Along with the rise of social media came the unlimited potential of viral marketing, or idea spreading. A marketing message developed to be continuously shared can be referred to as viral marketing. A message "gone viral" has been passed on and viewed thousands of times on multiple social media channels and creates buzz. What makes a message go viral?
Be unexpected and create excitement or curiosity. Of course you want to be engaging, but for a message to spread virally it needs to be unexpected and outside the box. A great example of this is the "Will It Blend" viral videos by Blendtec. The videos were popular because they showed what the product (blenders) could do in an extreme way. It makes you want to watch and share with others!
Don't Advertise. Your business promotion should be subtle and never the focal point in a viral campaign or video. Create a fun, intriguing story that people will want to share. The 2007 Cadbury Gorilla viral ad is a perfect example proving this point. The video had more than 500,000 views the first week published on YouTube with zero sign of advertisement until the end. And when we say "zero sign," we mean hardly any brand connection–it's a gorilla jamming out to an Elton John song!
Most important of all, make sure the message is shareable. Do not restrict access! Do not require people to register, or become members, or download software. This just adds barriers. Instead, include links or share buttons that allow viewers to easily pass on your message.
Want to discover more unique marketing strategies? Attend one of our hands-on workshops at the Stellar Blue Training Studio. We get creative!
Learn more at stellarworkshops.com or view our event schedule HERE
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