Hidden marketing is one of the most effective technologies for promoting a product or service. With a good reaction from consumers, the cost of it is incomparably lower than that of conventional advertising.
The concept
This is a way to promote a product without a specific description of its benefits. There is no direct imposition; consumers do not suspect that they are being offered to use some product or service. People often promote a product themselves, discussing or mentioning it during a conversation. There is an exchange of information and opinions. Quite often, people want to try a new product precisely because they talk a lot about it. Currently, the tool has become very active due to the popularization of the Internet. The purpose of this promotion is to create a positive image of a product, service or company. A common form of hidden marketing is rumor marketing, which involves exchanging information among people.
The methods used in this type of promotion are fundamentally different from the standard method of advertising. The main differences are:
- Propagation speed. Information comes through the Internet. Social networks, blogs, video channels allow you to quickly convey information. Relevance, scandalousness, revolutionism stimulate the speed of its spread. Thus, you can quickly notify a large audience about a promoted product.
- Efficiency. Consumers are used to advertising, so the reaction to what they see constantly on television or in print is getting lower. The level of trust in what they hear from friends or people whose opinion they respect is significantly higher. This method can also be used in verbal communication with a potential buyer of products. For example, a consultant might simply list the characteristics of existing phones. That only confuses the buyer, and he will go home without a purchase. If you talk about the phone that he uses or bought as a gift to someone close, you can “secretly” tell why he does not recommend another phone model for purchase. With this more informal communication, the likelihood of a purchase increases significantly.
- The cost of marketing is significantly lower than that of traditional print or television advertising. In addition, the budget can be calculated and quickly evaluate the effectiveness.
Benefits
Promotion technology itself appeared because of the need for small companies to compete with large ones. In view of the small financial possibilities, one had to find more affordable ways of declaring oneself in the market. In addition, at the initial stage, it is important to quickly get results from activities due to budget constraints. In addition to low cost, hidden marketing allows you to quickly generate consumer interest in the product. It is on the rejection of the use of traditional advertising media that the business of network marketing companies is built.
Moreover, if the quality of the product meets expectations, then in addition to stable demand, the company will receive the best advertising from the consumers themselves. Another advantage is the creation of a positive image of the product or company. It can also be used to reduce loyalty to competitors.
When to use this strategy
The company is encouraged to resort to this promotion strategy when it is a newcomer to the market and it does not yet have a reputation. In addition, this is the best way to improve your image if a product or company loses consumer confidence.
Hidden marketing can become part of a whole range of promotional activities to stimulate interest and demand for a new product. If you start it before the goods arrive on sale, there is an opportunity to create a stir in advance.
About viruses
It is a common way of advertising. The essence of the virus is that one person likes an article or video, he shares it with friends, and those with his own and so on. The more interesting the information is presented, the faster and wider will be its dissemination. This way of promotion is very close to hidden marketing. An example that is nearly 150 years old demonstrates how similar they are and why they are well used together. Mr. Shustov, wanting to draw attention to the brandy he produces, hired several students whose task was to create excitement. They walked along the glasses and asked for this particular cognac. Since it was not available, young people started scandals and fights. The task was to create as much noise as possible and to interest others with what was happening. Journalists could not get past such events, and articles were regularly published in newspapers. Information spread rapidly, like a virus (viral marketing). As a result, in a very short time, the townspeople learned about this product. In addition to creating excitement, people were wondering what kind of cognac it was, if the youth were so outraged by its absence.
To make you want to familiarize yourself with the content, share it with others, it is important to think it through well. The first thing the audience pays attention to is the name. There may be several dozen related videos or articles. But those with a bright name will attract much more attention. For example, “The Five Most Beautiful Islands of the World” sounds more interesting than just “Beautiful Islands”.
To get a viral effect, the information must be free. Even a hint that you need to pay for access to the content will alienate many users. The advantage of the Internet is the ability to obtain new knowledge for free. Some companies offer the basic version of the product for free, if it is really useful and interesting, they will be more willing to use additional paid services than if they have to pay for access in advance.
Promotion does not exist apart from quality
Viral marketing will give the desired effect only with the usefulness of information. If the user opened the article because of the bright title, but the material itself is of no value, he will close it and he will not have the desire to share with others. The opposite effect is even possible - advice not to read, not to buy and not to use.
Emotional component
Marketing organization should be focused on human emotions. Well-chosen material, affecting the various feelings of people, makes you react more actively to it. Articles about famous people, containing positive and negative qualities and actions, encourage more discussion of the person and her behavior than a dry listing of her merits.
Often not the specific product itself is promoted, but the emotions and feelings that it brings. Hidden marketing on the Internet is not always “hidden”. This is the basis for the work of various sites with reviews of goods and services. On them people share their experiences using products, talking about the advantages and disadvantages. Such posts often talk about emotional components. Therefore, the photos work well before and after using the cream. Or shower gel does not just cleanse the skin, but has an invigorating aroma that allows you to wake up faster in the morning and recharge your batteries. It’s hard to guess that many of the reviews were written by special people whose responsibilities include promoting a particular product.
Social networks
Hidden social media marketing is very popular. It allows you to create interest pages, post interesting content on them and encourage users to respond to it. Often it is in the comments to him that an exchange of experience takes place and advice is given. Often several different groups are created that are ultimately related to the product being promoted. The complexity of hidden promotion lies precisely in the fact that messages should be unobtrusive informational character. Similar methods are used on forums and blogs. Due to the huge range of products that makes it difficult to choose, people increasingly trust the opinion and advice of friends and experts.
WOM (word-of-mouth) marketing
It involves the transfer of information from person to person through conversation. At the same time, with a personal contact, it is more difficult for a person to refuse a purchase than simply visiting a store. This type of promotion is widely used in network marketing. Companies understand that sales are higher when a product is offered to a person in person. You can also be interested in his bonuses and free probes. The financial interest of agents allows to increase brand and product recognition.
Modern technologies for promoting products, services, companies involve a lot of people. They are attended not only by marketers, but also by a wide variety of specialists and ordinary users.