What is Viral Marketing?
Viral marketing is a way of promoting that depends on an audience to generate the message of a product or service. Now, this is not to be confused with “going viral” where a post you created may take off immediately after you share it with thousands of likes, comments and/or shares. Although, these are similar, viral marketing is set forth with a goal in mind, an audience to target and high engagement.
Viral Marketing Example.
I am sure that all of us at some point have heard about the ALS Ice Bucket challenge. However, if you have not, here is a little bit of information on the campaign. Pete Frates created the ice bucket challenge in order to raise money for ALS research. “The Ice Bucket Challenge that raised $115 million dollars for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (A.L.S.) research back in 2014 was the result of network effects. According to an article from New York Times, one reason that the challenge became viral was due to the use of social media.” This challenge consisted of participants creating and posting videos of themselves with ice water being poured over their heads. The participant then nominates 3 people to do the challenge next and having to complete it within 24 hours. After the challenge is performed it is encouraged to make a donation to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association.
Top 5 Characteristics of a Viral Campaign
As far as success goes, there are several characteristics that can contribute to viral marketing. With this being said I would like to take the time to name a few that in my opinion are at the top of the totem pole.
- Unique and memorable content: If you want others to share your posts it must stand out and be found interesting. Creativity holds its own and grabs the attention of those viewing your content.
- Appeal to emotion: when it comes to emotional content and brands I can not help but to think of Nike. For example, Nike once created an ad that focused on the USA Women’s soccer team winning the world cup. This ad focused on empowerment of women and girls to succeed. “The ad positively expanded the perception of Nike for 7 out of 10 viewers.” Not to mention, research has proven that 15% of publishers want emotional stories.
- Consumer-generated content is utilized: I am a strong believer in User-Generated content mainly because I feel I can trust it more and this is what draws me in to a campaign. Seeing reviews and posts created by those who are not getting paid for their thoughts brings a sense of authenticity and realness.
- The content provides a good user experience: I know that I cannot be the only one who gets frustrated with long drawn out posts or videos that take forever to get to the point, or content that is covered in ads/pop ups. Not to mention, viral content should be easily viewed and shared from any device. A study performed by ShareThis reported that mobile devices are used way more when it comes to sharing content rather than desk top.
- The campaign has a purpose: Just like any marketing campaign a viral marketing campaign needs to set and achieve certain objectives. As marketers we have to remember that setting objectives is not enough and viewers only share content that speaks to them. This is where your voice comes in.
Marketing is ever evolving, especially digital marketing. What content do you find causes a campaign to go viral? Are your top five different? Feel free to leave comments and discuss your viral marketing opinions.
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