What is Viral Marketing? ( Explain with Examples)

Today's digital age has brought about a significant evolution in marketing strategies. Viral marketing is one of the most fascinating and successful strategies that has gained popularity. However, what is viral marketing exactly, and how does it operate? 

We will explore the topic of viral marketing in this post, giving you a thorough grasp of its idea, tactics, and practical applications.

Viral marketing is a kind of advertising that depends on consumers sharing content, online or off, with their friends and family. Making content that is so captivating or fascinating that people are compelled to share it is the aim. Viral marketing, when done right, can be a very powerful tool for expanding your audience and sparking interest in your good or service.

The Workings of Viral Marketing

Making content that is simple to share and likely to appeal to a large audience is how viral marketing works. Videos, pictures, infographics, articles, or even just plain text can be used to convey this content. Following creation, the content is distributed via email, social media, and other online platforms. Getting as many people to view and share the content as possible is the aim.

The more people that see the content, the more they will share it. A snowball effect may result from this, in which the content is quickly shared by millions or even billions of people.

Viral marketing is a business strategy wherein a product is promoted through social networks. Creating content that sparks conversation about a company, brand, good, or service is the aim. Viral marketing strategies are used by 80% of internet businesses. 64% of shoppers say that after watching a product video, they are more likely to make a purchase. When it comes to their business, 78% of marketers who use videos as a marketing tool believe that videos have directly increased sales.
 
Here are a few instances of viral marketing initiatives that were successful:

1. Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign: In this campaign, women were asked to describe their looks to a sketch artist, who then drew them based on what they said. The women, along with their friends and relatives, were then shown the videos. The videos went viral right away because of the stark difference between the women's self-descriptions and how they were actually depicted. The ad assisted in increasing awareness of Dove's dedication to encouraging self-assurance and a positive body image.

2. The "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign by Old Spice: Actor Isaiah Mustafa played a hyper-masculine character in a series of hilarious videos for this campaign that highlighted the advantages of using Old Spice products. The videos went viral very fast because they were both humorous and powerful. Younger men's awareness of Old Spice and sales were increased as a result of the campaign.

3. The Ice Bucket Challenge: Participants had to cover their heads with buckets of ice water and nominate others to follow suit. The goal of the challenge was to generate funds for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research as well as to increase public awareness of the illness. With rapid virality, the challenge helped raise over $115 million for ALS research.
 
Here are a handful of instances of viral marketing campaigns that have been successful. There are countless more instances, and fresh viral marketing initiatives are produced on a regular basis.

How to design a viral marketing campaign that works

Any given viral marketing campaign's chances of success are always uncertain. You can, however, take the following actions to improve your chances of success:

Produce very interesting or engaging content. This could be any kind of content that people would want to share with their friends and networks, such as a game, video, or interactive experience.
Ensure that sharing your content is simple for users. Put social media sharing buttons on your blog or website, and make links to your videos and other content that can be shared.
Use social media and other online channels to advertise your content. Post your content on your personal social media pages and invite your followers to do the same. To reach a larger audience, you can also employ paid advertising to promote your content.
Aim your content at the appropriate demographic. Your content is less likely to go viral if it is only relevant to a limited audience. When producing your content, take your target audience's interests into account.
 
Benefits of viral marketing
Viral marketing can offer a number of benefits for businesses, including:

• Increased brand awareness and reach
• Increased website traffic
• Increased leads and sales
• Improved customer loyalty
• Positive word-of-mouth marketing

  For companies of all sizes, viral marketing can be a potent tool. It is imperative to acknowledge that the success of any viral marketing campaign cannot be assured. Make sure your content is easy to share, market it on social media and other online platforms, cater to the right audience, and produce highly engaging or interesting content.