With advertisers constantly on the lookout for new ways to
spread their message, the new social networking phenomena
of the late 1990's became a perfect venue. Viral marketing
is a form of advertising that relies on the enthusiasm of
the end user to actually pass on the message to others.
Using easily self replicated processes like individualized
affiliate squeeze pages and interactive games or flash
movies, the viral marketing ad can spread from the original
ad to the friends of people who liked the ad or program. It
is through this beyond-the-advertisement spread of interest
in a product or service that gives it the name "viral",
like a virus spreading a disease.
Viral marketing techniques include researching who among
the social networking websites has a high user potential.
Then advertisements are formulated to appeal to this
particular segment of the population.
It is hoped that with targeted marketing, the message will
garner enough interest for the user to pass it on to his
friends who might also be interested in it. While sample
giveaways can be useful, one must make sure their viral
marketing campaign is not in fact viewed as merely a
publicity stunt.
There is a dark side to viral marketing that needs to be
avoided. "Undercover" or "stealth" marketing involves
having someone in the guise of a regular user promote and
recommend the product or service to everyone he can.
If this tactic is discovered then the backlash from people
feeling they have been unfairly manipulated can have
lasting ill effects on future advertisements from the
company.
As an added benefit beyond just creating good search engine
optimization, the social potential on the Web2.0 makes it
easier to target a specific niche and customize more
precise and effective ad campaigns.
People are readily affected by sound and pictures so Viral
Video Optimization has come into being used with the
quantitative marketing algorithms to determine who has the
highest Social Networking Potential, ads that entertain as
well as inform stand the greatest chance of being passed on
to others.
On a smaller scale viral marketing can be used in even
simple places like the signature lines in forum posts.
Provided you can add helpful information when you post, you
will give the appearance of being savvy about the topic at
hand and thus make your recommendations seem to be of
greater value.
An effective e-mail signature line can also help keep the
potential word-of-mouth advertising information passing
around the web.
Whichever approach you take to fitting your advertising to
a specific market, be careful not to disenfranchise other
potential customers. Even though one niche may accept the
risqué bit of advertising, unless they are your only target
audience you could run the risk of offending many more.
Remember, bad advertising spreads even more quickly than
good. According to the marketing study "Secrets of Word Of
Mouth Marketing" by George Silverman, while a person may
tell three people about a good experience, they will most
likely tell eleven people about a bad one.
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