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Going viral on social media: how to generate social buzz

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Thanks to countless online advertisements, conventional advertising has hardly any effect on potential customers. Most users banish advertising banners, pop-ups and product ads from their field of vision with ad blockers – those who don’t have an ad blocker installed are usually so flooded with stimuli that none of the ads catch the eye enough to be clicked on.

Social buzz has therefore become the goal of every marketing strategy and ensures that not only your products but also your brand gain popularity. This in turn has a positive effect on your image and also increases your sales figures.

As a social media agency , we show you what it takes to go viral on social media.

Social buzz – what is it?

The verb to buzz in English means something like to hum or buzz, the social buzz can be translated as whispering, murmuring or chatter. In social media, this is when content spreads virally from user to user and is shared further and further. Posts and forums are also part of this. Buzz marketing therefore does not work via traditional media, but should spread like word of mouth from one person to another like a digital recommendation, and in the shortest possible time.

To make your company and your products known in the digital world, you can use various viral marketing strategies to improve your social media presence quickly and effectively.

The key to successful online marketing is word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing, which is based on the principle of traditional word-of-mouth advertising. Recommendations from user to user are not only better perceived on social platforms than conventional advertisements, they are also more trusted. After all, one of the subscribers has already reviewed the brand or product and found it worth sharing.

The following word-of-mouth marketing can be helpful in developing a viral marketing strategy:

The key to social buzz: Word-of-mouth marketing

 

  1. WoM marketing through original content

Original content is also an absolute must in WoM marketing. Only content that offers users clear added value is worth sharing. Short video clips in particular, which convey a certain topic in a crisp and humorous way or tell a story in a particularly captivating way, have a good chance of going viral. So get creative!

 

  1. Influencer marketing

User-generated content promises success. This is also demonstrated by the fact that influencer marketing continues to work well for the online marketing industry. Your advantage here is that you can reach the exact target group for your products via the right influencers and ensure that your company not only gains reach, but also reputation. In addition, expensive production costs can be eliminated. If influencers are enthusiastic about a product, their followers usually are too.

 

  1. Buzz marketing

Buzz marketing refers to a special form of WoM marketing that comes very close to the original meaning of the concept:

As a company, you hire so-called buzzers or buzz agents and instruct them to casually tell their friends and acquaintances about your product. This can be done online, but also offline, for example at events. In most cases, the buzzers are provided with the respective product and otherwise work free of charge. To find the right buzzers for your target group, there are special community platforms on which you as a company can search for suitable supporters.

However, you can also set up your own product tester campaigns, for example via your social media accounts. The response to such calls is usually very high – after all, users get the product for free and don’t have to do anything other than share their impressions with the community. This is how the buzz finally comes about.

Social buzz – and then?

Of course, the aim of any marketing strategy is to ensure a brand’s presence on the Internet and social media in the long term. Timing therefore plays a not insignificant role in buzz marketing:

Ideally, you should start your word-of-mouth marketing before your new product is even launched on the market. This makes your customers look forward to the release and also turns product testers and influencers into exclusive brand ambassadors – after all, they are allowed to rate something that is not yet available to everyone else.

Once the news is on everyone’s lips and attracts attention on social media platforms, it is almost certain that you will benefit from the popularity of your product as soon as it goes on sale.

To ensure that your success becomes a topic of discussion beyond Facebook, Instagram and the like, you can now get the press involved. Let us report on your release, write test reports and give exclusive interviews. The fans you have previously gained through the word-of-mouth campaigns will spread the media reports further – and so the circle closes, the buzz is underway through the viral campaign.

 

social media agency in berlin

 

Going viral on social media: our tips

Our experts at onehundred.digital have summarized the most important tips for you so that nothing can go wrong when creating your social buzz:

 

  1. Offer users added value.

Original content, competitions and exclusive insights ensure that your content is shared. Whether funny or exciting: your content must arouse the curiosity of social media users and the need to communicate with others about it.

 

  1. Think offline.

Ideally, enthusiastic users not only share their products with the online community, but also talk about them in real life. For example, targeted e-mail marketing can ensure that newsletter subscribers tell their friends about the exclusive information they have just received from you. Or call for a social media challenge with your product and transport your online marketing strategy into real life.

 

  1. Let the users help shape it.

Start surveys, choose the most creative comment or announce a design competition for the product packaging – this gives users the feeling that they can contribute to your brand. The attention you give your followers in this way has a sympathetic effect on the community. The resulting interactions continue to lead to a viral spread of your campaign.

 

  1. Communicate in plain language.

Complex technical texts are serious and certainly informative, but the viral effect will be a long time coming. Convince the user of your product in an original, visually appealing way and with simple words. Only what is convincing at first glance is shared and leads to the desired buzz marketing.

 

We have updated this blog post from 2018 for you.

 

Are you bursting with ideas and don’t know where to start? We would be happy to work with you to develop a customized marketing strategy for your social media channels and get the social buzz rolling for your company.

Simply contact us!

Any questions?

onehundred.digital – your online marketing agency in Berlin – will be happy to answer your questions about social media marketing!

The onehundred.digital GmbH

100% digital, our name lives up to its promise! We have been developing and supporting successful online marketing strategies in Berlin, Germany and internationally for more than fifteen years. In addition to the digital world, Berlin Kreuzberg is our home. We develop individual and modern concepts for our customers on a daily basis in order to make optimum use of the unlimited possibilities of the Internet in a performance-oriented manner. And that’s not all: our team also puts our ideas and visions into practice. We create complete digital concepts from a single source!

Whether an overall concept or individual sub-disciplines – onehundred.digital develops innovative solutions individually according to your wishes. Just ask us! You can see our services for yourself here.