Viral Marketing

Advertisers dream of sparking a viral marketing campaign, one that catches fire from a tagline, a catchy tune, or a video moment. A true viral campaign is a spontaneous phenomenon that takes advantage of word-of-mouth or existing social networking sites like YouTube or Twitter to spread the message.

Advertisers dream of sparking a viral marketing campaign, one that catches fire from a tagline, a catchy tune, or a video moment. A true viral campaign is a spontaneous phenomenon that takes advantage of word-of-mouth or existing social networking sites like YouTube or Twitter to spread the message.

It is impossible to predict what will catch the public eye and ear, but many companies increasingly are looking for ways to spark the explosive brand growth a viral sensation brings. Some post short video clips that are funny, intriguing, or sensational in some fashion, or create branded downloadable "widgets" that offer fun or useful functionality and can be easily shared. A YouTube clip that catches on can have the entire internet buzzing within a few hours.

"Viral marketing" may sound like some form of bio-warfare, but everyone envies its results. It has no set methodologies, because in essence, it is anything that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others. It can take the form of an online scavenger hunt, a free service, or, as in one of the most famous and effective examples (Amazon.com), a branded link to products on the advertiser's site, paying a percentage of the sale to the originating website. Viral marketing is limited only by the creativity of the advertiser.

Your viral campaign will be most effective if it offers something of value (and free) to users. It must also be easy to pass along, and scalable, so that a good response doesn't overwhelm your own server resources or the networks you are using to spread the word. Utilize existing means of communication, like YouTube, FaceBook, or MySpace, or spread the word by a press release that will be distributed widely by someone else. Most of all, your viral campaign needs to strike a chord in your users. Middle-aged housewives may want to pass along something useful to their friends and family; teenagers may want to show off this cool thing they've found to everyone they know.
Simple involvement in something interesting may attract thousands or millions of participants. Humor and mystery are often big draws. Whatever the message, it should suit your company's brand and target audience, and be as easy to opt out of as to pass along. No one likes to end up with something on their cell phone they can't get rid of and didn't ask for in the first place.

Be creative, be smart, and above all, be open to the possibilities in viral marketing. You may just start an epidemic of sales.