Image: Research Methodology

Viral marketing is a strategy that relies on getting customers to market an idea, product, or service on their own by telling their friends about it

And with modern technology, viral marketing now can be done through existing social networks to promote a product. Just like how a virus spreads from one person to another, consumers and users spread information about a product with other people in their social networks when comes to viral marketing.

Viral marketing is especially attractive to smaller businesses as it can be a cheaper alternative to traditional marketing efforts. So let’s see what are the requirements of making a viral campaign.

It’s all about the visuals

Materials that go viral are usually the ones that are visually appealing. Adding video or images to your campaign is one of the first things you need to do to build a viral marketing campaign.

If the video is made to look real, it may encourage people who see it to share it with others. After the video receives enough views, the company could achieve its true purpose, convincing its viewers to seek out more information about the drink.

Even if your message is text-based, find a compelling image or create a compelling video to go along with it.

Planning

You’ll be surprise that most viral campaigns are actually planned.

Although you can’t plan enough to ensure that your material will go viral, but you do need to plan to deliver a clear message.

For instance, you need to work on the emotions for the viral content because often, they’re viral as they tug on people’s emotions. They can be humorous but they can also be sentimental. As you plan the campaign, make sure there is an emotional catch. Play on their fears, hopes, dreams or sense of humour, and your campaign will have the chance of going viral.

Make a script for your viral campaign and if the campaign does go viral like you wish for, you will be able to share your message with more and more people.

Demographics

In reality, a successful viral marketing campaign depends on connecting with the right demographics.

Viral marketing is actually, indeed, a customer-focused approach, so the first thing you should do is identifying the targeted audience for a product and analyzing what they value the most in products.

For example, during the Blair Witch campaign, the filmmakers were accomplished film students. They analyzed what made horror movies compelling for the targeted audience demographic of teens to young adults, as well as explored how that demographic shared information. They made a good use this information to focus on their product’s mystery, and they concentrated on disseminating its film on the Internet where they knew they would have the best chance of reaching a younger audience.

Once you know your set of audience, you can easily launch your viral campaign. Spread it throughout your social marketing sites, and this easily can encourage your followers to share. If the video, article or image sparks something in your audience, you can just sit back and watch as it goes viral.