Netconcepts

Specialists in SEO, web dev, online marketing

Book A Free Strategy Call
  • About
    • Problems We Solve
    • Who We’re Not a fit for
  • Services
  • Results
  • Learn
    • Learning Center
    • Courses
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
  • Press
  • Contact

Contagious Communications

Ever wondered how late entrant Google overtook its entrenched competitors to become the most popular search engine on the planet? Or how a small upstart called Hotmail became the leader in web-based email and was then purchased by Microsoft for a cool $US400 million? Or how "rate strangers on their looks" web site HotOrNot.com came out of nowhere to become one of the top 50 most popular sites on the net?

No, not colossal advertising budgets, but viral marketing: a great (or, in the case of HotOrNot, a silly but highly contagious) idea that aficionados simply had to tell their friends about, and those friends in turn told other friends. But triggering a word-of-mouth epidemic isn’t as easy as it may seem.

Earlier this year, the Auckland chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International (www.smei.co.nz) experimented with its first viral marketing campaign to promote workshops by an internationally renowned guerrilla-marketing guru – with only moderate success.

However, there are some ways to improve your chances:

  • Target those sympathetic to your cause. For example, a current BMW owner is much more likely to be a BMW evangelist than a Ford owner is.
  • Like-minded people hang out together. If you want more affluent customers, go after your existing affluent customers: they mix in the same circles. Target the "connectors" — those people who seem to know everybody.
  • Reward those who spread the word. Don’t insist that a referrer’s friend become a customer in order for an incentive to be earned. The incentive doesn’t have to be expensive – a golfer would value golf balls with their name printed on them, for example.
  • Make it easy and obvious for people to “pass it on”. Ask the recipients of your email newsletter to forward it to anyone they think may be interested. On your web site, include a “Tell a Friend” or "Email this page to a friend" button that sends articles, reviews, product info or anything else of potential interest. Consider offering a fill-in form where a visitor could send something valuable to a number of friends at once (see the “Send It” page on www.ideavirus.com as an example).
  • Asking people to forward messages should not be a blatant, in-your-face demand but an informal invitation, and it should not smack of commercialism or spam. A good offline example would be a book that includes a blank postcard with a funny cartoon referencing the book and its topic.

Seth Godin’s Unleashing the Ideavirus, Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and business consultant Paul Watkins’s web site (www.paulwatkins.co.nz) are invaluable sources of tips. Check them out for more viral marketing ideas. Interestingly, Godin took a leaf out of his own book, employing viral marketing to make Unleashing the Ideavirus the most downloaded e-book in history.

Stephan Spencer is founder/president of Netconcepts, a Madison, WI-based Web marketing agency that offers search optimization services.

This article first appeared in the September 2002 issue of Unlimited magazine.

rihanna gallery

Comments

The Art of SEO

Chapter 7:
Content Marketing

From the fundamentals of link building to the nuances of natural linking patterns, virality, and authority.

Get Free Chapter

Related Posts

Blog Images

Your Ultimate Guide to Google Penalties

When your website’s traffic suddenly takes a tumble and you don’t know why, it can be maddening. Why is this happening? It’s possible you’ve been hit with a Google penalty, or have come up against one of Google’s algorithm updates. If you’re wondering how Google penalties work and what you should do to avoid them, […]

Read More
Blog Images

Using Psychology to Boost Your Conversion Rate Optimization

Can a better understanding of the human brain help you get more conversions? Absolutely! Let’s look at how to incorporate some psychological concepts into your conversion rate strategy, along with some examples. Behavioral economics: humans are irrational What is behavioral economics and what does it have to do with conversion rates? Traditionally, economists believed that […]

Read More
Blog Images

How to Master Social Selling on LinkedIn

Social selling could be your key to securing new prospects and boosting your bottom line. When not done properly, however, social selling can also ruin your online presence and repel potential customers. So what is social selling, and why does your brand need it? More importantly, how do you master social selling? Let’s look at […]

Read More
As seen on
NBC ABC CBS Fox CW Haryard adweek foundr cnet
Capsule Bar Img
Will your content marketing turn readers into customers?

Download chapter 7 of The Art of SEO, Content Marketing

Download Now
netconcepts
  • submenu
    • About
    • Services
    • Problems We Solve
  • submenu
    • FAQ
    • Results
    • Who We’re Not a fit for
  • submenu
    • Case Studies
    • Testimonials
    • Learning Center
  • submenu
    • Courses
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
  • submenu
    • Press
    • Contact
netconcepts
© 2021-2022 Netconcepts. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Earnings Disclaimer Privacy Policy
Book

The Art of SEO

Chapter 7: Content Marketing

Yes, this is the book that Seth Godin referred to as “Hype-free, data-rich, and loaded with insight that’s essential reading for anyone who needs a deep understanding of SEO.”

Want to sharpen your SEO chops?...
start out with an appetizer before you dig into the main course!

Get Free Chapter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube