There are many definitions of viral marketing out there, and ultimately we all have our own view on what it is and what it isn’t, but most people when asked, would probably come up with a Youtube clip such as The Numa Numa dance, or Lightsaber Kid (both class bits of content).
Now both those videos are great examples of something going viral, but ultimately are not examples of Viral Marketing. Now I know that may sound obvious, but I have spoken to some heavy hitters in the Internet Marketing world recently who just don’t get it. Putting up a video that is funny/interesting/informative and seeding it enough so that it spreads is not Viral Marketing, that’s content distribution through viral channels, viral marketing is a whole heap more, and when done correctly, can be insanely profitable...
Ultimately viral marketing is skill to learn, and once you understand the fundamentals, you can apply them time and time again. I hope that instead of just reading this content, that you actually take part, because by being part of this, you will truly gain a better understanding of the process, and hey, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours a week.
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Viral marketing campaigns take many shapes and forms, some are obviously designed to go viral from the start, others go viral by accident, some through the sheer will of the users (and not the marketing companies), but all have one thing in common...
People want to tell their friends about it.
Let’s take a look at a couple of successful campaigns so we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.
I think everyone here reading this knows about Hotmail, and I am sure most of you have read about the viral technique that was used, but if not, here it is:
When Microsoft launched Hotmail, they used a very simple technique to spread the word. They added the phrase ‘Get your free email at Hotmail’ to the bottom of every outgoing email that was sent.
Genius. Now ok, maybe the phrase ‘People want to tell their friends about it’ is a bit strong, but believe it or not, people really liked Hotmail, and they spread the word with every email they sent out. So much so, that after 18 months, Hotmail’s user base had grown to a staggering 12 million users.
A simple idea, well executed. Tim Draper (a venture capitalist) takes credit for adding the message. Originally he wanted to put ‘P.S. I love you. Get your free email at Hotmail’, but from what I have heard from those involved in Hotmail at the time, the added line was just a quick afterthought, and not designed with viral marketing in mind. Design or accident? Nobody will really know, but boy that was the best six words ever written.
Now this was a great viral marketing campaign, and I like this one because most people wouldn’t traditionally position it as such (i.e. no Web 2.0 stuff was used), and it was engineered by the marketing department of Nike.
Nike did a deal withe Lance Armstrong foundation (a cancer research charity) and started selling $1 yellow wrist bands with the words ‘Live Strong’ on (the slogan of the foundation).
No marketing was done by Nike at all, but through the power of word of mouth, over 40 million bands were sold in just over a year with all proceeds going to the foundation. This was obviously great for them, but the brand awareness, and goodwill generated for Nike was incalculable.
Obviously one of my favorite viral campaigns (and if you haven’t seen it, go and take a look on YouTube). Kylie was signed by Agent Provocateur to star in a risque commercial (called Proof) to be shown at cinemas only. But this was a great example of accidental viral, fans got hold of it and it spread like wildfire throughout the net, with an estimated 100 million downloads it turned Agent Provocateur from a small boutique company into a recognized brand name literally overnight.
Now I like those three examples because they are all quite different and all three of them have one thing in common, they made money. They are also fundamentally simple in structure.
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