If there is one thing that’s true in this digital world we live in, it is that new technologies are being discovered at an astonishing pace. With them, there is a new demand for fresh marketing ideas that will raise awareness and educate users. In the same manner, entrepreneurs and various business owners simultaneously need trendy marketing strategies to promote the products and services they offer. It is a known fact that word of mouth has always been and will be the best way to promote a product. People value the experience, opinions, and recommendations of others. And that’s where Buzz Marketing enters the scene.
What Is Buzz Marketing?
Buzz Marketing is a well-known marketing strategy that relies on customers and influencers as main marketeers.
Its main goal is to get the people talking about a product or a brand in question.
It is closely related to viral marketing, and it consists of videos and other material that promotes a product.
If we look at the word buzz, it can mean a lot of things.
Most of all, the interpretation that suits the most to the topic in question is that buzz is an atmosphere of activity and excitement.
It symbolizes that something is happening. When we relate that to marketing, it means that the elements of Buzz marketing can be anything that will get people talking:
- a promotional video
- a logo
- an idea
- an advertisement
- a promotional post
- a comment
How does Buzz Marketing work?
Now that you know the definition of Buzz Marketing, let’s see how it works in reality.
If you ever wanted to create a successful social media marketing strategy, this is what you must understand.
The tip of the day that will help you comprehend the mechanics behind Buzz Marketing is one word – trigger.
That’s right, Buzz marketing is a trigger that will start something new and exciting!
You hear people talking about something and you wish to know what they are talking about?
That’s Buzz Marketing.
Someone said they used a product and they really liked it, and you wish to try it yourself? Again, Buzz Marketing.
I guess you can see the pattern here.
Even fear can be translated to Buzz Marketing.
No one wants to be left out
If you are a parent, you must have heard at least once your kid saying that his friend got this awesome toy, and now your child must have it too.
No one likes to be left out of an interesting topic. That’s all Buzz Marketing, even if you were not aware of it.
Thanks to a trigger, something started happening, and it led to some actions.
“I just heard about that a few days ago!”
If you talked with your friends about a topic and said these words, you were a “victim” of Buzz Marketing.
When we hear an unfamiliar or unknown word, we start to get interested.
More and more people start talking about it, and it becomes the main topic of the day.
Soon, everyone will start talking about how they “just heard that about a few days ago”. It is the same as seeing a viral video.
This is called a Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.
How to create a buzz?
The main question of the day is – How to create a buzz?
If you are running a business, it is crucial that you learn all the tactics and tips that will help you apply this amazing marketing strategy.
Let’s see what the strongest tools at your disposal are.
The main focus should be the people – not the product!
Even though it may sound strange that your product is not the most important thing here, it is actually logical.
People are those who will, if not create, then pass on the buzz to someone else.
That’s why I used the words “awareness” and “educate” at the beginning.
If you spend your time and your resources on educating people, they will be a part of the buzz and spread awareness of your product.
Influencer marketing
At the moment influencers were introduced to the marketing business, Buzz Marketing skyrocketed to a whole other level.
Influencers became one of the main sources of advertising for a lot of companies.
Even though there is a huge number of company owners that do not like influencers, we cannot dispute the effect they have on people.
It became so common to see video reviews of products and services all around the web, that people do not bother reading anymore.
That’s why everyone is trying to learn more about how to create and use videos as a marketing strategy on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
Breaking a stereotype
Another clever strategy that companies use is to focus on breaking a stereotype.
Also, they could turn their attention towards exploring a taboo topic. Contradicting a common belief and going against common opinions of general audiences is a proven way to put your company in the spotlight.
Nevertheless, it is essential to always produce a positive opinion.
You should always walk on that thin line but be careful never to cross it. It is also possible to create a negative buzz.
I know that there is a general opinion that any type of public attention is good for the business, but you should always have concerns and be smart.
It is necessary to do proper research before engaging in this activity.
That is the best way to make sure that the conversation is going in the right direction.
A fantastic example of this is a campaign done by Fastrack, where they promoted products through breaking gender boundaries.
Their slogan was “Sorry for what?”, and all the ads featured their products being worn by young models acting the exact opposite of what society expected of them.
An example of Buzz Marketing
Since it is a fact that more and more people are relocating all over the country in search of a better life, moving companies are on the rise.
It even became an excellent idea to start your own moving business and get your piece of the cake.
Nevertheless, not everyone knows how to run a moving business.
So, when a website like Movers Development comes into the spotlight, it is enough that just a single person hears about it.
That’s how much it takes for a topic to become popular and spread.
EA Games Tiger Woods Buzz
Another phenomenal example of a buzz that started it all is the way EA Games decided to promote the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 game.
They introduced something new and intriguing to the game, called The Jesus Shot. Apparently, you could go inside the water to play the shot.
A fun fact is that this feature was specifically added only to promote the game.
Buzz Marketing: Definitions, tips, and examples made easy
And there you have it! I hope that you had a fun read learning about the definitions, tips, and examples of Buzz Marketing.
If nothing else, I hope that I sparked something in you that will get you moving and talking about this fantastic idea to promote a business.
If not for you, maybe for a friend of yours who needs new ideas.
Tell them about Buzz and they will appreciate it!
