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What is Viral Marketing? All You Need To Know!

diksha
September 6, 2024
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Every content creator and company’s dream is to create viral content that engages with the audience. Viral marketing refers to the promotional method where the content becomes viral naturally just by word of mouth and online buzz.

Viral marketing depends entirely on content that is informative and entertaining and organically excites and makes the audience interested. The viral content passed from one person to another, from one platform to another at a very fast pace. Because the content is shared amongst the audience, social media is the most important platform for viral marketing. For example, a video appearing on YouTube is liked by a group of people and then they share it on different social media platforms.

In this article, we’ll learn what viral marketing is, and its pros and cons. Also strategies for creating a viral marketing strategy and things that viral marketing have in common.

What is Viral Marketing and what are its benefits and challenges?

Viral marketing refers to a type of marketing where you depend on your audience to organically generate excitement around the content and pass on the message or content. Content is considered viral when a large number of users share content rather than just its target audience. If done correctly then your content will be all over social media feeds.

The aim of viral marketing is clear to motivate individuals to share your content with their friends, family, and other individuals. Sometimes brands try to trigger or push content to become viral but essentially it depends on word-of-mouth and the likability of the audience. Social media has given a boost to viral marketing.

Pros

Organic: It is an organic way of marketing wherein you don’t promote your product directly but the audience does by re-sharing the content. It is a cost-effective way of enhancing brand awareness and sales. It gives an organic boost to your brand.
Reach: The more your content becomes viral, the more will be your reach and visibility. You can potentially reach those customers who were earlier unapproachable for you. The virality of the content makes it reach unique and new customers.
Helps in positioning the brand: Viral content brings your brand and products into the audience’s eyes. There is a constant discussion about your brand which lasts over a few months. You can utilize this period for positioning your brand.
ROI: The viral marketing depends on organic support from the audience. Companies don’t aggressively promote their brand and products. So with minimum cost, you get enhanced sales.
Brand awareness: When your brand’s average engagement rises from 0-500 to 1,000 it means your brand is getting more exposure and more people are becoming aware of your brand.

Cons

Negative hype: Viral campaigns create hype around your brand. However, the hype doesn’t need to always be positive. Customers share negative news more than positive news. There can be negative hype around your brand which will potentially damage your brand for a long time.
Chances of being misinterpreted: A viral campaign reaches global audiences. It goes beyond your niche audience so there are chances that the message of the campaign will be misinterpreted by some users. This misinterpretation can trouble your brand.
More followers do not guarantee more sales: More followers don’t guarantee more sales. Not all your followers get converted into customers. Also if the followers feel that their private information is being sacrificed they will not share or promote your brand.

How to create a viral marketing strategy

Viral marketing is a customer-centric approach. However, there is no principal rule for creating content that becomes viral. A potential successful content strategy is where they consider what the audience wants to see and what compels them to share it. Also, target that platform where the majority of users are sharing the content. Viral content is one that aligns with the users and evokes emotions. You can use humorous content but make sure it doesn’t compromise your brand’s core message or philosophy. A viral campaign is built on utility, that is the information and value they will get from it which your competitors probably missed. Also, a great viral campaign should evoke emotions and help in building strong emotional connections with the audience. Most importantly the campaign should include social sharing options so that the users can share the content on their social media handles.

Here are some of the tips to enhance your viral marketing campaign

Create Engaging Content: The first and most important aspect of viral marketing is to create engaging content that creates online buzz and compels users to share the content. The content can be in the form of video, image, presentation, infographic, blog, meme, etc.
Social Media: Social media is the hub of viral marketing. Users share content on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, etc. You can’t ignore social media platforms today. Try to build a strong presence on these platforms. Frequently post on social media and choose the correct posting time. Understand your audience, use innovative hashtags, and encourage the users to share your content.
Incentives: One of the methods that brands use to increase the shareability of the content is to provide incentives. You can organize a contest, free trial, etc which attracts users to your brand and motivates them to share the deal with others as well.
Humor: By capitalizing on humorous and entertaining content you can motivate users to share your content. You can create engaging and entertaining videos that evoke the emotions of the users and keep them engaged. You can also design meme and hummus campaigns that have chances of being reshared.
User-Generated Content: You can motivate the users to design and distribute their own content to the brand or under a part of the campaign. This helps in building a sense of community. It also utilizes the potential personal reach of these users.
Interactive elements: Include interactive elements in your campaigns that encourage user engagement. You can include a quiz, game, etc to keep the users engaged. This motivates the users to share their positive experiences with others.
Originality: Create original content that is unique and innovative. Identify what is important for the users and how your competitors have failed to highlight it. Create unique content that your competitors skipped or did not pay attention to. This will help you create innovative and unique content and compel users to reshare it
Trend: By tapping into the current trend, you can make your brand more visible and get the spotlight. Make sure your content is worth sharing. You can utilize the potential of the current trend to get your brand into the limelight.
Storytelling: You can skillfully create a narrative that evokes emotions in your audience and increases its chances of being shared.
Collaboration: Collaborating with influencers, brands, etc gives your brand more exposure. It captures the collective followers of the partners involved and enhances the reach of the content to a larger audience.

Examples of viral marketing and things viral marketing have in common

Here are some of the examples of big brands that utilized the potential of viral marketing to increase their sales

McDonald’s: The famous campaign of McDonald’s “Can I get uhhhhh”, the commercial played during The Bug Game in 2022 became a very popular post on X. They tapped into the relatable customer experience familiar with their audience. This campaign was a success.
Dove: Dove’s “Real Beauty” Campaign was launched in 2004 and challenged the traditional beauty standards by featuring women in their campaigns, not the models. It included a viral video called “Evolution” which showed how through editing and makeup any woman can be turned into a model. It became viral and was very successful. It also created an interactive website where users could share their own images, experiences, and stories. On social media, they encouraged people to share their stories by using a branded hashtag. They also partnered with various influencers to spread the messages of their campaign. As a result, they saw an increase in website visitors, UGC, views on YouTube, and enhanced brand awareness. The campaign was a success due to its emotional connection, utilizing the potential on social media, using user-generated content, and innovative storytelling.
Old Spice: Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign was launched in 2010 and featured a former NFL player Isiah Mustafa. It included a set of viral videos where the old spice benefits were highlighted along with Mustafa’s humorous personality. The brand responded to all the comments on social media and created a connection with the users. It also collaborated with various influencers and created an interactive website where the user could interact with Mustafa and explore the new products. It resulted in an increase in YouTube views, social media impressions, and increase in sales. They also got an award. The campaign worked because it had an element of humor, used the personality of Mustafa wisely, responded to comments on social media, and the consistent on all platforms.

Viral marketing is the dream for all brands but achieving it requires a lot of strategic planning. If you want to take your brand to the next level and create viral marketing campaigns, then you can trust the Lumia 360. We have designed unique and creative marketing campaigns and strategies for our clients to boost their engagement and sales.