That's a terrible word, isn't it…marketing? No, just kidding, I mean "viral" of course. Mention viruses and one tends to think infections, diseases and illnesses – or for the geeks among us, computers screwed up. But viral marketing is nothing so negative or unpleasant, viral marketing is good!
What is viral marketing?
As the name suggests, it's a way to spread your marketing message from person to person, much like the flu virus is spread. You give the seed to say 5 friends/colleagues/family members who then pass on each bug to another 5 (5×5=25) who then spread it to another 5 (25×5=125) and so after only 8 levels you reach a staggering number 1,953,125.
A classic example of viral marketing is Hotmail.com, one of the first free web-based email services. The strategy is simple:
1. Give away free email addresses and services, 2. Attach a simple label to the end of every user email message you send: "Get your private free email at http://www.Hotmail.com" and 3. Then back off, while people email their own network of friends and associates, 4. Who gets the message, 5. Sign up for your own free email service, and then 6. Spread the message to your own - expanding circles of friends and associates
What Makes Marketing "Viral"?
A viral marketing plan usually has some or all of the following basic elements:
1. Provides a product or service for free
2. Enables easy transmission of the message to others
3. Allows easy growth from small to very large
4. Uses common motivations and behaviors
5. It uses existing communication networks
6. Uses the resources of others
Let's look at each of them in turn.
1. This Provides a product or service for free
"Free" is the most persuasive word in marketing. Most viral marketing campaigns give away a product or service to get people interested. Free email service, free software, free information, etc. Then when you have their attention, when you have their trust, sell them something. Hit them with a sales pitch first, chances are they won't be interested.
2. Enables easy transmission of the message to others
Viral marketing works so well on the internet because rapid communication has become so easy and cheap. Your marketing message needs to be simple so that it can be passed on without losing its effectiveness. The simpler and shorter the better, remember the Hotmail example: "Get your free private email at http://www.Hotmail.com."
3. Allows easy growth from small to very large
For rapid growth, the necessary infrastructure must be in place. The best viral marketing uses the resources of others. That was the only weakness of the Hotmail example, the service required its own mail servers. No problem with Microsoft's resources behind you, but for mere mortals like you and me, it's best to plan to spread the word using other means, see #6.
4. Uses common motivations and behaviors
What motivates people to use certain products or services on the web and recommend them to their friends? The practicality of the product sure, but more than that - the desire to be popular, thought of as cool, etc. Greed also motivates, hence the power of the word "free"!
5. It uses existing communication networks
Most people have around 5 to 12 people in their close network of friends, family and work colleagues. On the Internet, almost everyone has email addresses in their contact list and favorite websites saved in their web browser. Use this fact in your marketing campaign. For example, when you give away a free product, ask the recipient to include the email addresses of others who might be interested.
6. Uses the resources of others
Get your message out to other people's emails and other websites so that their resources are used, not yours. And once your campaign has enough momentum, sit back while your customers do the marketing for you.
Conclusion
Viral marketing costs very little, in fact if you go to the right places it can be free. Given this and the huge potential benefits, your marketing campaign really should catch the viral marketing bug!
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