So many Internet marketers like to throw around the term “Viral Marketing” to sound smart, savvy and cool. But the truth is, very few really “get it”. Just because you WANT something to be “VIRAL” doesn’t mean that it will be, or even if it will work!

 

“Viral Marketing” simply put, is where you are giving away something of value so the recipient will WANT to pass it on to others…right? Yes, but not quite. “Viral Marketing” describes ANY strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth through the exposure and influence of the message.

 

So it spreads like a VIRUS.

 

Do you or have you ever had a Hotmail address? This was one of the Internet’s first highly successful Viral-Marketing campaigns. Think about what the smart minds at Hotmail pulled off. They gave away email addresses AND service. And they attached a tagline at the bottom of every email message sent. Get your private email account. (Or, something to that effect.) Then, they simply stood back as people emailed their network of friends, family and business contacts all over the globe.

 

A simple, BRILLIANT strategy.

 

Soon it becomes, WOW! All my friends are using Hotmail. I want to use it too!

 

BINGO.

 

An effective Viral Marketing strategy should incorporate some sort of giveaway OR natural viral element that begs to be passed on and does NOT scream “sales-pitch”.

 

It could be a controversial or newsworthy video or a humorous email or a special report that deals with a unique solution to a problem affecting certain individuals.

 

Make sense?

 

You also need to make it brain-dead simple for people to pass your message on to others.

 

Make it exciting!
Make it interesting!
Make it newsworthy!
Make it scalable.
Remember – Controversy sells!
Solve a common problem for your marketplace!

 

Most importantly, begin with an end in mind because ultimately you’re promoting YOUR products and services.

 

WHY should anyone feel the urgency to pass on your message to others? Do you ask them to do so? Do you provide simple instructions? Your marketing “virus” will die a quick death if you don’t incorporate these critical elements.

 

Remember this point, the quickest way to KILL any Viral Marketing message is to be BORING!

 

Dress up your PDF files with cute graphics and cartoon style characters to add more personality and pizzazz to your e-books and special reports. By doing this you will deliver more impact, increase readability, boost profits, create a viral effect (if executed properly), and most important of all you will stand out from the hundreds of boring sites out there!

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Adapted by an article from JD Reilly.

About JD: JD Reilly is committed to helping others succeed at internet marketing with tested and proven products and strategies. The success is built upon-A focused target market, A product people are hungry for, A marketing strategy and Automation. His latest program, social traffic explosion, provides everything you need to know about driving a lot of traffic into your website and may be found at: http://JDReilly.biz