Learning To Make Use Of Buzz Marketing
Written by:Laverne Kirkland
Buzz marketing is not a new term to a lot of people. It is an interactive style of advertising that utilizes a conversational approach to getting the word out. In fact, buzz marketing is an intentional form of word-of-mouth advertising. All marketing projects can benefit from buzz marketing as one component of a comprehensive advertising approach. It is not as flashy as many of the expensive, technologically advanced forms of advertising, but it is just as effective, if not moreso. Following is a summary of the nitty gritty of buzz marketing.
The modus operandi of buzz marketing is to capitalize on the human tendency to gossip. Advertisers give members of the general public, who are referred to as buzz agents, samples of their product or access to their program at no charge. All they ask in return is that the buzz agents discuss their experiences with their friends, family, or other contacts. It doesn't get any easier than this.
Most buzz agents must follow a code of conduct. They are asked to speak honestly about the product, including both positve and negative. They have to tell the people with whom they are speaking that they are buzz agents in order to be up front about what they are doing. This way, people will not harbor bad feelings about the organization if they think they are being solicited without their knowledge.
Marketers record the information shared with them by their agents, as well as the demographics of new customers. Then the marketers use this information to track the effects of their buzz marketing campaign.
As a way to disseminate information and cultivate interest, buzz marketing piques human curiosity in its rawest forms. People are incessantly interested in the latest gossip. Buzz marketing capitalizes on mankind's loose lips. Gossip and stories will ensue. People have always been lured by a catchy story or intriguing headline.
This is where buzz marketing emerges to tell the stories that people are looking for and the gossip that they crave. A smart buzz marketer will attach the product to a juicy story before launching it. It is delivered with a memorable story, and finds its way into a steady stream of gossip and story-telling.
Each product that is used in buzz marketing should have a hook that separates it from the everyday products. The hook can be a Cinderella story about the company or its owner. It can also be something new and original that the product brings to the market.
Buzz marketing then has its outlet. Savvy marketers further the buzz through social media outlets. Social media outlets, namely Twitter and Facebook, are ideal for this word-of-mouth advertising. The more important aspect of buzz marketing is that the product stands up to the hype.
With the buzz in the air, the expectations must be met, or the buzz will quickly become negative and crash a campaign. If the product falls flat, the buzz will either fizzle, or will sizzle onward with a negative fire.
Marketers are only beginning to tap the power of buzz marketing, despite the longtime presence of word-of-mouth advertising. For centuries people have used personal recommendations to advance a product. Only recently has it become a popular method of intentionally launching product chatter. Buzz is powerful, effective, and often more affordable than other advertising tactics. Buzz marketing can stand on its own as a legitimate marketing technique, but at the bare minimum, marketers should start incorporating word-of-mouth strategies into an overall marketing plan.
