Essentials of viral marketing

Before we go ahead with this topic let us just get an understanding of what viral marketing is, simply put viral marketing is the kind of marketing that is so compelling that an individual voluntarily relays it to other people thus blowing it up. Viral marketing has been around for ages and has been called other names like “word of mouth” and “creating a buzz” (usually used in the context of offline).

Here is a list of essentials that you need to look into if you hope to indulge in this kind of marketing:

Have giveaways for products and services:

Nothing excites people more than getting something for free or at discounted prices, so the best way to grab attention and also inspire them to pass the message on is by hosting giveaways for products and services. This step would work better if the gratification would be delayed, this inevitably builds anticipation and is a proven way that is also extremely effective.

Put out shareable content:

This one seems like a no-brainer, it is obvious that a certain kind of visual and editorial content does better. That is because they are more shareable, have mass appeal, and are relatable. By producing such content you ensure a wider audience and higher engagement. Also make sure that your content can be easily shared through different mediums such as email, messages, Facebook etc. The effortless transfer goes a long way

Scalable:

In order for anything to go viral, it must have the ability to go from small scale to large scale rapidly. Measures should be taken to support this scalability.

Exploit common tendencies:

The most effective marketing is one that exploits and plays to humanoid tendencies and motivations. This is very similar to emotional marketing and relies on human emotions, impulses, and beliefs to propel its idea or brand forward. This again is one of the most effective methods that have time and again proven itself, every big and successful brand employs this approach.

Make use of popular communication networks:

Most people today are heavily indulgent in social media and use it as a means to communicate with people. If you know where your target crowd hangs out on the internet then do not be shy to make use of that medium to produce and amplify your content. If you figure out how to seamlessly integrate your messaging into communications among people and platforms then that  could be an advantageous position to hold.

On a concluding note we would like to mention that despite anticipating that the aforementioned steps lead to your content going viral it isn’t a given considering how rapidly things are changing in the media scape.

The most important thing to do when you are trying to get something to go viral and sustain it afterwards is to be clear and authentic with your messaging while also retaining a sense of cautious experimentation, this will lead to a conservative but dynamic approach (this means you will have to be experimental but also employ observation and analysis before doing so)