As far as I’m concerned, promotional stunts never go out of style. Some call is shtick, some call it gimmicks, I call it publicity.

It was all over the news when Dominos began repairing potholes in a handful of American towns because bumps in the road can cause “irreversible damage to your pizza.” Remember about ten years ago, around Christmas time, when Travelodge announced that all married couples named Mary and Joseph would be offered a free room?

All these stunts were reported on by the media and got people talking. And as a business owner, that’s what you want.

Mark Hughes, marketing VP of the online retailer Half.com, paid Halfway, Oregon to adopt the name Half.com for their town for 12 months, becoming America’s first “.com” city. In his book, Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff, Hughes lists the six “buttons” of buzz: the Taboo, Unusual, Outrageous, Hilarious, Remarkable and Secrets.

Most of us don’t have the resources to rent a town for a year, but there are some budget-friendly ways to do publicity stunts and get the media buzz that will draw attention to your business.

Try to set a world – or just a local – record.

Doing something the most or the biggest is a publicity no-brainer. Think of something that’s pertinent to your business. Dentists: the most people brushing their teeth simultaneously. Restauranteurs: the largest salad. Accountants: the most paper airplanes made out of 1099 forms.

TangoTab in Dallas, which created an app connecting customers with local restaurants, assembled the most people simultaneously making sandwiches. Elle’s Enchanted Forest in Cleveland, a non-profit for children with disabilities, created the largest fingerprint painting.

Whatever you do, it might not be recognized by the Guinness Book of Records, but it will still win you loads of publicity.

Poke Fun at a Competitor

Nothing is more entertaining these days than a friendly, social media rivalry.

A Burger King in Massachusetts changed its marquee to ask next-door neighbor Wendy’s to the prom. The sign was shared on Twitter, where it quickly went viral and received a response from Wendy’s social media team: “Ok, but don’t get handsy and we have to be home by 10.”

The official Twitter accounts of Denmark and Sweden engaged in a lively argument on social media about which country is really the best. The Twitter exchange got into Sweden’s expensive alcohol, elk, the Danish language and Sweden’s famed fondness for rules. It was all for fun and the countries loved it.

Find a business that is somewhat similar to yours and agree to a fun back-and-forth ‘rivalry.’ A good sense of humor is vital here – you want to come off as fun-loving, not aggressive.

Hijack a Holiday

Avoid the big days like Valentine’s Day and Halloween – too much competition with businesses with more budget. What about National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15)? Or Fruitcake Toss Day (January 3)? Or National Pencil Day (March 30)?

As part of a fundraiser, North Haven (CT) Middle School celebrated National Pi Day (3.14) by having students smash a pie in the face of school staff.

Find a funny holiday and do something silly (and visual). Check out NationalDayCalendar.com.

Stunts and the ensuing free publicity are one of the best tools that you can use to promote your small business. If you hit one of Mark Hughes’ buzz points, you’ll get some great press coverage.