The One Viral Fever Everyone Likes!

Who hasn’t seen Kolavari Di on Youtube? The not so brilliant song that became a nation-wide sensation. More recently, have you seen subtle PR campaigns launched online such as the one with Arvind Kejriwal (the actual one) on ‘Barely Speaking with Arnub’ by TVF? These videos have been cheered, liked and shared by all of us, knowing or unknowingly, and have helping to spread the message and make these marketing campaigns go ‘viral’.

So what is viral marketing? Viral marketing is any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, potentially leading to exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies bank on rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands and possibly millions.

A classic example of viral marketing from the past is Hotmail.com. Their strategy was simple - Give away free email addresses and services; attach a simple tag at the bottom of every free message sent out: “Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com”; then stand back while people email to their own network of friends and associates who see the message; sign up for their own free email service; and then propel the message still wider to their own ever-increasing circles of friends and associates.

Like an earthquake spreads from its epicentre, a carefully designed viral marketing strategy ripples outward extremely rapidly.

So then what are the essential elements of a Viral Marketing Strategy?

It is an observable fact that some viral marketing strategies work better than others. According to previous research and articles on the internet, there are six basic elements one can include in a viral marketing strategy.

1. Gives Away Valuable Products or Services

Most viral marketing programs give away valuable products or services to attract attention. However, the key aspect here is that it is “free”, and that is something everyone loves. Free email services, free information, free “cool” buttons, free software programs that perform powerful functions but not as much as you get in the “pro” version.

2. Provides for Effortless Transfer to Others

‘Viruses only spread because they are easy to transmit’, doctors say. And they’re bang on! The medium that carries your marketing message must be easy to transfer and replicate: email, facebook, twitter, instagram, websites, graphics, software downloads. Viral marketing works famously on the Internet because instant communication is easy and inexpensive. The digital format makes copying simple. From a marketing standpoint, your marketing message must be simple and easy to replicate so it can be transmitted easily and without degradation. Often, in this case, big isn’t better! ;)

3. Scales Easily from Small to Very Large

To spread like wildfire, the transmission method must be rapidly scalable from small to very large. If a virus multiplies so rapidly that it kills the host, nothing is accomplished. This is why third party platforms such as facebook, twitter and youtube are becoming increasingly popular as a means for viral marketing, as the infrastructure required is already present and proven. However, one must carefully plan ahead of time and have contingent plans in place.

4. Exploits Common Motivations and Behaviors

Clever viral marketing plans take advantage of common human motivations. The desire to be cool, to be known, to be popular, to be heard, to be recognized, to be loved and understood – all these can be made use of to spread your message. Design a marketing strategy that builds on basic human motivations and behaviors, and you have a winner.

5. Utilizes Existing Communication Networks

Most people are social, or at least aspire to be. Moreover, with the boom of social networking websites and apps, the social networks of people, whether strong or weak, has exponentially expanded. And this is where the force lies. Place your message into existing communications between people, making use of their social network, and the force will be with you.

6. Takes Advantage of Others’ Resources

The most creative viral marketing plans use others’ resources to their advantage. Apart from social networking platforms, strategically placed messages that are picked up by interested third parties can serve as a great medium of spreading your word for you. Authors who give away free articles, seek to position their articles on others’ webpages. A news release can be picked up by hundreds of periodicals and form the basis of articles seen by hundreds of thousands of readers. Now someone else’s newsprint or webpage is relaying your marketing message. Someone else’s resources are depleted rather than your own.

Most viral marketing campaigns that did go viral have made use of the above elements. However, catching the virus isn’t guaranteed, and sometimes the immune system is just too strong. In any case, with the world moving towards all things digital and mobile, viral marketing is a strategy that is set to only go more viral, and the above points are noteworthy for any marketer in the making.