Firstly, let’s define viral marketing so we have a better idea of what we’re talking about. The term “viral marketing” refers to the spreading of information through word-of-mouth, as well as sharing through social media and email (Kagan, 2022). Now that we know a little bit about viral marketing, let’s dive into this blog.
Depending on who you ask, people think of videos going viral in different ways, but I’ve found five of my own. Therefore, here’s what we’ve got:
- Knowing your target audience
- Emotional attachment
- Having a clear message
- Knowing which social media platform to use
- Making the content visually oriented
To me, the main reason I chose these five characteristics is that they are all logical and make sense. As a starting point, I would like to stress the importance of “knowing your audience”. By learning more about your audience, you will be able to determine what information you want to include, how you want to present that information, and what supporting details are needed to make sure the viewer understands what you are trying to say.
We then have “emotional attachment”, which plays a very important role in the whole process. My first reaction to watching a video is to ask myself, “Does this mean anything to me??”, “Can I relate to this?”, “Will I think about this tomorrow?” As Quick Books Blogs points out, “anything that gives viewers hope, makes them laugh, and offers solutions to their fears and dreams is likely to attract them” (Elezaj, 2020).
The next thing we need to consider is the importance of “having a clear message”. The key to keeping someone’s attention is to be clear because that’s the way you stay on their mind. “Ideally, a marketing message shouldn’t be vague or leave room for assumptions” (Meyer, 2021). In the message, you illustrate how your product/service will make a person’s life better. The moment your team achieves this, you know that they are doing something right.
When it comes to the five things listed above, I would have to say, “knowing which social media platform” is probably the most important one, since it’s so crucial and it’s something that many people seem to get confused about when planning a proper marketing campaign. Even if your message is perfect for viral content, it won’t reach many people if you share it on the wrong platforms. As an example, Quick Books Blog suggests that “if you are trying to reach a young audience, such as a teen, one of the best ways to reach them would be to share it on Instagram rather than Facebook, since Instagram will have a greater reach” (Elezaj, 2020).
Finally, we have “making the content visually oriented”, which basically translates into making the video or picture very eye-catching from the very beginning in terms of how it is presented. As an example, at my job, we tested to see, for instance, if text on a video would be effective. As a result, it was successful. According to these results, if something draws the viewer’s attention from the outset, they are more likely to watch the rest of the video and potentially make a purchase in the future.
A good example of “viral marketing” is the ALS Bucket Challenge. You may remember this challenge from 2014, but what was it for? The activity involved the pouring of ice water on a person’s head, either by another person or self-administered, to raise awareness about the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as “ALS” (Wiki, 2023). Through a simple video made by celebrities and even us, this challenge gained massive attention and quickly went viral, leading to millions of dollars being donated to the fund. I must say, the successful implementation of this campaign was greatly influenced by social media. Wouldn’t you agree? How many buckets did you pour in 2014? Are you able to recall that feeling?
References:
Kagan, J. (2023, April 14). Viral marketing: What it is, how it works, examples, pros & cons. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/viral-marketing.asp
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, June 15). Ice bucket challenge. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge#:~:text=The%20Ice%20Bucket%20Challenge%2C%20sometimes,motor%20neuron%20disease%20or%20Lou
7 steps to create a viral marketing campaign. QuickBooks®: Official Site. (2022, April 4). https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/innovation/7-steps-to-create-a-viral-marketing-campaign/
Writing for an audience: UMGC. University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/writing-resources/getting-started-writing/writing-for-an-audience#:~:text=Knowing%20your%20audience%20helps%20you,and%20structure%20of%20the%20document.
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