Utilizing Buzz Marketing: What It Is And How It Can Help Your Business

Written by:Mitchell Godwin

There was a time when products and services were discussed from neighbor to neighbor over backyard fences or at the local market. People still call it word-of-mouth advertising. This tactic, known as buzz marketing, can still be used as a strong component of any promotional campaign. As current mass marketing strategies are growing more expensive and less productive, more intimate means are being sought. In steps buzz marketing, which takes advantage of the power of personal recommendation. Many, however, may not realize the potential of buzz marketing, and what it can do for small Internet marketers.

Essentially buzz marketing and word-of-mouth advertising are the same concept. A company selects community members or online participants to test a product in exchange for their willingness to freely discuss the product with others. It really is that simple.

The handpicked people are known as buzz agents becaucse they help to create a “buzz” for a product. For this to work, buzz agents have to be allowed to provide honest assessments. If there are aspects the agent does not like about a product, they must be shared as freely as the good points. Most buzz agents are also required to reveal that they are sharing their opinion in exchange for a free trial of the product.

The information that buzz marketers collect is very important and is recorded by the marketer. The data summarizes the effectiveness of the campaign, potential market of the product, and public opinion, all highly valuable information for a 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 like to talk about celebrities and want to know more about amazing tales. One example of how this has been used in the past is the media's obvious attempt to gain attention through head-turning headlines and personal interest stories. It works because it feeds human curiosity.

Buzz marketing works in much the same way. It takes advantage of the fact that people want to know what everyone else knows. The product is somehow attached to a story, such as an underdog story of the company president. This makes the product memorable. An interesting story will travel, taking the product with it.

A buzz marketing campaign should have a hook to it that causes the general public to take notice. It must be a unique angle that makes the product or company different than what the market currently supports. Marketers can differentiate themselves with a personal life story, company history, product, or a great sales promotion.

After the hook is in place and the story formulated, the marketing crew can set the buzz agents loose, both online and in the real world. Giveaways and free samples create a natural buzz around a product. To get the word out about the product to a wide audience all at once, advertisers might post the story to Twitter, Facebook, or another social networking site.

The power of buzz marketing is tremendous, but that is not always a good thing. A glitchy product or a promotion that does not live up to expectations will generate negative buzz. Positive buzz will only be generated by a quality product. A solid product and an attentive company should stand up to the high reputation being generated in the buzz campaign. A product that falls on its face will not only bury the buzz campaign, but often the company as well.

The idea of buzz marketing is an effective strategy gleaned from the wizened tactics of old. Buzz cannot carry a company on its own. The company needs a strong product, a great production and distribution plan, and an overall marketing strategy. For well-prepared companies with something exciting to say, buzz can be their best friend.