Once upon a time, there was a little, itty, bitty company that no one knew about. It provided great products that were extremely useful to its demographic, but no one cared… because no one knew. Marketing didn’t come easily for this little, itty, bitty company, because they had a tight budget. Then, out of nowhere, a brave super hero came to the itty, bitty company’s rescue! His name was Mr. Buzz! Mr. Buzz showed this tiny company how to create buzz around their products, marketing, and services. He schooled them in the lessons of… (insert epic-sounding music here)… The Untold Secrets of Buzz Marketing!!

Buzz Marketing is an art form that few businesses have learned to truly harness. Some people think it’s all about the people, and that they don’t have control over what they talk about. The truth is, you can put words right into the consumer’s mouth. There is a method that gets people talking, and the chain continues. Is it not a coincidence that 90% of teens in the USA now own cell phones, internet connections, and even portable email/messaging devices? As marketers, we have the biggest buzz marketing advantage of all of the generations before us. We have television, media, internet, and our lives all tend to intersect at these points, as well as our spending habits!

Influencing the Influencers

As marketers, we’ve heard this before. Getting to the people who buy things first, and set the trends are always the best methods of getting a product or service out there. These people are the ones who swear by certain products, and are loyal to certain brands. There’s a certain way to get to these types of people and that is simply by research. Without the proper knowledge of what types of mediums these people frequent, there is no way to effectively reach them without wasting tons of money in the process. Learning their daily habits is imperative. Find out as much as you can about the influencers in your industry and cater to them as much as possible. Remember, these are the types of people that when they start trends or buy a product…people follow! This is subtle buzz… but it eventually snowballs into something much bigger.

Do Something Sensational and Remarkable

This is the most classic way to harness the power of buzz marketing, but I’ve seen so many companies go about this in a completely wrong manner. It’s amazing that some of the most seasoned marketing MBA’s can’t quite grasp the entire concept of creating buzz using this strategy. History repeats itself, and I always look to history for inspiration for buzz marketing tactics. Remember not to copy methods you’ve seen done, but to out-do what you’ve seen done. Imagine yourself in your consumer’s shoes. What would get their attention?

If you sell shoes, perhaps an imaginative contest of high-jumpers using your product… trying to jump over cars, people, laptops, or doing flips of hurdles of burning fire! Go viral, and push it to you tube, or even turn it into an ongoing series of commercials. People love seeing other people do crazy things. It’s just our nature. There really are no limits when it comes to doing remarkable things. People will remember your brand if it is placed properly in these instances, while still being amusing.. and of course…remarkable.

Give your Consumers Control!

I remember when I was younger, and M&M’s decided to run a national campaign to introduce a new color of M&M into their multi-colored bag of candies. You’d think this would be something a bit mundane, but the participation of the consumer base was overwhelming! People actually CARED what color would be introduced into their M&M’s that year! People casted their votes, and the attention that this candy received was crazy. I remember being at school, and kids were talking about what color they were hoping would win. Pure genius!

Giving your consumers control of their product experience gives them a better sense of ownership of your brand. They feel a more personal connection, knowing that they have a say in something important. Look at the success of American Idol… people LOVE having the final word. I don’t think American Idol would have been nearly as successful as it is today, without the ideal that the American people actually get to vote for the winner. Past talent shows usually bit the dust after a few years… but American Idol demonstrated staying power, simply because of the control it rendered the average person.

Know Your Consumers Better than Your own Friends!

If you have no idea what strikes a chord with your core-demographic, it’s likely you’ll be spending a lot of money to create “buzz” before any real buzz is actually created. Learning the most about your audience is imperative to creating the perfect buzz around your product or service. I did an experience that helped one of my businesses dramatically increase it’s sales over a two week period… during one of the slowest months of last year. How’d I do it?

• I sought out my audience. I found my demographic, and researched them as much as possible through email, online forums, chats, and even phone conversations.
• I personally went out into the world, and interviewed these people! Malls, Stores… you name it, I was there! It was surprising how many people were willing to participate in my questionnaire. What was even more surprising was the answers I received. I had NO idea they’d answer the way they did!
• I spoke at an event that my audience was at, and I got even more priceless info!
• I took all of this information and organized. Charts, pie graphs, and brainstorming sessions.
• I used this information to create the perfect buzz marketing campaign, based around the information I had received from the study of my core demographic. It did very well, and I was extremely happy with the results.

Some other great buzz strategies: (that you may be familiar with)

• Pushing the Boundaries - Be exciting and daring!
• Creating Controversy
• Superb Customer Service
• Start a rumor (not my favorite, but it works)
• Be Innovative! Stand out in your industry!
• Create a contest
• Give away free stuff
• Be Hilarious
• Be Cute (yes, fuzzy bunnies, babies, and all!)
• Be Crass (it works from some…look at Rich Jerk!)
• Grassroots, charity, and community efforts.
• Mess-up.. really bad. People love this. (just kidding…but it does work!)

What buzz marketing has stood out in your mind to be some of the best around?! Post your ideas, experiences, and favorites below!