01
Sep
The frequent use of the term viral marketing and/or viral advertising would suggest a relatively new phenomena. In fact the idea has been around and used with success for many years, though it’s true, in the area of Web 2.0 - social networks, video sharing and Flash gaming, viral marketing has seen an explosion.
Viral marketing itself is not tied to any specific medium and at its core refers to the way in which information is spread. The notion that the message is self-replicating, in other words the recipient is filled with a desire to ‘spread the word’ gives rise to the idea of a virus.
Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter create the perfect conditions for a marketing virus
It just so happens the world of social networking and video sharing using applications such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter create the perfect conditions for a marketing virus.
Unfortunately many organisations fall foul when embarking on a viral marketing quest. They do so because they fixate on the concept of the virus (the vehicle) rather than the content (the payload). In other words, marketers think the following: Facebook is cool. Therefore my message will be cool. Therefore Facebook users will think my company is cool.
If there is one thing users of Facebook are not going to think, it’s that you’re cool for using Facebook
Not true. If there is one thing users of Facebook are not going to think, it’s that you’re cool for using Facebook. In much the same way as someone using a telephone doesn’t think you’re cool if you are using one as well.
To truly go viral you need to ‘not’ think viral and instead take your product, service, company or brand and make it look completely different to anything that’s come before. You need to turn things on their head and present them in such a way that people are genuinely surprised, even for just a few seconds.
You’re looking for any of the following reactions:
That’s hysterical.
That’s seriously clever.
How on Earth did they do that?
That is the coolest thing ever!
Sounds relatively straightforward but making something hysterically funny, seriously clever, a total mystery or simply, cool - is pretty darn hard.
For example, your have a company that makes food mixers. Develop a concept for a web based video that takes your company’s products and presents them in a way that appears funny, clever, mysterious or cool.
Having trouble? Then head over to YouTube and search ‘Blendtec’. My personal favourite is the iPhone. Seem stupid and childish? Then you’re probably not wired up for viral marketing.
The approach is persuasive and memorable but most importantly you just have to tell all your friends about it
Regarded as one of the most successful recent examples of viral marketing Blendtec manage to demonstrate the robust, heavy duty nature of their appliances without ever mentioning them.
The approach is persuasive and memorable but most importantly you just have to tell all your friends about it.
Have a think about how you could present your business in such a compelling way - and never be too quick to dismiss an idea as stupid
Have a think about how you could present your business in such a compelling way - and never be too quick to dismiss an idea as stupid.
And if you’re still not convinced, I and around 1 million other bloggers just included a link to Blendtec on my website at absolutely no cost to them whatsoever.
Childish or genius?