Information Sells

Viral Marketing

Buzz words are everywhere. The hype surrounding Web 2.0 can be overwhelming. However, despite the excessive claims, Web 2.0 is real and the benefits of embracing new techniques can be huge. The danger isn’t in jumping in, trying every new tool or forum you find. The danger is falling in love with the tools and losing site of your goals.

Meaning what?

Well – look at viral video. Everyone wants to create a “viral video” on You Tube. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have 10,000,000 hits? Woudn’t that sell product? Sadly, the answer is, “Maybe, maybe not.” Unless your viral video is naturally, organically tied to your product, 10 hits or 10,000,000 hits won’t translate into sales.

Viral or Same Old Same Old?

In fact, 10,000,000 hits doesn’t even make a video “viral.” It just makes it frequently seen – sort of like that other thing… what was it called?… oh yeah… a TV Commercial.

A viral marketing campaign, as opposed to just marketing, means *everyone* is talking about it. A real viral campaign creates an emotional reaction in the viewers that not only engages them, but also turns them into evangelists. The customers spread the word and do the selling – not the marketers.

Viral marketers are the guy everyone is talking about when, on Monday after the season’s opening high school game, everyone says, “Did you see what Blah Blah did during half time?” (Your drama students unexpectedly enacted the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat outside the concession stand.) Or “Did you see those adorable kids in the parking lot? They’re Blah Blah’s students. My son takes lessons from him.” (Your kids were a 5 piece combo playing fight songs in the back of a pick up truck. Or three different 5 piece bands playing from the back of 3 different pick up trucks parked in around the stadium).

In other words, you want your clients invested in your success. (You presumably are already invested in theirs) They love what you are doing because what you are doing is about them, not you. If that’s true, they’ll do the selling for you.

Eyes on the Prize

Going Viral - 2004

This point is really important – you need a measure of success.

Will this campaign be successful if it gets written up in the local paper? Will it be successful if it brings in 10 new students? Will it be successful if it gets 10,000 hits on You Tube?

It is very easy, with viral marketing, to forget that the buzz isn’t the goal – it is only the tool. If everyone is talking about you, but you haven’t given anyone a reason and a way to act (sign up for classes, buy your product, join your site, subscribe to your newsletter…), the buzz is meaningless.

If you want a marketing campaign to succeed, use your viral video to create buzz, and tie it to an irresistible offer.

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Tags: buzz, Marketing, viral video