What if there was a surefire method to get your company’s name out there? We’re not talking about a few clients who message you on social media. No, we’re talking about something more substantial, like bringing your company to the top of Twitter’s Trending Topics. That would be fantastic, wouldn’t it? It may be possible with buzz marketing.
What Is Buzz Marketing?
Buzz marketing feeds on virality. This marketing technique is used to boost the popularity of campaigns by using the world’s oldest method of information dissemination: word-of-mouth. Additionally, buzz marketing initiatives create unique viral content to gain traction amongst a large audience.
Buzz marketing is noted for several advantages, including:
- Providing free exposure for companies
- Creating a favorable buzz around a brand or product
- Addressing larger audiences that go beyond a company’s customer persona
- Promoting slow-moving or non-selling products
Types of Buzz Marketing
Buzz marketing generally begins with a thought or idea that excites or intrigues people about your company. As a result, a digital campaign that incorporates a buzz marketing plan is a low-cost way to get people to notice your company.
According to American businessman Mark Hughes who coined the phrase, there are six main approaches to developing buzz marketing campaigns. To become widely recognized on the internet, the buzz campaign must depend on at least one “wow” element as a building component.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at each of those building pieces to see why they’re so effective in marketing efforts.
Taboo
Taboo campaigns typically garner attention from consumers by breaking social norms. These ads can elicit shock in the customer, prompting them to divert their attention to the taboo action, image, or video in the buzz marketing campaign.
This method is not without its risks. If something is taboo, then it is not socially acceptable. That means it can add a negative connotation to your brand.
For example, an online dating site that promotes itself as “the place where singles can meet people with the same fetish” might offend some people.
Unusual
The unusual is a separate campaign strategy, activated when we notice something unexpected. The unusual might be something unique and never seen before or elements that are not typically used in advertising.
Remarkable
Companies utilizing remarkable buzz marketing strategies typically go above and beyond customer service norms.
Zappos is a go-to example when thinking about the remarkable buzz marketing campaign. Their “365-day” return policy is still unrivaled in the industry, as is their exceptional customer service. In other words, within 365 days of purchase, if you are not completely happy with your Zappos purchase, you can return it for a full refund.
Outrageous
On the other side, the absurd is possibly the most common buzz marketing strategy. It catches us off guard and shocks us pleasantly or adversely, resulting in a buzz. But be careful: if done incorrectly, this form of marketing might create a negative image for your company.
Mark Hughes writes in “Buzzmarketing” that the firm he worked for, Half.com, paid to have a city named after it for a year. The campaign’s outrageousness placed Half.com on the map, and news outlets couldn’t stop talking about it. The company sold to eBay for $300 million six months later, jumped into the top 10 most visited retail sites in less than a year, and expanded from zero to eight million members in less than three years. All this is thanks to a viral marketing effort dubbed “one of the greatest PR coups” by Time magazine.
Hilarious
This form of buzz marketing focuses on humor to grab the audience’s attention. People are constantly searching for a cause to laugh and have fun, so it’s undoubtedly one of the most popular methods to accomplish buzz marketing. You can conduct interactive surveys, polls or quizzes with trivia questions.
The Swagger Wagon video by Toyota is an example of a humorous ad that got people talking. The advertisement features rapping parents and kids, aimed at making minivans seem hip. Consequently, the video has gotten a lot of attention, with over ten million views.
Secret
Humans are inherently inquisitive creatures, and when something piques our attention, we want to know all about it. As a result, buzz marketing strategies that hint at private inclusion typically attract consumers who want to get in on the action.
An excellent example is the early days of Facebook when joining the social media platform required a private invitation from another user. Similarly, when Google first introduced Gmail, they only allowed individuals who had been invited to join. As a result, this created a buzz where more people wanted to be included, ultimately increasing users.
Opportunities for Buzz Marketing
Due to its effectiveness, buzz marketing has become a prominent marketing approach today. The following are some of the primary advantages of beginning a buzz marketing campaign:
Speed
If the video is spectacular and goes viral, it may swiftly spread, bringing more individuals into contact with the firm. Word of mouth spreads quickly, making it simpler for businesses to hype a new product or service with minimal effort. This can help companies launch sooner if their customers assist them in amassing and increasing interest.
Ambassadorship
Buzz marketing strategies are meant to get consumers talking about the brand or product. As a result, these individuals become ambassadors of the company by referencing it to others. Aside from the viral nature of the video, this is an added form of marketing. Even if people have not seen the viral content, they may come across others who are speaking of it. In turn, this can pique the interest of more consumers.
Cost
Compared to traditional marketing tactics, buzz marketing can be a cheaper option because it relies on word-of-mouth to gain traction. Rather than spending large amounts of advertising money on TV ad blocks or billboard space, buzz marketing content can even be made using an iPhone. Since viral content can be made relatively cost-effectively, it can increase the company’s return on investment (ROI).
Uniqueness
Buzz marketing is a unique approach compared to other forms of marketing. It helps to create a buzz about a brand, product, or service among the target market base to enhance reach, lead generation, and conversions. This may be a crucial trait in a brand’s marketing plan if they want to stand out and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Popularity
Many consumers have become increasingly reliant on the internet for information, products, and services. As a result, social media has become the go-to marketing platform for most enterprises.
Accessibility
Due to high expenditures or difficulties in developing the appropriate promotional materials, certain marketing methods are difficult for small enterprises to use. On the other hand, buzz marketing is accessible to both small and big organizations because social media accounts are free – leaving room for any business to make their way online.
How to Generate Buzz Marketing?
Now that you’ve learned about some buzz marketing benefits, it’s time to understand how to get people talking about your company.
Get to Know Your Audience
Your business must identify who it aims to target before promoting any product, whether via a traditional acquisition campaign or a buzz marketing effort.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Who are they?
- How old are they?
- What is their profession?
- What are their pain points?
- What do they consider “fun”?
- What matters to them while selecting a vendor?
Prepare a Teaser for Your Campaign Ahead of Time
Want to see whether there’s a market for your campaign? Use teasers to do this.
Teasers will ensure that your potential buyers are as enthusiastic as you are about your forthcoming release. They’ll catch people’s attention, develop excitement, and help you expand your reach.
Teasers may also be used to sign people up for your newsletter, which is a terrific way to start generating leads.
Create a Branded Hashtag
How will people speak about your company after you’ve launched your buzz marketing campaign? You should establish your own hashtag if you want to plan ahead.
Following up on consumer feedback after the launch of a new campaign will be simpler with the use of a hashtag. It allows advertisers to communicate with their target audience in real time. Your clients will have a stronger bond with your brand if you have higher social media participation. As a result, you will have more opportunities to enhance brand loyalty, word-of-mouth referrals, and sales.
Give Consumers a Reason to Interact with You
When creating effective buzz marketing campaigns, pay close attention to your text to ensure that it is attractive and engaging. This can be done by including a call to action (CTA) in your buzz marketing campaign. Typically, brands will utilize CTAs that encourage consumers to sign up for a newsletter, schedule a demo, post reviews and photos online, or tag the brand on social media.
Invest in a Video Marketing Strategy
Video marketing is much more likely to be effective than other kinds of advertising because it helps you emotionally connect with your target audience. Also, videos have a greater effect, are simpler to distribute, and are more engaging than text. As a result, the odds of gaining a new client are significantly increased by engaging and entertaining your clients.
“Wheels” was a 2016 Canadian Tire campaign that aired during the 2016 Summer Olympics to advertise the company’s product while also advocating for children with disabilities. The video has amassed over 40 million views, and viewers celebrate the focus on inclusion.
Keep Track of What You’re Doing and What You’re Learning
After you’ve launched your campaign, it’s time to analyze the outcomes.
Use Google Analytics to see how many people visited your website or watched your YouTube video during the campaign. Google Analytics shows you where users came from and how they used your site. This data might help you develop new ways to improve your website.
You may learn about what people do on your site after clicking your ad if you use Google Analytics and Google Ads together. Use this data to enhance your consumers’ online experience, which can help you boost conversions, such as purchases and sign-ups, and your total return on ad spend (ROAS).
Examples of Buzz Marketing
Companies that create internet videos themed on anything hilarious, provocative, odd, or outrageous may be examples of buzz marketing. You can tell if it is if the company tries to create a stir, causing people to speak about the video, share it on social media, and increase views on platforms like YouTube.
The following are some successful buzz marketing examples:
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
The goal of the challenge was to raise awareness of Lou Gehrig’s illness, generally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Ice Bucket Challenge (IBC) is still one of the greatest worldwide social media phenomena. In 2014, almost 17 million individuals shared their challenge videos on Facebook, and 440 million individuals viewed the videos. As a result, the ALS Association and the ALS Therapy Development Institute received a rush of contributions because of the campaign.
Dell on Campus
In 2016, Dell conducted a college campus campaign to raise brand awareness. It sent brand ambassadors to connect with students and have more in-depth discussions about Dell products. This resulted in more memorable experiences with the firm and helped to keep the brand relevant among the younger generation.
Commercials for the Super Bowl
More than 90 million people tune in to watch the Super Bowl. In 2010, Old Spice, a men’s deodorant and shower product firm, redesigned its ad campaign to include comical and absurd meme-friendly advertisements. For instance, Terry Crews was shown yelling and riding a tiger in one advertisement. The original advertisement from 2010 was a hit, with over 57 million views on YouTube.
According to a piece in Oregon Business, the ad helped body wash sales increase by 107%. The campaign also began a trend that attracted more female customers to the company.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s, a fast-food restaurant, routinely produces edgy material on its Twitter account, criticizing competing companies like McDonald’s. During the promotion of their new 2020 breakfast choices, Wendy’s also shuttered its Twitter account, making it only accessible to followers. This tactic attracted more followers by encouraging people to follow the account because of the comedy and exclusivity.
Wendy’s received over 10,000 follower requests in 36 hours, according to Marketingdive.com. In 2018, Wendy’s sponsored a campaign in which it invented a character in the video game Fortnight that raced about destroying refrigerators. It was a technique for Wendy’s to show that they never utilize frozen meat.
Conclusion
Buzz marketing is a low-cost method of promoting a product or service. The primary purpose of buzz marketing is to get people talking about a brand. All you need is an understanding of your target audience, a clear purpose, a high-quality product, and the proper strategy.
To get the most out of campaigns and start spreading the word about the brand, brands should remember to develop some anticipation and leverage early adopters, influencers, automation, and social media.
