Here is an excellent brief introduction to Word of Mouth, Viral and Buzz marketing by Dave Balter. Here is how he distinguishes between the three.
WORD OF MOUTH is the most powerful medium on the planet. It’s the actual sharing of an opinion about a product or service between two or more consumers. It’s what happens when people become natural brand advocates. It’s the holy grail of marketers, CEOs and entrepreneurs, as it can make or break a product. The key to its success: it’s honest and natural.
VIRAL MARKETING is an attempt to deliver a marketing message that spreads quickly and exponentially among consumers. Today, this often comes in the form of an email message or video. Contrary to alarmistsʼ fear, viral isn’t evil. It isn’t dishonest or unnatural. At its best, it is word of mouth enabled, and at its worst, it’s just another interruptive marketing message.
BUZZ MARKETING is an event or activity that generates publicity, excitement, and information to the consumer. It’s usually something that combines a wacky, jaw-dropping event or experience with pure branding, like tattooing your forehead (or your ass, as a NYC health club recently did). If buzz is done right, people will write about it, so it essentially becomes a great PR vehicle.
Seth Godin is a marketing genius and has written several books on the topic. Each worth reading. He also has a weblog that is worth following.
The Anatomy of Buzz by Emanuel Rosen is excellent book on how ideas spread.
Finally, there is a professional association of Word of Mouth marketers.
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