A Buyers Guide to Viral Marketing - Part 2

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Aside from the types of viral marketing, there are also various methods through which the advertisements can be relayed. Some of the most commonly found methods of transmission are as follows:

• Word of web: Online articles often have links which encourage readers to forward the message to friends. The links bring them to a web based-form into which messages are entered and converted into email to be sent to recipients.
• Word of email: Most likely the most common method, entailing the forwarding of emails containing jokes, quizzes and ‘compromising’ pictures.
• Word of IM: One of today’s fastest growing trends, the transmission of hyperlinks through instant messaging services has become very popular amongst young people. It has been found that IM users are more likely to trust a link sent by a friend via instant message than by the same friend via email.
• Reward for referrals: Many companies offer rewards for the referral of futher prospective customers, encouraging them to use any of the afore mentioned methods.
• Bluetooth: The widespread use of mobile phones which support free Bluetooth has enabled promotional videos to be distributed virally between handsets.

Although it has become one of the most popular marketing methods in use on the web, viral marketing still faces many obstacles. Quite often the size of the viral advertisement, for instance a video clip, will be too large for a recipient to receive. However, newer technologies are eliminating this problem through the implementation of faster internet connections and larger email inboxes. If the viral campaign’s message is sent out in a format which is unusable to many recipients, for example a particular software which is required to view the message, it is more likely to fail, as users will not go to the extra trouble of viewing something which is not readily accessible. On the same note, in order for a viral campaign to be successful, it must be easy to use. For example, if the promotion entails some kind of interaction, then a request for referrals should be placed immediately after the message, and not as a condition to access the message. Viral messages sent as email attachments are susceptible to being blocked by anti-virus software or firewalls used to protect networks, particularly in office environments. One backlash with regards to the undercover approach to viral marketing is that once the commercial intent of the campaign is discovered, users might have a negative reaction to this, and spread their discontent through the same channels as which the viral marketing occurred.

When implementing a viral campaign, one of the most effective aspects to take into consideration is common human motivations. Everybody has a desire to be cool, popular, loved and understood. If you manage to design a campaign that is aimed at building on the common motivations and behaviours for its transmission, you are more likely to experience success in the spontaneous relaying of your message. Your campaign will also be at its most effective when it manages to take advantage of other’s resources and tap into as many existing (human) networks as possible. Human beings are inherently social creatures, and the web has lead to the development of very broad networks. Affiliate programs and email lists are able to exploit such networks, and accurately placing your campaign within such a network will see it spread very effectively.

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