Talk of the Town: Strategic Buzz Marketing Techniques

June 22, 2011

Toronto, June 22, 2011 - When we hear the buzz of current topics and conversations, we do not think of it as marketing, we consider the topic noteworthy and continue the conversation. We never know how much professional help from marketers it got along the way. Generating a good buzz around a service or product is always a good thing for marketers and can lead to increased sales and profits. Referred to as buzz marketing, it is any technique that causes people to talk positively about a product or service.

"The primary technique is to find opinion leaders and get them to endorse the product or service, either implicitly or explicitly," says Randall Craig, social media expert and author of Online PR and Social Media and Social Media for Business. "It's a strategy where once the opinion leader is seen endorsing the product or service, their followers will soon… follow."

If you want to develop buzz for your organization or project, Craig offers these buzz techniques:

1. Message. Think about what you want people to say and define your message accordingly.
2. Market. Have an audience in mind for who will hear the message.
3. Influencers. You must know which people's opinions are being followed. Adds Craig: "They might be people in positions of authority, people with platforms to reach others like bloggers, speakers, authors, celebrities, etc., or people who are just highly networked – maybe a colleague."
4. Venue. Where the influencers spend their time is also important. You should identify both online and real-world places.
5. Seed. Think about what will catch the attention of the influencers, so that they will reach out to their network. It may be information like pre-release intelligence, or knowledge of hidden features; it may be physical like product samples, tours, or stickers; it may be emotional like access to celebrities, or media exposure.
6. Socialize. Using social media can help amplify the message, and engage with your target market directly. This can be done through directly replying/posting in Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, through social media contests, or social gaming. "Buzz is accomplished through mass engagement, not through an ad agency or central marketing department," adds Craig, "If you can empower your entire workforce, customers, and suppliers to socialize your message with their networks, the multiplier effect can be dramatic."
7. Deliver. Nothing kills buzz and sales more than a product or service that doesn’t live up to expectations. The momentum of buzz will quickly turn negative if there is anything that is out-of-place, contrived, or sub-standard.

Since 1994, Randall Craig has advised on web and social media strategy. He is the author of six books including the Online PR and Social Media series. You can check out Randall's blog is at www.randallcraig.com.

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For more information, contact:

Randall Craig
416.256.7773 x101 / Randall@ptadvisors.com

Carolyn Bergshoeff
416.256.7773 x 103 / Carolyn@ptadvisors.com


Want to hear more from Randall Craig? View his weekly Tipsheets for more on social media and web strategies: The Social Benchmark (http://www.randallcraig.com/the-social-benchmark/), Twitter Job Search
(http://www.randallcraig.com/tipsheet_twitter_job_search/)


For more information contact:
Randall Craig
President
Pinetree Advisors
Phone: 416-256-7773 x101
Email: Randall@ptadvisors.com
Website: www.RandallCraig.com

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Randall Craig, Social Media and Networking Expert

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