Viral Internet Marketing
Viral marketing is a good old-fashioned ‘word of mouth’ and ‘pass it on’ marketing tactic used by marketers to advertise their product, service, brand or business.
Internet Viral Marketing encourages people to pass on interesting and entertaining content like games, video clips, images and text.
Viral marketing is popular because:
- It is a relatively low cost marketing exercise when compared to direct mail
- It avoids ’spam’ issues
- Potentially it can reach a very targeted audience
- Mail comes with the endorsement of the person sending it
Here are few practices to keep in mind:
1. First and foremost, think high concept: The viral ‘thing,’ whatever shape or form it takes, has to be highly provocative in some way. This, of course, is easier said than done, otherwise we’d all be drowning in these things. (And thank God we’re not.)
2. Work backwards from the headline: Think about what the headline of the blog entry - or the subject line of the email - about your viral marketing concept would be. Hint: if it won’t make a concise headline or subject line, then it probably won’t make a good viral marketing concept.
3. Keep it simple: You have to hook people fast, so don’t overburden your concept with too many elements or distractions. Your concept should be able to work when plugged into the following fill-in-the-blank sentence, “Hey, did you hear _____?”
4. Humour Sells: Nothing says viral better than a good belly laugh. If you can have people laughing in their cubicles (admittedly not an easy task, even for comedy writing experts), you are well on your way to viral fame.
5. Topicality Sells: A viral marketing concept that is ‘torn from today’s headlines’ can have a leg up over the competition. Since everyone is already talking about the topic in the first place, the communication pump is already primed. The trick here is that it can sometimes take a while to come up with a killer concept, and by then it may no longer be a topical subject.
6. Don’t Try Too Hard: If you ask, or beg, for viral pass-along status, chances are people will see right through you. A really compelling viral concept will stand on its own and people will want to share it with others without being prodded by the folks behind it.
7. Reality Sells: People are overwhelmed and usually unimpressed by what they perceive to be ‘corporate’ advertising; what often works best in the viral space is unvarnished content by real people, or at least made to look that way.
8. Mystery Sells: Everyone loves a good mystery, so a viral marketing concept that keeps people guessing will only contribute to the buzz factor. At some point in time, however, there must be a payoff, otherwise you’ll really piss people off. Unless that’s the point in the first place.
If you are interested in running an online viral marketing campaign to promote your business or your Web site, we can help. Talk to us about what you’d like to do. We’ll give you a cost estimate and plan, design and create a viral marketing campaign that suits your business.
Subscribe.