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From Charlie biting his brother’s finger to Volkwagen’s Mini Vader, content like these have become a big hit on the Internet. Viral marketing has been around for a very long time (even before the Internet), and harnessing its power can be your ace in starting a booming business.

Of course you would ask, “How does something become viral?” And we’d go back to one of our basic necessities, the Internet. Social media has become a gold mine for every advertising campaign because of its unlimited supply of audience that you can reach out to. Here are some thoughts to ponder on as to why viral marketing can be a great marketing strategy.

Low Cost

For the most part, the Internet is free to use and is accessible to anyone. With enough wits and cunning, one can start a viral campaign from scratch. YouTube is a very good example of cheap viral marketing. As tons of people are always looking for informational videos on the web, a good video has the potential to be viral and to spread like wildfire.

Social Media Exposure

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and media-sharing sites like Pinterest and YouTube have a vast sea of audience. These sites can give you immense exposure for your brand. Grabbing the attention of the general public can help you promote your products and services.

Non-traditional Marketing Approach

Paying for billboards and handing out flyers are so old school. Viral marketing takes its audience as its advertising medium. Word of mouth promotion and social media sharing are among the key elements in viral marketing. Facebook’s share button, for example, is one of the most powerful marketing tools that a lot of people take for granted.

Another good thing about viral marketing is once it starts, it doesn’t just stop. It’s literally like a virus that spreads from one person to another. When one person gets exposed to your content and likes it, he/she will most likely share it and get more and more people infected.

Starting a Viral Campaign

First, we need to know how to make a web content viral. For one, the content must be something that people can relate to, something that people would want to spread. Here are some of the qualities that can give you an idea of good content that has what it takes to rule over the Internet networking spheres.

Humor

Good ol’ humor. Funny pictures or videos are usually the ones that get shared. The NumaNuma video is a good example. A fat guy lip syncing and dancing to O-Zone’s song is funny as hell, making it turn out to be an Internet hit.

Controversy

People love controversy. It draws the attention away from their mundane everyday lives into someone or something else that’s far more interesting. They spark debates and discussion, just like Kony 2012, the video about the happenings in Uganda that went viral overnight. The video even sparked conspiracy theories of the US interfering because of some oil resource that was found in Uganda.

Cute stuff

Everyone goes gaga over cute and cuddly animals and babies. From Charlie bit my finger to the mesmerizing Nyan Cat, they’re just irresistible to Netizens and gets viewed and shared over and over again.

Informative

People want to be in the know. Thought-provoking articles make us stop and think. Content like these attracts people to share it everywhere to inform other people.

Once you create something with viral potential, you need the help of social media to spread the disease. Your content should be seen by a good number of people for it to spread like the T virus. One of the most effective ways of starting a viral campaign is to use existing communities to your advantage. If done right, the community who gets exposed to your idea will infect other people drawing more and more users in. The next thing you know, it has gone viral.

Viral Marketing is a Double-Edged Sword

Viral Marketing is not always a good thing. Every viral content has a potential to give negative publicity, and it means bad news for your start-up. Always be sure of what you are trying to express in your viral campaign to avoid getting negative publicity. Remember that viral content will take forever to be forgotten and a bad reputation is something you do not want.

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