Implementing viral marketing for your site

Viral marketing also known as word of mouth marketing (and in the case of the online world word of mouse marketing) is a kind of marketing where you let your customers and other people do your marketing freely.

During the recent times this has been achieved by videos, slideshows and ebooks among others where people post on their sites, on their blogs and forwards through emails. This can really be a good way to create a buzz and promote your brand rapidly. Also when correctly done it can be really cost effective.

Here is some of the most well known viral marketing campaign

Hotmail

Most people argue that hotmail has this number of users because of Messenger but this is not really true. Back in 1996 hotmail implemented a form of viral marketing with a link in the footer of every email urging people to sign up for their service.

Burger King

This is a perfect example of how viral marketing can help a real world product. Burger King subservient chicken features a man in a chicken suit and responding to commands that users input through the keyboard. Visit http://www.subservientchicken.com to find out more.

Tips to implement your own viral marketing campaign

1. It is important that you strike the emotion of the public. This will make them want to share it with their fellow friends and relatives.
2. Go for creativity. It should be something completely out of the blue and that people have never dared to do
3. It should be easy to share, forward or posted on website. Now with social medias such as Facebook and twitter it is important that the public have opportunities to share the viral content on this medium.
4. Learn to use the existing communication channels. There is a reason why some sites allow users to invite people from their hotmail or yahoo address book. Make use of the networks that people have already formed with each other
5. Make use of all the medias available. For example people tend to focus on videos shared on Youtube but there are other ways for viral marketing such as slideshows sharing, blog post where you grant people free right to publish or through music sharing.