Viral marketing is almost as elusive as the mythical Big Foot. You hear about it. Corporations have meetings about it. There is proof it exists. But often when you do viral marketing it is not to be found. The key is either really, really, super good planning, or just pure luck. In most cases, the latter is the more likely way that it happens.
What is viral marketing?
Viral marketing is a technique that aims to increase brand or product awareness by making users interested or amused. They, in turn, pass on the same content themselves, spreading it like a virus. This form of online promotion is considered to be more effective than a traditional advertising campaign in terms of reach.
The term viral marketing was used for the first time in 1997 when Hotline ran a Hotmail advertising campaign that led to the creation of several million new e-mail accounts. The campaign on the still fledgling market was original, which attracted new customers. At that time, Hotline and Hotmail had never been heard of. It only took one viral advertising lucky draw to catapult Hotmail to the frontline of email platforms.
Define Viral Marketing
The name itself defines what viral marketing is. Because its essence is that it spreads among Internet users very quickly, like a virus. It may seem that this phenomenon is beyond your control and is solely the result of the mood on the Internet. Of course, it may happen that some material is produced that is not intended to be self-propagating on the Internet. There are many such examples. However, it is possible to create such an advertisement that, already at the stage of its planning, will be designed in such a way that it will spread and be shared from one user to another.
Form of Viral Marketing
On the Internet, people primarily look for visual sensations, and it is by creating visual content that is the easiest way to attract users’ attention. It is much more difficult to make text content interesting for a large number of people and become very popular. That is why mainly videos and graphics are the basic tools in viral marketing.
Goals of viral marketing
Viral marketing is about getting users to pass on new information themselves. The best idea is a humorous advertising campaign. Then Internet users pass on funny and brilliant content, thinking first of all about their humorous qualities, and only later (if at all) about the product or service itself. And so new, interesting content lands on a social networking site, in e-mail, communications, and the link begins its journey like a virus … The goal is achieved – the information is passed on, reaching potential customers in a relatively short time.
It is important that not only the form but also the purpose of viral marketing is properly planned. This type of activity is great for branding, for example. Especially at the beginning of its existence, when somehow you need to make potential customers even know about a brand’s existence. Of course, you can also promote a specific product in this way or create a demand for a product or service.
Features of a viral campaign
First and foremost, a successful viral marketing campaign must be brilliant, original, and memorable. Of course, it should also be positive. Most often it will be a funny or ambiguous message. Internet users, amused by the content, will pass it on to other people. Social media like Facebook and messaging are best in this case. It is worth noting that people who want to appear funny and well-versed in the media in their company will certainly want to share new content quickly. As for the form itself, these will be mainly videos, infographics, then photos, and all graphic materials.
Of course, you cannot generalize – content that is not funny at all, but touching, controversial, and even helping those in need, can also be passed on to other users as part of a viral campaign. It is important that the campaign is thoughtful and tailored to the people who will want to pass it on. Therefore, it is worth remembering that what is successfully spreading in some countries will not necessarily coincide with the mentality or national awareness/culture in others.
Advantages and disadvantages of viral marketing
The advantages of viral marketing include the ability to reach a large audience, which would probably not be feasible using traditional communication channels. This, in turn, is associated with another, very important advantage, namely low distribution costs of the material – it is done by the Internet users themselves. The advantage of viral marketing will be the strengthening of ties with customers and strengthening the market position, as well as the quickly visible effects of the campaign.
Well-designed viral marketing has virtually unlimited reach. Its spreading works like a snowball, the material is becoming wider and wider, making it accessible, and therefore coming into contact with it by more and more people. So, if someone wants to reach as many people as possible, this is a great way. If the viewers like the material, and since they make it available, it means they like it, they also remember it. So if there is a specific brand behind the material, there is a high probability that it will be remembered.
If our concept was ill-considered, we may not record the expected ranges, and the results may be negative. Too vague of a message may cause confusion of the message and still spread. As a result, the company may observe an increase in negative reviews and a severe churn of customers.
What to remember when creating the material
First of all, it should not be advertising in the common sense of the word. The product or brand you want to promote may not be in the foreground as in TV commercials. A logo, brand name or any other form that identifies the company must be presented in a subtle and non-intrusive way. All this so that users willingly share the material. It is also good to test the material on a smaller group of people beforehand. This will avoid disappointment when form does not catch on with this small group. You also have time and a chance to refine and introduce changes.
Viral Marketing Examples
Oreo – you can still dunk in the dark tweet. This was timing and history that made one tweet go viral. Oreo has used its “Twist, Lick, Dunk” tagline now since 1987, telling consumers the best way to eat and enjoy the taste of their Oreo cookies―twist the cookie to separate it, lick the filling, and “dunking” or dip it in a glass of milk. When the lights went out at the super bowl in 2013 someone had the bright idea to tweet “you can still dunk in the dark”, and it went viral.
Dollar Shave Club
In 2012 the DollarShaveClub created a funny video that cost $4,500. They did not have a huge following nor were they popular. But with one funny video, they went from nobody to somebody with more business than they could handle overnight. They have been trying to recreate this for 10 years, but none of their later videos compare to the 27 million views this one got. Dollar Shave Club YouTube
Summary
Viral marketing is possible to plan and can therefore be a great and cheap way to promote a brand or product. Of course, the most difficult thing is to create it in such a form that people will like it. At the same time, it cannot be too intrusive an advertisement, but it is supposed to make viewers aware of the brand or product. In a viral, the most important thing is the idea of when it will be good, and then the execution will be good, the rest will go by itself.