If I hear one more client ask for “a viral” or one more agency promise one, I’ll scream.
I got three email pitches yesterday about new viral marketing campaigns. One was from an agency that said it “provides complete viral services”. Another was for a brand’s (embargoed) new viral video campaign” that will launch on Monday. (Hint: a campaign that has not launched yet is not viral.) And the third was from a friend, who saw something she thought I’d love and forwarded me a link.
First let’s define viral marketing:
content passed from one person to another, including images, videos, links, applications, games, stories, emails, documents or virtually any other type of digital content that one person passes to another via email, IM, text messaging, or social network like Twitter, Friend Feed, etc or content sharing sites such as StumbleUpon, Digg, etc.
What kind of creative is likely to go viral?
o Knockout creative that’s funny, shocking, intriguing or surprising
o An idea customers can relate to and care about
o A clear cut message so people are able to pass it on with one descriptive sentence
o An easy way to pass it on – a link, embedding code, “share this” button, email to a friend, etc.
o A concept that builds relationships with customers by getting them to interact with others
o Measurable outcomes – as in: what is this campaign hoping to accomplish and how will be measure it.
Top two reasons you can’t force marketing to go viral:
1- It’s not viral because you say it is. Viral is what happens when something people see delights, intrigues, informs, or teaches people something they find interesting or amusing enough to want to send it to their friends
2- Viral is a reward, not an intent.
What doesn’t make a campaign go viral:
o sending out an advance press release about your “latest viral”
o an email that says “we’re launching this viral campaign tomorrow”.
Great post. I couldn’t agree more. It’s really quite simple: If the viral coefficient is greater than 1, it’s viral. If it isn’t, it isn’t viral. Of course the viral coefficient has its own issues, which I pointed out in my own blog recently (http://www.b2b-internet-marketing-strategies.com/debunking-the-viral-coefficient/). But if you address those issues and look at it on a campaign-by-campaign basis or a product-by-product basis, the spirit of the viral coefficient is still what defines what is and is not viral. Thanks again for balancing the hype with a little dose of reality.
Kudos for calling out the ‘viral experts’!
I’ve also seen a rash of these kind of promises from agencies and individuals (usually the ones that call themselves ‘gurus’), and I find it hard to believe someone would buy in to that pitch – but then again, I’ve had some clients (and friends) who want to ‘make it go viral’, and they think it’s something you can control or force.
Thanks!
Dude. We must have both become fed up at the same moment in time. Luckily, I don’t have clients asking for “viral” (because I don’t have clients)…but I’m equally sick of the idea that VIRAL is a goal and can be manufactured. Wrote about it today, here: http://bv-url.com/23v2
Glad to see that other smart folks are on the same page. Cheers.
‘Hint: a campaign that has not launched yet is not viral.’ Guess that sums it up :) It’s somewhat understandable that people who don’t actually understand the inner workings of social media want the same hype that they see in others. But a line has got to be drawn. I hope even more people will get exposed to your shout out.
I cannot agree more. I have had some success with creating content that people want to share and amassed good numbers (call it viral if you will). Now clients want a “viral video”.
most people just don’t get it. They hear the world and like a petulant child they say “I want! I want!” but they don’t understand what they want.
in fact announcing your viral intentions is counter viral intuitive…it certainly doesn’t make me want to share or engage…
Ha! Love this post. I am always saying this exact thing.
I cannot stress this enough to people who continuously request a “viral” campaign. Don’t many realize that many “viral” items on the web were never intended to be viral? All it takes is 5 minutes with your camcorder at a friend’s party to catch something that could be shared on the internet for years to come and seen by millions of people.
There is no set equation to ensure viral success and I hope any company that sells their services with that promise, go under sooner rather than later.