What Is Buzz? And Why Should a Blogger Care?

Posted March 8th, 2010 / By Brandon Cox in Persistance

Buzz is a buzz word. Especially since Google adopted it. Of course, Yahoo might have adopted it first… awkward. This is not another post about Google Buzz, but the buzz about Google Buzz certainly illustrates what this article about buzz is buzzing all about…

According to Princeton’s online dictionary, “buzz” means…

• make a buzzing sound; “bees were buzzing around the hive”
• fly low; “Planes buzzed the crowds in the square”
• hum: be noisy with activity; “This office is buzzing with activity”
• sound of rapid vibration; “the buzz of a bumble bee”
• call with a buzzer; “he buzzed the servant”
• a confusion of activity and gossip; “the buzz of excitement was so great that a formal denial was issued”

It’s that last definition to which bloggers should pay special attention. Buzz can be “a confusion of activity and gossip.” For the sake of blogging’s delicate reputation, we’re going to assume that “gossip” is intended in the most positive of ways.

I recently stood in an airport check-in line for seven hours (because three inches of snow is apparently a lot in Atlanta) and I learned some things about the power of buzz that bloggers, at least those who have some message to promote, need to understand. There were over 1,000 people in line with me and it didn’t take long for opinions about the airline to spread.

Buzz Is Inevitable Among Human Beings

Our minds race too fast and our lips are far too loose for buzz not to happen. People, because they are people, are going to think. And when people think, people talk. Buzz can’t be stopped. It can rarely even be slowed down. When you write a post, you’re going to have to know in advance that buzz just happens. Complain about it or harness it – your choice.

Buzz Is Spontaneous In Nature

If you’ve ever tried to start a rumor… you should probably talk to someone… but you know how difficult it is to do. Try not to start a rumor and you’ll be far more successful. In other words, buzz can be generated, but there is no foolproof way to get it going because the same people who think and talk do so of their own prerogative.

Buzz Is Better Contained than Controlled

When I was stuck in the airport line, I genuinely felt sorry for the employees of the airline who were working so hard to manage the crowd that day. They couldn’t control what people were thinking or saying, but they did put up ropes to get us into a straight and orderly line. Bloggers have the power to do this, to some degree, with publishing and social media platforms. Do remember though, some people still get out of line and others “cut,” which usually heightens the buzz!

Buzz Can Be Very, Very Good

Yes, buzz can be very, very bad also, but smart people will squeeze all the good they can out of it. Even when buzz is negative, a pro-active response can avert disaster and perhaps win the loyalty of the formerly disgruntled. When positive, buzz is the optimum marketing tool. It was around before blogs, the internet, the television, and even those ancient things we called newspapers.

Why does all of this matter for bloggers? Because we depend on buzz. Therefore, we can instigate it, propogate it, and even capitalize upon it. It’s not easy, especially since the art of generating and guiding buzz is an ever-changing discipline. But we can at least learn from the conversations and interactions that take place around us.

What do you think? Can buzz be powerful in the hands of a skilled content producer?

In addition to serving as Editor of Fuel Your Blogging, Brandon is also a Pastor at Saddleback Church and Online Community Coordinator for Pastors.com. He’s also a web designer, blogger, and church communications consultant. Catch him on his own blog or on Twitter.