Believe it or not, viral marketing did not originate on the web. Named for microscopic organisms that reproduce at a very fast rate, viral marketing has its origins in offline marketing. Better known as word of mouth advertising, this method has been one of the most powerful and profitable ways to promote a business.
Viral marketing involves the exponential spread of a commercial message. After an initial distribution, the commercial message can potentially reach many people in a short period of time.
For example, if you deliver your business message to ten people and give them enough incentive to pass it on to ten more people in their respective network, you will immediately have the attention of a thousand potential customers. But it doesn’t stop there, because the new levels could spread the word to more people, and this same cycle would continue while you concentrate on other matters of your business.
Studies show on average that a person has 12 people in their network. This statistic can be misleading. Ten people can have 2 people in their respective network, while one person can have 140 people in theirs. Then we would arrive at the same median.
These are some of the things Internet marketers use to encourage people to spread the business message. Please note that all of this is offered free of charge. After all, free is still the most powerful word in marketing.
1. ELECTRONIC BOOKS. An electronic book is the most popular method to deliver the business message. An informative one would serve the needs of many people, which is already enough incentive for its self-propagation. Strategically place links within the pages or e-book to promote your business or affiliate products.
2. SPECIAL REPORTS. Special Reports are like eBooks, only shorter. Feature stories have also taken on an aura of reverence in recent years, as they are excellent vehicles for communicating a new idea.
3.SOFTWARE. Maybe you have a show or script you’d like to share. This software can be designed to provide a link to your site each time its features are used.
4. SERVICE. You can provide a hosting service or email accounts to entice visitors to spread your business message.
5. MEMBERSHIP. You can also set up a membership site and give access to it. The membership site could contain a lot of free or discounted products for its members.
6. NEWSLETTER. A newsletter or ezine is also a popular way to drive exponential distribution of your business message. By consistently providing your subscriber base with informative pieces on a variety of topics, they will be inclined to tell their friends about your business.
7. DISCOUNTS. Offer discounts on the products you offer and you will encourage people to spread the word about the offer you offer.
8. TRIAL VERSION OF YOUR PRODUCTS. If you’re trying to sell a software program, you can also try offering it for a trial period, which is usually 30 days. This would allow people to try your product before deciding to buy it. Even if they are too thrifty to spend on the full version of your product, they will still tell others about your business at some point.
9. COMMERCIALIZATION OF ARTICLES. Submit an informative article with a resource box containing a link from your sales page to the many article directories on the net. Encourage your readers to republish your article as long as they keep the resource box.
10. OTHER PRODUCTS such as screen savers, themes, fonts, images and the like.
Now that you know what value propositions to offer, the remaining consideration is how to distribute them.
Email is the main mode of transfer online. Mailing lists contain tons of email addresses of people with similar interests. If you could get your business message across on this channel, the rewards would be huge as someone would notice. Plus, you only have to send it once and it will communicate with everyone in that group.
Discussion forums or online forums also host a gathering of people who share the same passion. These online communities hold discussions on various topics every day, often many times within 24 hours. There are forums for the many niches out there. Aim for one that is related to your market. But be sure to first establish your presence as a worthy part of the community. Remember, it’s a community, and you need to gain their trust first before you can win them over to your side. Start by replying to threads that post a question. Be useful. In this way, you could subtly manipulate them to verify your company’s message.
Online chat rooms can also be a fertile source of hosts who would persistently distribute your marketing offers. Join a channel related to your business. Spend some time making personal connections, and then gradually introduce your business message. People have more trust with someone they have actually talked to, even if it is through online means.