Seeding is a marketing strategy used to increase brand awareness, grow an online presence, boost campaigns, interactions, and reach a large audience. It involves providing potential customers with exciting, valuable content in order to create a positive response. It is essentially a free exposure for a brand or product, with the goal of raising recognition and reach. It is an exchange of offers such as free product samples, discounts, or access to exclusive offers for consumers.
In its simplest form, seeding is the process of spreading information about a company, product or service through word of mouth and viral sharing. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool and there are few things more powerful than friends, family, and colleagues sharing a product or service with each other. The average person can spread information about a product faster and further than any ad campaign or clever marketing scheme.
Seeding is a useful tool for brands to use when launching a new product or service. Along with a good marketing package, it can help to create a “buzz” around a brand and allow it to reach a wider audience. The more people who share the story the better, and with the right content, it can create an exponential effect reaching a far greater audience than it would have otherwise.
When creating a seeding plan, it is important to consider the audience being targeted. Identifying the target market, activity, and aspect of the product which will be shared, are all important considerations. It is also important to consider the platforms and channels which should be used for seeding, since different platforms have different demographics. Social media sites and blogs should be used for consumers, while industry sites and publications should be used for B2B seeding.
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Brands should also ensure that their seeding plans are strategic and relevant to their target audience. The more targeted the content is to the targeted audience, the better the result will be in terms of engagement, interactions, and sharing. It is also important to consider the timing of the seeding activity, as it can be futile and a waste of resources to target those who are not interested in the topic.
Seeding should take into account the platforms which offer the greatest reach for the target market. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are the most popular platforms for users, and will ensure the greatest reach for the target market. This can be supplemented with influencer marketing, as well as email campaigns, which are a great way to engage customers and ensure a direct line of communication from the brand to the customer.
Once a seeding plan has been created, it is then important to track and monitor the results of the campaign. This can be done through analytics or tracking the number of views and shares of the content, or through surveys and gathering information from customers. This allows brands to measure the success of their seeding, allowing them to adjust the strategy as needed and make changes to the content as needed.
Finally, seeding should be seen as an ongoing process, which will require continual updating and changes. The key is to ensure that the content is up to date and relevant, and that it is kept fresh and interesting. It is also important to consistently monitor and analyse the results to ensure that the strategy is working and is achieving both short-term and long-term goals.