Surely you’ve heard people talking about “buzz” associated
with a company, product or service.
Contrary to what appears to be an arbitrary or random
display of interest, buzz is actually the result of a carefully cultivated
strategy to help an organization benefit from social networking.
Just what is buzz and why is it important?
Buzz might be defined as the sum of activity and discussion
about a product among a group of people at a given time. It’s sort of like a bit
of gossip exchanged at a cocktail party among friends. After a short time, lots
of people in the room will be talking about the rumor.
The American public is strongly susceptible to word-of-mouth
advertising. If you need a handyman,
statistics show that you are far more likely to ask a personal contact for a
reference, rather than selecting a source through advertising.
In fact, a study shows that 80% of Americans depend on personal
networks as the best sources of information. That tops many other sources for
recommendations, including advertising.
But if buzz was easy to generate, every organization would
be involved in creating it, and then it wouldn’t be as valued.
Buzz is like……
Buzz is very much like the sun’s role in solar power. Like the sun, buzz can be harnessed as a source, but one can never
truly control the sun, or the interference of clouds. However, one can reap the
benefits of the sun’s power. See? It’s beyond control, but it’s worth
leveraging.
So, to recap, buzz can help you get the word out more
efficiently and more cost-effectively, and can help position your product
through well-regarded sources.
Why Buzz Works So
Well
Buzz works, very simply, because it’s an inherent part of
our survival mechanism. We interact with others to advance our own agendas,
improve our knowledge, and avoid risks. Part of our evolution has helped humans
discovered the power, safety and advantage of socialization and networking.
Who Starts the Buzz?
As we live and work each day, we move in and out of
interpersonal communication networks: some are work-related, some are personal.
These networks are key to the promotion of buzz.
All of us know that one person who travels from circle to
circle, making acquaintances of our acquaintances. These people, as labeled in
sociology experiments and publications, are connectors.
The term connector refers to a fundamental part of all networks,
from world economies to electronics to the human cell.
Connectors as people help advance the buzz from one group to
the next. They are key to carrying a message forward, and are a vital part of
keeping social networks together.
Then there are those people are considered important social
opinion leaders. The can influence the opinions and behaviors of others informally.
They are referred to as hubs. Although they are opinion leaders, hubs are
not the same as satisfied customers or “champions” of a product or service.
Both hubs and connectors can carry your message between
social networks, tailoring your message to meet the concerns of each group.
How Do We Get People
Buzzing?
Getting buzz started is like trying to hula hoop for the
first time. It takes some coordination, some vision and moving in the right
direction.
1.
First of all, simplify your message. Make it
brief, but make it compelling. Attention is at a premium these days: the
average American is exposed to more than a thousand advertising messages each
day.
2.
Next, refine that message. Avoid your “rational
claim”. Don’t talk about your service, your quality, or your selection. Instead,
appeal to customer emotion to separate your company in the marketplace. For
example, if you are selling life insurance policies to parents of young
children, remind your audience of the security offered by parents who will always
ensure the safety and well-being of a child.
3.
Then, think of ways to connect with social
networks of your target market. If we look at the life insurance example again,
consider connecting with board members at sports leagues, members of parent-teacher
associations, camp directors, and more.
4.
Identify the members of these groups who will
help spread your message effectively: connectors and hubs.
5.
Once these social networkers are identified
within a given group, look for ways to connect with them, and offer up your
message.
6.
Encourage these social connections and interface
frequently to build relationships and amplify your message.
Buzz Right In
Social networking is a learned skill, made better when you
sharpen your intuition for networkers, improve your level of patience, and
practice your messaging competence.
The single most impressive thing about generating buzz is
that, when it works, buzz produces like no other form of marketing. All networkers
want a “hot tip” a “good deal”, or to be “in the know.”
So, get your target market buzzing and you’re sure to see
migration to your product and growth in your sales.
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