PSY’s “Gangnam Style”, a song and music video released in July 2012 that have gone viral since August 2012. To date, the music video on YouTube has exceeded 700 million views and still counting.
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| Channel Meter Chart shows engagement on 10 Jun 2012 http://channelmeter.com/videos/9bZkp7q19f0# |
Viral marketing is a Marketing strategy that entices people to pass on a marketing message. It is similar to an epidemic where someone is attacked by a virus and starts spreading to others, affecting a substantial number of people.
It is one powerful tool to increase popularity. Especially in this internet era, you can reach more people in a shorter time, hence helping the way viral marketing can be accomplished.
Benefits of Viral Marketing
- Fastest way to get the message across.
- Generate more traffic to your site
- Growth in Lesser Time
- Easy to execute.
- Inexpensive
Viral Marketing Methods
Buzz Method: The common method seen in entertainment world, with gossips or scandals.
Word-of-Mouth Method: Good products worth mentioning and recommending. This method can be done literally or by writing of reviews or testimonials in social networking sites.
Share Method: Similar to word-of-mouth, just that the technology today allows sharing easier via social sharing or bookmarking sites. Sometimes just by clicking the “like” button or “share’” button.
Incentive Method: Pretty straight forward method by giving freebies
Lesson Learnt from Gangnam Style Viral
Create an entertaining and compelling topic of common interest, something others can relate or triggers emotions easily. If you want people to circulate your topic without worries, lifting copyright will be helpful.
Crowdsourcing brings your product closer people while they take part. This increases engagement and also motivates people to share.
“Preparation and Opportunity Equals to Luck”
- an equation given to me by My Ex-Boss
Build a huge audience before launch, so that you can have a platform to share when your product is ready.
Celebrities have the power to bring people together. They have their own groups of supporters called fans. Association with them will bring the attention of your product to their group. This is how celebrities’ endorsement works.
When a product has brought huge attention, people will tend to talk about it and spread further by word-of-mouth, most probably via the social networks which will extend the arms of reach further.
Rising of awareness of a topic tends to attract news media which enables the topic to spread even further.
Viral Marketing Tools
1. E-mail
2. Newsletters
3. Blogs
4. Social Media
5. Instant Messenger
6. RSS Feeds
7. Videos
8. Articles
9. Games
10. Ebooks
11. Forums
12. Mobile apps
13. Press Media
14. Press ads
15. Podcasts
16. TV Commercials
Viral Marketing Ideas
Freebies: Free software, screensavers, email accounts, web space, e-cards, graphics, banners, templates, websites, courses, etc. Yes, we like free stuff
Social sharing: Humour, emotion triggers, fear factors, share-and-get promo, associate with celebrities, etc. People tend to share posts on common sentiments, or the things they like. Hohoho… and sometimes just because they like you.
Contest/Competitions: Usually comes with a prize, if attractive enough, should be able to attract a huge number of participants. Some even pull stories out of these competitions and send them to the media as a buzz topic.
Crowdsourcing: You can get people to take part in contribution to your campaign. Be it crowdsourcing from groups, people in the street, or people in the net. Awareness will increase as participations increases. Depending on the concept of your campaign, some participation could lead to viral social sharing.
Referral: buyer-refer-buyer, refer-a-friend, bring-a-friend-for-free, etc. 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1… and so on. See the picture?
Participate in Award/Receive an Award: Especially the major trade awards, some are so prestigious that can get a name covered in the media for a period of time.
Queues/crowds: Create a queue or crowd to give an impression that the product is highly sought after.
Do something unique/crazy/funny: In the middle of a busy street or public transport. Commuters today like to record and post on social media.
Of course the above must be done with special care and consideration. Viral Marketing is so powerful that can cause defamation too. I don’t think you would want anything negative on you, your brand or product to go viral instead.
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