Viral Marketing Techniques

Some marketers underestimate the power of viral marketing; this may be the biggest mistake they will ever make when it comes to online promotion. A word of warning though, viral marketing is not the technique for impatient marketers who want results now. This is because the “virus” will take time to spread until its sheer number makes it impossible for anyone not to notice it.

There are several elements in viral marketing that you should take time to explore, among these are:

1. Free Products/Services ? the word “free” catches everyone’s attention. “Free” is the most powerful tool in a marketer’s arsenal. Even big websites such as MSN and Yahoo gives away free services such as E-mails and private messengers.

2. Easy transfer or sharing to other people ? “viruses” will only spread when they are easy to transmit. The media that carries your message should be easily transferable and replicated (eg. graphics, software download, etc); this is the reason why the internet is such as good place for viral marketers. Online communication is also instant and inexpensive.

3. Takes advantage of human motivation ? clever viral marketers take advantage of human motivational factors. For example, Napster became incredibly popular because people wanted to be “in”.

4. Makes use of existing networks ? all people have networks both online and offline. A person’s online network can be seen in his e-mail list, number of MySpace friends, and his regular blog visitors. Viral marketers can use these networks to get message across.

5. Use other people’s resources ? using the resources of other people can widen and improve the impact of your message. For example, affiliate programs such as Amazon.com would not be as successful as it is if not for the number of associates it has.