Word-of-Mouse

Posted by aPOorV on Oct 4, 2011 in Social Media Marketing | 22 comments

Ever had the flu? When your nose starts competing with the kitchen tap and mimics Rudolf the reindeer? It’s a pain in all the wrong places, and the worst part is how quickly it spreads. I had to be celibate for a fortnight the last time I had it. Coming to the point, the flu is nothing but a small virus. A organism so primitive, it’s almost non-living. Here we take a leaf out of the virus’s book, so to say (I hope they aren’t actually reading. The last thing we want is for them to get smarter). Using small, seemingly innocent pieces of media we reach millions of prospective consumers.

Viral Marketing is one of the cheapest and yet one of the most effective forms promoting business. Make a video, upload to YouTube, mail the link and have a drink (well, if you want to). Viral videos are probably one of the most common and effective methods of viral marketing in today’s world, although there are many other options like emails, SMS, Social media inter-connectivity, etc. The content has to be interesting enough for it to have a high pass-along rate. This causes a ‘snowball-effect’. However if the strategy is not effective, it will fade out soon enough. Here are a few tips on how to make your content worth sharing.

 

Appetite For Destruction

The masses have an insatiable appetite for controversial, shocking and rare videos and updates. However, be sure that you adhere to ethics and do not spread false rumours. A tag line with “caught on camera” can give your picture or video a more authentic feel and nudge the receivers to check it out.

 

I’m Free

Spreading news about free samples, sales and discounts is fairly easy. People will first grab the opportunity themselves and then pass the news to their friends. One of the most famous examples is the Threshers 40% Off Voucher. In 2006 the company ‘accidentally leaked’ a voucher worth 40% off wine and champagne via the Internet. The voucher spread through the Internet faster than hot cakes.

 

My Bad

People always want what they are not supposed to have. The above example stands to prove this theory. The recent commotion to get one of the ‘limited’ invites to try out Google+, Google’s new social networking site is another such example. Google employed a similar viral marketing during the release of Gmail, their immensely popular email service. People always want to get their hands on the limited or the leaked. It gives them a sense of being special.

 

What’s yours is mine

Viral Marketing makes use of the social media which is already present. It does not require building up of any new channels of communication. With the current war between social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and My Space, the framework is already setup for you.

 

Get Smart

Do not expect the audience to take the efforts to copy the links to your content and then paste it one by one on various social media. Provide options for them to share it on the most popular channels. Furthermore make your brand’s presence prominent, but not overpowering or obvious. The most fundamental rule of viral marketing is that the people should be oblivious to the fact that they are helping to market your product. What they would want to share is the content, but what they end up spreading, is your name.