Viral - What's it all about?

The term "viral marketing" gets tossed around a lot nowadays, but what does it really mean? If you put out a hilarious YouTube video of a man getting kicked in the groin that gets 60,000 views, are you suddenly a viral marketer extraordinaire? 

Probably not.

Unfortunately, with video sharing, blogging, and  other components of social media becoming ingrained parts of our lives, many folks in the marketing industry assume that's about all you need. Of course, good viral requires a commitment to sound strategy, intelligent execution, and, above all else, a really good idea. You know, the same things that make up any good marketing campaign?

In a recent post for WhatsNextBlog, marketing strategist B.L. Ochman discusses the finer details of viral marketing and some dos and don'ts for companies. It's a great read for marketing students who don't want to sound like dummies when they talk about viral at their next job interview.

From the article:

What doesn’t make a campaign go viral:
o sending out a press release about your latest viral
o an email that says “this is a viral campaign”.

What kind of creative is likely to go viral?
o Knockout creative that's funny, shocking, intriguing or surprising
o An idea customers can relate to and care about
o A clearcut message so people are able to pass it on with one sentence
o An easy way to pass it on - a link, embedding code, "share this" button, email to a friend, etc.
o A concept that builds relationships with customers by getting them to interact with others
o Measurable outcomes - as in: what is this campaign hoping to accomplish and how will be measure it.

What can help spread the word?
o Blog advertising with the right creative can be remarkably cost-effective and high-yield.
o Blogger outreach (which can backfire if pitches are lame.)
o A seeding plan to get the campaign started.