Getting A Buzz On

I'm not sure if you have noticed or not but viral marketing has matured quite a bit over the past few 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 a new product even hits the market.

Have you ever noticed that before a movie is released you will see clips and trailers which are used to generate excitement and activity before the movie hits the theaters? That's buzz.

Plain and simple buzz works! Just like it works for movies and big businesses, 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. There are three core components to any viral campaign and businesses of any size can use them.

They are:

1. The creative material: the viral agent that embodies the message you want to spread in a digital format (image, video, text, etc). The trick is to put together material that people will be eager to share with their family and friends. Keep in mind when you are creating your content that people are much more eager to share something that is either fun, entertaining or informative rather than an 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: Measuring the spread of the campaign to provide accountability and prove success. It is absolutely vital that you know what is or is not working. The only way to get that information is to track the results of your seeding.

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 business.

Just take some time and create a solid viral marketing plan using the steps above and it won't be long before you get your buzz on!