Every entrepreneur wants their startup to go viral and be the next big thing. However, there is a lot of competition, and it can be challenging to get your message across. So how does a startup break through all the noise? Josh Melick, a founder of Broadly Mobile CRM, knows a thing or two about creating buzz. He has successfully helped his own startup go viral and start a social media movement that spread across the country. During this interview, Josh shares nine secrets for startups on creating buzz and getting their name out there.

1. Start with a great product

To get any attention, you need to have a great product. It’s also crucial that you know who your customer is and what they need.

“I think the key to any buzz or word of mouth is to have a great product, service, or solution,” says Melick. “So many companies today — myself included with Broadly — have good products but struggle to get noticed.”

2. Be consistent

Consistency is key to getting your message out there. It’s essential that you are consistent in your outreach and follow up with potential customers and partners. Media outlets and journalists don’t like surprises; they want consistency.

“I think the most frustrating thing about working in PR or marketing these days is that companies aren’t consistent in their approach,” says Melick. “I used to manage PR for Apple at MxPlay and was frustrated every day because I would be talking to different people about the same product launch or event.”

3. Keep your social media channels active

It’s vital that you are present on all social media channels relevant to your startup. Of course, you don’t want to focus on all of them, but you should be active on at least a few.

“I think the one thing that every company needs to understand about social media is that it’s not just for kids under 25,” Melick says. “Just having Facebook and Twitter pages doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

4. Use social media to your advantage

Having a great product and being present on social media is essential, but you also need to know how to use it in your favor. Therefore, you must learn the ins and outs of all these social media sites so that you can fully take advantage of each one.

“In addition [to all of that], you need to know how to use each site,” says Melick. “I think the people who are best at this are social media natives because they grew up with these tools and services in their hands since they were able to hold a device.”

5. Hire a PR firm or freelancer

You can also hire a PR firm or a freelancer to help boost your startup. You should talk with each one and see what they can offer you and how much it will cost you.

“If budget is an issue, I would recommend hiring a smart young kid who can do some freelance work for you,” says Melick. “A younger person is typically more up to date on the newest tools and technologies, so they can help you use some of these networks.”

6. Get in front of the right people

It’s important that you know who your influencers are and try to get in touch with them. If they like what you have to offer, then it’s likely that they will help you spread the word. You just need to find them and get your foot in the door.

“One of the best things about working at a startup is that you can change your fate by just getting in front of the right people,” says Melick. “This was one of our biggest tricks when we were trying to get Broadly off the ground.”