buzz building

How to get people talking about your product

Word-of-mouth advertising is the result of a strategic, purposeful plan. Generating a buzz about your product or service requires the same kind of preparation and execution as does your media marketing planning. We've found that most marketers keep making the same mistakes when trying to ignite the buzz.

Mistake #1.

Begging the bloggers. Several years ago, the method was a two-step process of identifying all of the top bloggers and then email them to ask them for a mention about your product. The blogger's world has become sophisticated and discerning. You now must make better decisions about your product to focus it in a particular market.

Mistake #2.

Casting a large net. It is a fallacy to believe that you can start with a very large audience and rely on your product to attract 5%. While this approach makes proposals look good with big number potential, it does nothing to reach your goal of buzz generation. There are specific ways to position your product to get people to call, email or blog their friends to rave about your idea. Rather than casting a wide net hoping to snare small numbers out of big audiences, buzz building requires that you start with a very small audience and work to satisfy and delight them about your product. You are, in effect, identifying and developing mavens who will become missionaries for your idea and spread the word. It is the exact opposite approach from traditional marketing. For buzz, start small to build bigger. For most other marketing, start wide to drill down.

In fact, economists have long called this the “80/20 Principle” or the Law of the Few. When we analyze the genesis of fads and epidemics, we see that there are always three fundamental elements at play:

1. The main players are those who take on defined roles. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Tipping Point, described them as Connectors, Mavens and Persuaders. Other researchers have shown that there is a six-degree of separation between all of us, proving the power of word-of-mouth.
2. The stickiness factor, or how well your product is positioned and presented in order to retain it in the minds of the audience.
3. The power of context, best understood when you appreciate that the optimal number of 150 members in a community is all you need for a jump start.

KL&P uses a variety of tools to harness the power of the few to leverage your brand. From viral marketing, social networking platforms, events, promotional products and Web 2.0 tactics, we can help you build anticipation and excitement. KL&P markets enthusiasm at your Front Line.