Two Examples of Excellent Viral Marketing Techniques
If you use social media everyday, like most of us do, you are seeing and most likely participating in viral marketing. Viral marketing has become an important tool in the most recent years of the marketing world. What exactly is viral marketing, and why has it become so powerful?
Different than most marketing methods, viral marketing relies on social media users to share something about a product or brand. It is typically used in campaigns, promoting a new brand, promoting a rebranding, a specific new product, or just a brand as whole. The earliest forms of viral marketing were used in emails, but now it includes platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.
One of the most notable and hilarious uses of viral marketing is evident in Wendy’s Twitter account. Wendy’s has nearly 3 million Twitter followers and over 15 thousand Tweets. This is plenty compared to Carl’s Jr.’s following, at less than 100 thousand. They respond to their competitors and even individuals with bold and witty posts. They come across as silly and often sarcastic, but in the end they gain Wendy’s lots of attention and interaction, which means more advertising.
Wendy’s also likes to participate in the current trends on social media.
Other companies known for their similar use of social media include Moonpie, Tesco Mobile and Denny’s.
Viral Marketing is a tactic widely used by non-profits as well. This is because it is effective in spreading a campaign and raising awareness for an issue. In 2014, “Save the Children” uploaded a video titled “Most Shocking Second a Day Video” in order to stress how war affects children, specifically in Syria. The video focuses on a British girl in the midst of a war and ends by saying “Just because it isn’t happening here doesn't mean it isn’t happening.” They also utilized the hashtag “#savesyriaschildren”. Other examples of non-profit organizations using viral marketing include the ALS ice bucket challenge and Make-a-Wish’s #ArmWrestleChallenge.
Viral Marketing is a great way to get a brand, campaign, or product known and an audience engaged. Since viral marketing can be considered a more interactive form of marketing, it resonates with audiences more than a typical advertisement would. The internet has greatly impacted the face of communication, so be sure to consider these strategies when creating content on a viral platform.
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