The term viral marketing refers to the spreading of information about a product or service by the consumers like a virus which spreads from a person to person. The mode of spreading information can be anything from mouth to mouth or through online platforms like social media. Viral marketing can be considered as a business strategy that is used to promote a product.

ORIGIN:

The term was first brought into existence in 1995 for the launch and promotion of the first PlayStation by Sony Computer Entertainment. They used the technique for the first time ever in history. The outcome was that PlayStation emerged as the first in its field in six months, taking credit as Sony’s most ever successful launch. The earliest people who were attributed to this term were Harvard Business School’s graduate Tim Draper and faculty member Jeffrey Rayport. After that, articles and news about the practice of viral marketing started emerging, making the term more familiar. Steve Jurvetson, Doug Rushkoff and Bob Gerstly are some of the significant people who had a part to play in the popularisation of this term.

VIRAL MARKETING:

Viral Marketing has lots of techniques which when out to use in the right way can positively surge the business. Viral Marketing is greatly associated with the high amount of liking and sharing on social media. For this, the advertisement needs to be able to create an impact on the consumer who will take the time to pass it on. Advertisements need to be of public value, have a meaningful story behind and also have an emotional connect and appeal to the public. As marketing professors, Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein said, “Giving the right messages, to the right messengers at the right time is the key to make viral marketing work.“

Viral marketing also includes interaction with consumers in the virtual and real world. Making popular influencers spread information about the product, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Social Media Optimisation (SMO), advertisements on popular platforms, sponsoring popular events, blogs, online polls and other customer interactive events and the good old print and direct marketing are some strategies that are widely used.

Ever since the increasing growth of social media handles, viral marketing has been greatly dependent on it. It is said that more than 50% of social media users forward posts and other forms of information. Social media is a powerful tool for viral marketers. When handled strategically, it can help to reach out to a much larger crowd. Viral marketing is a cheaper alternative to the traditional methods of marketing. Being clear about the target demographic wants and delivering apt content that will pull them in are the basic key requirements of viral marketing which will help businesses, big or small, to effectively reach a larger consumer crowd.

WE LOVE DIGITALMARKETING:

We love Digital Marketing is an internet marketing company in Kolkata which offers various services to brands who wish to make a mark in the online marketplace. They have new strategies and unique ideas to make brands stand out among the other competitors in the virtual world. They offer many different services like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Content Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Email Marketing, Graphic Designing and Web Development. They take full pride in using technology to deliver to their clients’ needs outstandingly.