The ALR Marketing Solutions Blog

Exploring marketing campaigns that generate buzz

Public relations and marketing campaigns can be designed to effectively stimulate positive word-of-mouth buzz, which is an exponential expansion of word of mouth (WOM).   The key to generating buzz is to generate excitement.  There are various techniques that marketers can use to successfully accomplish this.

Buzz marketing has made massive successes of products and brands including Pokémon, Beanie Babies, Tickle-me-Elmo, the Harry Potter books, and Zhu Zhu Pets toy hamsters.  Word can spread exponentially with little or no mass media advertising supporting it. 

Successful National Buzz Marketing Campaigns Include…

During the 2004 Summer Olympics, Dodge launched the Pontiac G6.  In the marketing campaign for the product launch, Dodge aired short “teaser” ads with an edgy rock theme and the G6 logo, but no car!  The idea of this marketing campaign was to create build-up to the launch and generate buzz. 

More recently, ABC crafted a marketing campaign for the premier of the final season of their hit show LOST.  The campaign generated lots of buzz, especially online.  They released trailers and commercials for the new season that did not feature any new footage.  This kept online fan forums buzzing with speculations on what was to come.

Another way a marketing campaign can generate buzz is through product samplings.  During the 2010 Super Bowl Dockers aired a commercial advertising a free pants giveaway.  By the next morning the phrase “Dockers free pants” was the top-trending search term on Google, the leading search engine. 

Using the Internet to Effectively Generate Buzz…

BuzzAgent.com is a Web site based company designed to help marketing campaigns spread buzz.  The site recruits everyday people to actively spread word-of-mouth about products their clients are looking to promote.  Anyone can join Buzz Agent’s WOM marketing network to try new products and spread word of mouth.  Some of their current campaigns include DANON Dan Active, Starbucks Pike Place Roast, and Mrs. Paul’s.

Additional Internet Marketing Techniques for Leveraging Buzz include:

1.     Viral marketing – This is an online “pass it along” strategy.  It uses electronic marketing communications to trigger brand messages throughout a widespread network of buyers.  Viral marketing is often accomplished through Email Marketing Campaigns and the distributions of Electronic Press Releases.  

2.    Social Media – Social media can be used to generate buzz amongst a large network of people.  Companies can create Facebook fan pages for their products or brands, Tweet about the latest news, and much more using social media sites.  Online video distributions on sites like YouTube can also be very effective for product promotion.

3.    Online Guides- These serve as online opinion leaders.  About.com, for example, utilizes online guides to provide original consumer information and advice. 

If you are interested in learning more about marketing campaigns that can be designed to generate buzz, contact ALR Marketing Solutions, a premier Atlanta Marketing Agency and Atlanta Internet Marketing company for your free solutions consultation.  

 

10 Internet Marketing Tips to Enhance your Business’s Online Presence

1. Boost Your Blog Buzz

There are reportedly more than 346 million people worldwide who read blogs (ComScore). But just having a blog doesn’t guarantee people are reading it.

• Register your blog with popular directories
• Have your newest blog posts appear on your LinkedIn Profile and Facebook status with links back to the blog
• Read top blogs in your industry, and then post comments with helpful information and links back to your own blog or Web site.

2. Social Media

Social media can be a great way to get the word out about your company or product. It helps to create exposure and interest from the community.

• Did you know Facebook has more than 200 million users? Facebook allows you to create free fan pages about your business.
• LinkedIn is a professional network that includes allowing companies to create profiles.
• Manage your social networking presence and engage in consistent participation with your connections. Nutshell Mail is a service that brings users a summary of their social network updates to their inbox in a single email delivered to them on their schedule.

3. Monitor Your Cyberspace Presence

We’ve all heard of “Google-ing” someone or something… Keep an active eye on what’s posted on the Internet about you and your business. Assume that your clients and prospects are in the know about what’s out there. Searching your name on Google and Twitter can tell you several important things:

• What people are saying about your business
• Whether your work is being used without your permission
• Whether someone else is using your personal or business name

If your reputation is in trouble and you’re finding negative or false information, you may need professional assistance to fix the problem. Evaluate if you need legal representation or public relations and press release solutions.

4. Be consistent with your online message and branding

Coordinate and integrate marketing communications tools within your business. By doing this, the business’s brand message will be consistent in all possibilities.

• Integrating communications helps eliminate confusion from the consumer and builds brand strength.
• All advertising media selections, creative designs, and public relations efforts should strive to match the message, media, and audience, so the right person sees and/or hears the advertisement or marketing piece and can recognize the business and its brand consistency.

5. Apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to your Web site

 SEO is a great way to increase your online revenue stream. SEO allows you to:

• Develop and arrange your site’s content and navigation to be fully optimized
• Drive more traffic to your Web site
• Maximize your Internet exposure

6. Enhance your site’s viewership with Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing

Before implementing your PPC campaign, research traffic patterns for keywords as well as the bid prices for those terms so you can effectively plan and budget your campaign.

• Track your best performing ads to determine what is leading to the highest volume of traffic to your Web site bringing revenue to your business.
• PPC can be an incredibly cost effective tool if properly managed. Consider hiring an expert to manage the campaign, design optimized landing pages for your ads, and track metrics.

7. Stay in front of your customers with Email Marketing Campaigns

Your businesses Email marketing campaigns should be representative of the brand and image of your company.

• Email campaigns allow you to stay in front of your prospects and clients.
• Email marketing solutions create an interactive experience with your customers.

8. Market on the Web

There are a many powerful free online tools that can serve to market your business on the Web. Here are a few to consider:

• Slide share – share presentations Tag your presentations and embed them on your blog or Web site 
• You Tube – share videos Consider filming and uploading your presentations. Post videos of you interviewing industry experts or feature client reviews of your business.
• flickr – share pictures It’s a great way to showcase your portfolio or share photos of your presentations.
• Delicious –share Web pages Social book marking service that allows you to save all your bookmarks online, then share them with other people.
• Amazon.com – share your opinion When you read a book in your field, review it on Amazon.

9. Increase your media exposure with electronic press releases and industry related articles

PR allows you to maximize your exposure in your business’s targeted markets. It also allows you to boost your Internet search rankings. Also, find out what stories reporters and editors are working on by using links like:

• Peter Shankman’s Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
• PitchRate.com

10. Be an Industry Expert

Answer questions you have knowledge in on sites like Yahoo Answers or LinkedIn Answers. Both rank extremely high with search engines and will increase traffic to your Web site.

For more information visit:  www.ALRMarketingSolutions.com