Sunday, August 23, 2009

Knowing The "Buzz"

By Steven Shaw

Viral marketing has matured a bit over the years. There seems to have been a shift to the web not just being seen by agencies and brands as another tick box for any ad campaign, which is significant enough, but now being the medium where a campaign is launched to create a buzz before it hits TV and print. Even before a movie is released which used to be seen as the pre-launch buzz-generation activity. Big business "gets it".

Buzz marketing as identified by Dean Hunt it is "the art of creating a 'buzz' or sense of excitement from your message.

Buzz works! It can work for small and start-up businesses, as well. The planning stage of a viral campaign will set out objectives and develop the viral theme for a buzz.

Viral campaign has three vital components and any type or size of business can use it. Below are the following:

1. Creative material.

The agent on viral marketing that represents the message you want to pass along in a digital system (e.i. video, text, image and so on..). The trick is to gather all the material that people will want to share with colleagues and family. They are most willing to share advertainment rather than advertisement.

2. Seeding.

Distributing and placing the agent online in places that provide the greatest potential spread. Direct viral material downloads or links on specialist viral third-party web sites in order to create awareness and spread before users get to the campaign destination site.

3. Tracking.

To provide accountability and to prove its success, measure the spread of campaign. It is very important that you know what is working and what is not. The only means to get that information is to trail down your seeding result.

Lessons have been learned, trends have been developed and there is definitely some science involved in creating a buzz successfully. The buzz technique is here to stay and, if used strategically, it can make a difference to the success of your e-business.

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