a little fun in their products and services.

Let’s analyze some outstanding ways other businesses have created their brand marketing strategy which you can easily apply in your own company:

1. Share Stuff That Already Works

The U.S. Department of the Interior has been using social media to show the world what they do. Instead of just sharing content about policies and press releases, they also share stunning landscape photos and videos of cute animals in the national parks they manage.

The department’s Senior Digital Strategist, Rebecca Matulka, says, people often use their social posts to plan vacations or be reminded about past family trips to the parks. Even their videos of bears alone get hundreds of retweets on Twitter.

If a governmental department can create content using adorable animals and breathtaking landscapes, you can also connect to something that people like to share, too.

2. Weird Experiences

Another example is Catbird Creamery in Maine, when you order a conventional flavor, they’ll insist that you also try something a little more adventurous. And even if you’re going to order vanilla anyway, they would still want you to at least try the strawberry balsamic or green tea ginger. Catbird knows that anyone can make a good vanilla, but what makes them remarkable is helping their customers try out all of the other fantastic flavors the brand also make.

They give their customers an experience to talk about. The point is, even if the customer doesn’t order the hot pepper flavor they just sampled, they will likely tell others they have tasted it.

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3. Mobile Apps and Charmin!

Do you think you can’t come up with a fun, creative and at the same time, practical way to sell toilet paper? Well, Charmin did. Although it’s not exactly social media, their app does make that-thing- that-shall- not- be-named a little easier, with mapped out directions to all the restrooms in a given area. Unsurprisingly though, you can rate the public restrooms through the app as to whether they “Sit”(like) or “Squat” (dislike).

Truth is, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars for an iPhone programmer to create an app. There are already available online template-based services like Seattle Clouds which make it easy for anyone to point and click their way to a custom app using a variety of layouts and setups. The resulting app can be used on Amazon Kindle, Apple iPhone and iPad and Android devices, so you’re covered no matter which device your target audience uses.

4. Mystery

Are you mysterious? Or do you think you can be? Just see how people are delighted with the puzzle-solving aspect of pattern recognition. Now, if we go a bit deeper and explore what drives this pattern seeking behavior, we find: curiosity.

A good thing about great storytellers is that they know how to turn an ordinary event—say, a trip to the grocery—into a suspenseful one by withholding information. Even in new relationships, flirtation often involves some element of playful teasing, whether through conversation or more sensual revelations.

And newsrooms have made a science out of crafting irresistible headlines: “Your PC might be infected!” or “Are you prepared for the tax law changes?”

Human nature includes that we are captivated by unanswered questions. So what you should do is try and put this mystery to good use.

5. Target’s View

Target is one of those companies that do a great job of creating a Life and Entertainment-style online magazine with great tips on recipes, fashion, and managing major life events like back-to- school and the holidays. They drag their bold brand and fashion on a budget approach to life with the stories they tell. With tips like 9 Ramen Hacks For Your College Dorm, how could they go wrong?

You should be like Target, and focus on serving your audience while at the same time bringing your brand to life in an authentic and engaging way.

6. Make People Feel Special

Comodo restaurant in New York encourages customers to snap pictures of their meals and contribute them to an “Instagram Menu” by adding #ComodoMenu to their posts.

It’s actually a perfect way to collect all of their recommendations and photos in one place, but more importantly, it makes their contributors feel like a part of the restaurant.

It is a well-known fact nowadays that customers often take Instagram photos of their fancy dinners. So, why not get the most out of your brand marketing by making those customers feel special? Related post: Secrets to the Lego Marketing Campaigns … Effective Marketing?

7. Find Unique Ways to Give

Meathead Movers is a Los Angeles moving company, and in addition to their standard moving business, they also lend a hand to people in domestic abuse situations move out safely, and quickly, and for no charge at all. What they do is every time they open up a new location, they never forget to contact the nearest women’s shelter to tell them about the service they offer.

In fact, it has become a point of pride for their employees and has been a part of their mission statement. Now, they’ve also promoted this idea to other businesses in their communities to help victims of domestic violence start over with services like rental locating, oil changes, security systems, haircuts and counseling.

Charitable giving goes much further when you also create awareness for the cause. Instead of just writing a check, Meathead Movers makes their cause much more visible and community oriented.

8. Create Surprise

We are pretty sure that you have seen all the tear jerker commercials for abused or abandoned puppies or kittens. They are not something you’ll often share with friends, is it? Albeit, North Carolina’s Wake County SPCA tried a very different approach to this problem. They made a lip-synching music video to ABBA’s song “Take a Chance on Me” with the entire shelter staff and most of the adoptable animals.

Are you wondering if it was a success? It was watched on YouTube over 3.4 million times the last time we looked. Just because others do the standard tearjerker videos doesn’t mean they are popular. The lesson is is this: Surprise your audience with original things that are fun and approachable like what SPCA did. Even you may be surprised.