E-marketing : Viral Marketing

An online marketing technique that involves creating awareness of a product/service through the use of emails, social networking sites or any other form of online networks. P.Tailor 29/04/09 www.learnmarketing.net

With any viral marketing campaign the objective of the firm can differ from creating product or brand awareness to increasing market share. With marketing budgets now squeezed because of the credit crunch, viral marketing is seen as an effective way to promote a firms products or services.

YouTube has been a popular way to start a viral marketing campaign. Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent received over 100 million views and has become an international star in approximately 8 weeks.

Dr Ralph F. Wilson of Marketing Today suggested that there are six simple principles to viral marketing.

1. Give away valuable products or services.

To grab attention something has to be given away for free!.

2. Provide effortless transfers to others.

The marketing message should be easy to transfer and spread, usually by email. This is the whole point of viral marketing.

3. Scales very easily from small to large.

You have the resources available if the campaign moves from small to large in a short period of time.

4. Exploits common motivation and behaviors.

A viral marketing campaign should exploit human desires. Facebook and Twitter work on the fact that it is cool to have a Facebook or Twitter account.

5. Utilizes existing communication networks.

Will your viral marketing campaign take advantage of social networks that users have. Is the message easily spread able via social networking sites?

6. Takes advantage of other resources.

Can others help your distribute your message. Can you piggy back of someone else’s website to help you spread your message? Again the use of YouTube or Twitter can be to help spread the word.

A more detailed coverage of this article can be found at http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm

Viral marketing is one of the promotional mix strategies a firm can use to help them increase their brand presence within the market and a cost effective way which can result in high popularity.