Customers Will Buzz if They Believe

Start creating a buzz of excitement Clients are more than people who exchange money for a product or service. They’re ancillary business partners who provide feedback on what works, how to repackage, and what colors are essential. Recruit them to be your buzz marketing agents, and these believers will deliver hoards of new customers to your door.

Television and print media have long talked about marketing buzz agents, but the December 27th issue of The Wall Street Journal put the idea in perspective. The article explains how one company hired a marketing firm to recruit 2,000 people for a 12-week promotion.

Each volunteer received information about the selected food product and began spreading the word about the item through brunches, telling friends, requests at supermarkets, and other word-of-mouth tactics.

One thing about buzz marketing to keep in mind. If people love what you sell, it will be a winner. But if the size, taste, or color creates negative feedback, that word will spread faster than the buzz you intended.

Small and solo business owners have great potential to create their own buzz marketing campaign. It can start with a letter or Email introducing the campaign to the most-likely customers to spread the news. Let them know their role, campaign length of time, and compensation for any sales that come from their buzz. Cash is a prime motivator, but you can survey customers to offer a different incentive.

Research how other companies encourage clients to talk about them in glowing terms. Put your plan into action, and make adjustments as needed. If you’ve been looking for partners, this could be the answer.

Technorati Tags: buzz marketing, The Wall Street Journal, word-of-mouth, solo business, small business

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December 30, 2005 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Recent Entries

Comments

2 Responses to “Customers Will Buzz if They Believe”

Flora Morris Brown on December 30th, 2005 2:27 pm

What a great idea for creating word of mouth advertising! It’s still the cheapest and most effective way to build sales. I’ll start looking for a way to incorporate this type of “partnership” in my 2006 plans.
Shirley George Frazier on December 30th, 2005 4:20 pm

I also plan to do this.

First, I must create some products and/or services within a higher price range than what I currently offer to make the incentive worth the customers’ time.

From there, I’ll create marketing details for distribution to clients who are most likely to spread the word.

This is definitely an option many solo business owners can add to their plans.