There is quite a bit of buzz in the air about an old fashioned marketing technique. The approach to getting the word out is historically proven, but is now being taken to the next level. Buzz marketing is the name. New mass marketing techniques may get more hype but they have not been proven to yield more effective results than buzz marketing. The reason is that referrals from person to person can’t be beat when it comes to marketing. How can marketers harness the power of buzz marketing and reap the rewards for their own companies?
Buzz marketing can only work if people talk about the product. To get the chatter, or buzz, going, a marketer needs the assistance of buzz agents. Each agent is supplied with a free product or service. In turn, these people discuss the product with their friends, family, and coworkers. They might even discuss it on their blogs or social media platforms. This helps create a buzz for the product. 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 are required to give their honest opinion to others, whether it’s a good experience or a bad one. Buzz agents will also let others know that they are being used to promote the product. This way, nobody will feel duped if they later learn that the person who convinced them to buy a product was indirectly working for the company.
Buzz marketing works because of innate human nosiness. People like to know what’s going on, what’s new or different, what’s hot in the social realm. People love a good story or juicy gossip. Throughout the years, media has exploited this tendency by featuring stories about famous people, fascinating events, and other kinds of interesting happenings. They attract audiences because of the natural need to know what’s going on.
Buzz marketing takes the natural urge to hear a good story and monetizes it. If advertisers can link a service or product to an intriguing bit of information, people are more likely to remember it in the future. Marketers allow their tale to move into the world of chit-chat and, along with it goes their product.
To ignite the discussion, marketers often turn to social networking sites to speed up the process. Twitter and Facebook are the leaders, and have proven to be superb transmitters of buzz. 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. Without that hook, the product will be mired in a pit of similar products that nobody notices. The focal point might be a new innovative product, a promotional activity, or how the company came into being.
The key to success, though, is that the product does exactly what it claims to do. A great buzz campaign can move a lot of product off the shelves. If all those sold products results in disappointed customers, the campaign is a flop. If this is the case, then buzz marketing won’t work and the sales launch will be a colossal failure.
Advertisers in all fields are beginning to discover the power of buzz marketing. Even though it has been in existence for decades, it has never been included in an actual marketing plan. Ever since it has been shown to be effective, buzz marketing has been intentionally included in many comprehensive marketing strategies. Affordable and powerful, buzz marketing can be a reliable method of getting a product in front of more people and generating more sales.