An Overview Of Buzz Marketing
Aus Salespoint
Writter: Marnie Blankenship
The right marketer will not only have the print pages and World Wide Web buzzing with excitement, but will have the air buzzing as well. Buzz marketing will accomplish this for a company, and the old-fashioned tactic of word-of-mouth information is the way to engage in buzz marketing. Even though word-of-mouth has been a byproduct of good marketing plans for years, it has only recently been included as a deliberate strategy for generating interest in a product or service. When a respected friend or neighbor praises a product, people take note. Marketers can tap into this, but only with the right know-how.
The driving force behind buzz marketing is people chatting about a product. The marketer gives free information, products, or program enrollments to a group of individuals called buzz agents. The buzz agents then tell others about their individual experiences with the product or program. This discussion turns into buzz over the product or service. The agents track certain data which the company then uses to analyze the campaign and audience. In this way, an advertiser can determine their target audience with the information they compile.
Buzz agents usually have to abide by specific regulations. They have to provide all the details of their experience, even if it wasn't all good. Buzz agents will also let others know that they are being used to promote the product. This avoids any ethical conflicts and helps to build trust between the company and the consumers.
The reason that buzz marketing works is because people are naturally inquisitive. Human beings love to talk, to share interesting events, and to glean information from others. Some might call this gossip. Buzz marketers call it opportunity. Media outlets play off of human curiosity by coming up with titillating headlines or interesting stories to get people to watch their reports. Buzz marketers do the same thing with their products.
Marketers will use a product with a unique story, or they will utilize the unique story behind the business itself. Advertisers get the conversation started and from there the buzz takes off.
Social media is a good way to make the conversation go around the world. Social media websites like Twitter and Facebook offer an excellent platform for advertising just about anything. Another great approach is offering free samples, giveaways, or drawings. Everyone loves a great promotion, and entire sites are devoted to passing on the buzz about great deals.
The key to a successful buzz marketing campaign is to find a unique aspect that differentiates a company’s product or service from other companies. This is what will separate a buzz marketing campaign from the strategies of others. The hook could be a new product launch, the sales presentation, or the company background.
The most important thing is to make sure that the product is of great quality. Many products can be sold if positive buzz is generated both online and off. When a product does not do what the buzz claims it will, the buzz marketing project will all be for nothing. If this is the case, then buzz marketing won’t work and the sales launch will be a colossal failure.
Word-of-mouth advertising is the oldest form of marketing. Deliberately using it as part of an overall marketing strategy is the new twist that buzz marketing has added. This free and powerful form of advertisement is but one part of a solid marketing plan, and the buzz involved will more than restitute the preparation involved.
