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CHAPTER 9 Viral marketing tips
The 10 Commandments of Viral Marketing
It's cheap, easy and highly effective - all you need is creativity and originality to ensure your business' viral promotions are successful.
Ever sat engrossed as a man sliced his own limb with a hack saw? Or spent two hours trying to fill Tony Blair's shopping basket at pace? Or even spent the day giggling at offensive anagrams of Premiership footballer's names? And all because a trusted friend forwarded the email, compelling you to share the horror, the absurdity, and the joke with your friends. It doesn't have to be big, but viral marketing must be clever.
While viral marketing comes in many forms - video clips, music or voice files, photographs, online games, micro sites, plain text - you don't have to create something flash and pricey to spread the word about your company. In fact, many of the most popular 'viral's', passed on to millions of people, are plain text-based emails that are easy to download, quick to forward and boast witty, wry or shocking content.
For
absolutely no budget, viral marketing can achieve better results than a multi-million
pound advertising campaign. But there are certain rules and regulations you must
adhere to before you embark. Allow us to give you the ten commandments of viral
marketing...
1.)
Thou shalt not lose sight of the importance of originality
It's imperative to create original viral's that will compel recipients to forward them. Keep asking yourself - 'Would I forward this to my mates?'
It doesn't cost money to be original. Content just needs to be fresh and engaging, with clever use of humour or shock tactics, for example. Remember to be creative.
The Prostate Cancer Charity created a viral game called Sammy the Sperm. Following on from 20 initial emails. Sammy the Sperm, who had to travel to Planet Prostate on the SS Ejaculate, generated over 180,000 sessions and prompted nearly 4,000 intrigued people to visit the Prostate Cancer Web site.
2.) Thou shalt not overlook the importance of being appropriate
A viral video clip promoting a nightclub might make you laugh so hard tea comes out your nose, but it's not a great idea to use the same sort of clip to promote your insurance company.
3.) Thou shalt not forget to test, test, and then test again
Different operating systems, lack of broadband, no sound card - the risks of failing to test the viral technically and creatively are numerous. Test the viral email thoroughly in-house and among friends. Source constructive criticism. Be hard on yourselves.
And while it might have made Glenda from Accounts laugh until she wet herself, it doesn't mean an external audience will necessarily get it.
Don't forget to be objective.
4.) Thou shalt not proceed without first checking what those before you have created.
There are numerous repositories online that allow you to have a look at viral campaigns doing the rounds. Sites such as www.viralbank.com and www.chinwag.com are two examples. These are also a good way of 'seeding' or spreading your own viral.
These resources are very important. They show the potential of the possible. There is lots of advice and great ideas on the Web. Ask yourself what you like and why. It can inspire you and show you what has already been done.
5.) Thou shalt not set yourself unrealistic or immeasurable marketing targets
Set yourself realistic targets which have realistic goals and can be measured realistically.
6.) Thou shalt not forget the benefits of making your viral topical.
Last Christmas a viral game for electrical goods company, Intersaver, with the objective of raising awareness of the brand and increasing site traffic. The timing cashed in on a seasonal spending spree and coincided with office workers being less busy.
'Toss The Fairy' required people to control a Christmas elf throwing fairies onto the top of the tree before submitting their score with the chance of winning a DVD player. Traffic increased by 30 per cent and eight per cent of these went on to make a purchase.
The most successful viral's tap into a mood and offer something highly relevant to the moment.
7.) Thou shalt not be led to believe that a huge budget is always required
If
you get it right and it's effective, you can reach a worldwide audience for little
or no budget. Look at Hotmail, the father of viral email - the brand was reinforced
every time a message was sent. Viral marketing, done correctly, allows small companies
to compete on a level playing field.
Many viral's tap into our penchant for
all things wry. A recent text-based email listing amusing quotes from the Austin
Powers film is a good example, but a humorous email detailing '10 things you didn't
know about engineers', branded by your company, could prove equally as effective.
While original video clips and games can be a tad pricey, text, sound files and
photographs can be as cheap as you like.
8.) Thou shalt not omit a motivational factor
Motivation can come in many forms, such as the kudos of beating your mates at electronic snooker, or the chance to see a digital Kylie strip to her pretty little bare bones, but the most proven method is, of course, money.
9.) Thou shalt not spam
Never, ever spam. Only send to people who agree to participate - it boosts their esteem within their communities, and your credibility. There is a thin line between ingratiating yourself with a humorous viral offering and upsetting people by breaking and entering their inbox. Ensure you only email customers who have opted to give you their details. Then wait for them to tell their friends… your message will continue its journey with the added credibility of a personal recommendation.
10.) Thou shalt not ignore the benefits of PR
Creating something dramatic and newsworthy can also stimulate self-perpetuating press coverage in the offline world.
To
promote the Lycos Viral Chart, Lycos created a game to tie in with model Jordan's
pregnancy, whereby the player had to shoot the baby into one of several prams
manned by the possible fathers. The quirkiness and topicality of it prompted its
appearance on the Graham Norton show.
PR and viral marketing are inextricably
linked. If a viral is newsworthy or different it will generate press interest
which in turn will prompt a huge surge in traffic. Smaller companies should consider
this when developing a viral - what will grab the media's attention?