Viral Marketing - As Easy As Spreading the Flu

Okay, so you're new to the whole 'internet marketing'K.I.S.S. principle...Keep it Simple Stupid. The shorter and
thing and you've heard this term 'viral marketing' gettingeasier your message is, the easier it will be to
thrown around and you're wondering "What the heckremember and pass along. Long and complicated is
does a virus have to do with marketing?"likely to not even be read, let alone passed on like a
Well, here's the concept: Viral marketing describes avirus.
strategy that encourages people to pass on aA clever viral marketing plan takes advantage of
marketing message to others, whether it's in an email,common human motivations: the desire to be cool or
or an eBook, or blog or an ad on your website. Gettingfunny, greed, the hunger to be popular, loved, and
others to share your marketing creates the potentialunderstood. A marketing campaign that plays on these
for exponential growth in the exposure and influencedesires can easily begin to spread virally. The urge of
of your message. Just like a spreading virus, thesepeoples' desire to communicate things that intrigue
strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication tothem produces millions of websites and billions of
explode the message to thousands or even millions ofe-mail messages.
readers.We as humans are social creatures (though nerdy,
Doctors and nurses give instructions during flu season:pocket protector-wearing computer science grad
stay away from people who cough, wash your handsstudents may be an exception). Social scientists tell us
often, don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. The fluthat each one of us, on average, has a network of 8
virus spreads so quickly because it's easily transmittedto 12 people in their network of close friends, family,
through these methods. In much the same way, a viraland associates. People on the internet develop
marketing campaign can spread quickly on the internetnetworks of relationships, too...though more in the tens
because instant communication has become so easyto hundreds of thousands.
and inexpensive. Digital formats like email and eBooksThey collect e-mail addresses and bookmark favorite
make forwarding messages easier than spreading thewebsites. They share common interests, cool and
flu.funny messages, whatever they're into at the moment.
From a marketing standpoint, you should simplify yourLearn to place your messages into existing
message so it can be easily absorbed and forwarded.communications between people, and you will rapidly
Shorter and to the point is better. Remember themultiply its viral affect.