The concept behind viral marketing
word of mouth:
The concept of viral marketing is not new. Word of mouth marketing, the ancestor of viral, has been around for centuries. The principle behind word of mouth marketing is simple; Use influencers to generate product recommendations or peer-to-peer buzz. However, before the advent of the Internet, this form of marketing was too disconnected to effectively benefit most advertisers. The word of mouth effect was largely limited to specific geographic areas simply due to the lack of widespread social networking. Word of mouth was generally limited by the influencer’s ability to physically speak to another prospective customer, hence the term “word of mouth.”
Go online:
The Internet has radically changed the concept of word of mouth, so much so that venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson coined the term “viral marketing” in 1997. The term was used to describe Hotmail’s email practice of adding proprietary advertising to outgoing messages. . email from your users. The assumption is that if such an ad reaches a “susceptible” user, that user will become “infected” (ie, sign up for an account) and can then infect other susceptible users.
While email may have been the original catalyst; the advent of social media, online communities and chat provide the ability to
distribute information exponentially faster than ever before. While word of mouth marketing can take weeks or months to reach a thousand people, viral marketing can reach millions of thousands or millions in a matter of days or hours. The spread of an effective viral marketing campaign is similar to a virus outbreak, limited only by the power and relevance of the marketing message.
Viral Marketing Defined:
Wikipedia defines viral marketing as “marketing techniques that seek to exploit pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness, through viral processes similar to the spread of an epidemic. It is transmitted by word of mouth and spreads online enhancement; it takes advantage of the network effect of the Internet and can be very useful for quickly reaching large numbers of people.”
Why viral marketing?
The proliferation of marketing and advertising, coupled with the onslaught of millions of media channels in today’s world, has resulted in consumers effectively turning off and avoiding a great deal of traditional vendor-driven messaging. The creation of technologies like PVRs, satellite radio, and Internet ad-blocking software are driving a fundamental change in the way the public consumes media and the advertising that is often associated with it. TV ads, radio ads, online ads, and even emails are facing increasing competition to effectively capture the viewer’s attention and provide a positive ROI for the marketer.
This competition, along with the rising cost of media buys, has caused marketers to look for alternative means of reaching the customer. Viral marketing is an attractive solution because it uses the free endorsement of the individual rather than the purchase of mass media to get the word out. Because the distribution model is free, viral can potentially be cheaper and more effective than traditional media. It is the best solution for all startup companies and who want to become entrepreneurs.
the virus effect
More than 90% of consumers said they told at least one other person about a website when the original recommendation came from a friend, according to Jupiter Research.
benefits of viral marketing
1. It removes the clutter of traditional advertising, allowing marketers to reach the audience effectively.
2. It doesn’t require a product with a wow factor to build awareness, generate buzz, and jump-start peer-to-peer outreach. On the other hand, the communication agent of the viral campaign is the element that needs a wow factor or an element of interest.
2. Unlike traditional viral advertising, it is not a disruptive technique. Instead, viral campaigns work on the internet to provide exposure through peer-to-peer endorsement. Viral campaigns, whether you like them or not, are often well received by the recipient. The focus is on campaigns with material that consumers want to spend time interacting with and proactively spread.
disadvantages of viral marketing
Viral marketing, like all marketing, is unpredictable. However, viral marketing by nature is often riskier or more controversial than traditional marketing. If done incorrectly, viral marketing can backfire and lead to negative buzz.
The marketing mix:
Viral marketing is by no means a substitute for a comprehensive and diversified marketing strategy and marketing objectives. By using viral marketing to build peer endorsement, brands have also learned that the technique should not be seen as a stand-alone miracle worker.
James Kydd, Brand Director at Virgin Mobile, which has just launched the 11th launch in its successful series of viral marketing campaigns, says that “viral marketing is best used not as a single tactical end in itself, but as a part of Strategic integration of the overall marketing mix is a means to an end for which it not only generates excitement, but also delivers measurable and ongoing brand benefits, such as increased awareness, peer-to-peer endorsement, and ultimately, more sales.”
Common Viral Marketing Messages:
While the message and strategy vary dramatically from campaign to campaign, the most successful campaigns contain some commonly used approaches. These approaches are often used in combination to maximize the viral effect of a campaign.
free products or services
Many viral marketing programs use free products or services to spark interest. Giving away low-cost items like T-shirts can often lead to the sale of much higher-priced items. Marketers often use low-cost items as a method to collect consumer data and build a database of potential customers who are already familiar with the brand.
attractive content
From funny to raunchy to controversial, good content and concepts can often make or break a viral campaign. Creating quality content can often be more expensive than simply offering a free product, however the results are often better. The general rule is that the content must be compelling, it must evoke a response on an emotional level from the person who sees it. This fact alone has allowed many smaller brands to capitalize on content-based viral campaigns. Traditionally, larger brands are more reserved and risk averse in the face of the possibility of a backlash.
exclusiveness
This form of message is designed to appeal to our natural tendency to want things that we normally can’t have. This message includes invitations to join VIP clubs, access to products or services before they are released to the public, and the ability to choose the fate of others within a peer group. While this tactic can be extremely successful, there is a built-in limit to its success. If the offer is extended too long, it will lose its exclusive appeal.
get paid
Rewards and financial incentives often play a role in viral referral campaigns. Marketers can incentivize users to deliver a message in exchange for compensation ranging from points, special offers, and in some cases, cash.
making it viral
user considerations
Successful viral campaigns spread easily. When creating a campaign, marketers must assess how people will communicate the message or campaign to others. Marketers should ask themselves the following questions when developing a viral strategy:
• Does the content require special plugins?
• Will an email attachment be too big?
• Does the website require broadband?
• Is the URL easy to remember?
• Is the referral mechanism easy to use?
• Is the barrier to entry too high?
The easier a campaign can be spread, the more successful it can ultimately be. The vast majority of campaigns miss the mark because they don’t take this into account.
field planting
“Seeding” the original message is a key component of a viral campaign. Seeding is the act of planting the campaign with the initial group that will then go on to spread the campaign to others. The Internet offers a wide range of options for planting, including:
• Email
• Online forums (Google groups)
• Social Networks (Google+, Facebook.com)
• IM (AIM, ICQ, MSN, Google)
• Blogs
• Podcasts
When determining where to seed, it’s important for marketers to consider the audience they’re seeding to. If a campaign is skewed towards a certain audience, marketers need to make sure they are targeting that audience. Failing to do so can kill a campaign before it gets off the ground.
leverage existing media buys
Marketers need to leverage existing media buys by incorporating viral campaign promotion. This can range from a simple reference at the end of a commercial or print to a fully integrated approach that uses the media to directly promote viral activity.
ability to scale
The goal of a viral campaign is explosive reach and engagement. Marketers must be adequately prepared to meet the needs of the participants in case the campaign is successful. Server space, bandwidth, support staff, compliance, and storage all need to be considered well in advance of campaign launch. The marketer must have the ability to capitalize on the overall success of the campaign.
