What is Viral Marketing?
Viral marketing refers to strategies aimed at making content spread exponentially through organic sharing. The term comes from the analogy to virus spread. Factors for virality: Trigger emotions (joy, surprise, outrage), social currency (appear worth sharing), practical value, storytelling, timing. Formats: Videos, memes, interactive content, challenges. Risks: Uncontrollable spread, potential negative virality, hard to plan. Famous examples: Ice Bucket Challenge, Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". Virality cannot be forced but probability can be increased through right elements.
Key Points
- Exponential growth through sharing
- Emotions are drivers
- Cannot be forced, only encouraged
- High risk, high reward
- Timing is crucial
- Authenticity more important than perfection
Practical Example
“The Christmas video went viral - 10 million views in 3 days, without ad budget.”