Buzz marketing is a powerful strategy that companies use to generate interest. What is buzz marketing exactly, and how can marketers use it? Let’s find out.
The Meaning of Buzz Marketing
It can be hard to find an exact definition of buzz marketing because of all the conflicting sources online. However, it is actually quite simple. Simply put, buzz marketing is a marketing and publicity technique that utilizes word-of-mouth communication to generate buzz around a company, product, or service. It uses online platforms like social media or blogs to generate attention and interest.
When buzz marketing is effective, it can increase awareness and visibility of the product or service in question. The product or service goes viral and generates more online traffic. Marketers typically use the strategy before the release of a product or service. As a result, the product launch can immediately lead to sales.
Buzz Marketing Examples
To better understand the term, let’s look at a few examples of how companies generate buzz around a product or service. One typical example would be a promotional show or stunt where the consumers can try the product and share their experience online. Companies use social influencers to generate an online buzz through TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter.
Several companies have also increased awareness by running contests. Often, participants would only need to follow a social media page, talk about a product, or do some other act that increases brand presence or promotes the product. Afterward, the company will randomly select winners to give prizes to. The prizes usually include the product being promoted or some other desirable item.
How Do You Generate Buzz?
There are three important elements to the buzz marketing strategy. First, the company must create a valuable and interesting product or service. Second, the product or service must be easy to market—it shouldn’t be complicated. Otherwise, regular consumers won’t be able to talk about it with others easily.
Finally, a media plan that targets the correct audience is one of the most essential parts of an effective buzz marketing strategy. It should provide just the right exposure for the product or service.
Apart from the aforementioned elements, here are some of the best practices you should follow when creating a buzz marketing campaign.
1. Know the Audience
It’s vital to understand the audience before you create a campaign. Make sure the plan garners interest in the right way. The plan should also include limits to ensure that only the right people are reached.
2. Use the Right Triggers
The marketing campaign must stir people up. It must elicit as many reactions as possible without turning people away. Be careful not to cross any boundaries that might generate unfavorable interest.
3. Create a Strategy
The audience profile and strategy should match. Make sure to use the right campaign to appeal to the target market. For example, if you’re targeting young people, it might be best to use a social media campaign on TikTok. The platform is where young people hang out the most online, so it’s the best channel to use.
4. Build Anticipation
It’s essential to create suspense to generate buzz. Make them want to know more about the product or service before it launches. Suspense creates interest that can generate momentum.
5. Encourage Early Adopters
We recommend rewarding anyone who responds positively to the campaign early. The early adopters will feel special and become more loyal to the product or brand. This will also stimulate other people’s curiosity and fear of missing out.
6. Embrace Influencers
Influencers are our modern-day mini-celebrities. In fact, influencer marketing has such a big impact on consumers that some even get their information primarily from their favorite influencers.
Choose an influencer whose audience coincides with your target market. Moreover, choose someone with an ample audience size that can generate enough awareness.
7. Track the Results
Monitoring the campaign and using key performance indicators to track the results is always important. Measure your success and identify what’s working and what isn’t so you can adjust your campaign.
Types of Buzz Marketing
Once you have an exciting and readily marketable product or service, the next step is to develop a plan to promote it. There are different types of buzz marketing tactics. Each focuses on a different stimulus to get the audience to engage with the product.
1. Taboo
Everyone loves to gossip, which is why using controversial topics is an effective way to generate buzz. For example, Coca-Cola did this in their 2014 “It’s Beautiful” advertisement for the Super Bowl. It used the song “America the Beautiful” in nine languages.
However, it’s important to be careful when using this tactic. After all, controversial topics can invite backlash and negative opinions from other people. In Coca-Cola’s example, some social media users said the song’s nine-language version was unpatriotic.
2. Outrageous
Outrageous things aren’t called outrageous for nothing—they’re inherently shocking and can get people talking. For this reason, they’re one of the most effective ways to generate buzz around a product or service.
One example is Blendtec’s “Will It Blend?” campaign on YouTube. The campaign showcased a man in a lab coat trying to blend various items in a blender. Conventionally, blenders would only blend food or edible items. However, Blendtec chose to showcase the product’s prowess by blending objects such as Amazon Echo products and iPhones.
3. Humor
Everybody loves a good laugh, right? That’s why we recommend using humor to garner attention. It can be as simple as creating a funny commercial or humorous online ad. Marketers must be creative and know what is and isn’t funny to the target audience. You don’t want to create a commercial you think is funny but is offensive to some consumers.
4. Secret
People love being “in” on secrets and naturally generate buzz. Consider providing exclusive information through marketing materials and piquing people’s curiosity.
Mark Zuckerberg did this well when he first launched Facebook. At first, only those with an invitation could join the platform. This invitation-only tactic created the fear of missing out in the hearts of some other people, creating excitement about getting an invite.
5. Extraordinary
Some brands can demonstrate values or inspire others by attempting to exceed expectations. For example, Chrysler created an ad for the Super Bowl called “Imported from Detroit.” The campaign appealed to sentiments about overcoming difficulty and buying American-made products.
6. Unusual
Uniqueness is attractive — that’s why the unusual attracts so much attention and interest from the public. It could stick if you choose to brand your product or service unusually.
One example would be Apple’s iPad. When it first came out, it was marketed as a unique product different from everything else. It wasn’t a smartphone, nor was it a laptop. Instead, the iPad was in an entirely new category of its own making.
Effective Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Buzz marketing is one of the most effective marketing techniques for generating buzz through word-of-mouth communication. It’s more organic and can even be more effective than posting ads everywhere online. Make sure to use it to your advantage.
Do you need help devising a buzz marketing campaign? Tanner Grey provides industry-leading digital marketing solutions to our clients. Call us now at 844.500.1339 or contact us online for more details!
RELATED ARTICLES:
- What Is Social Selling? How Can It Help Your Online Biz
- Google And Yahoo Email Changes: What Marketers Should Know
- How To Leverage AI Marketing?
