Introduction to Viral MarketingCreated by: Lauren Candito, Interactive Marketing & Social Media Consultant

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Viral Marketing is...

“Any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other

sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the

message’s visibility and effect.”Dictionary.com

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There are many different viral marketing mediums...

Email

Audio

Mobile

Blogs

Websites

Video

Podcasts

Interactive Games

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Think about it...Consumers are a lot

more willing to believe what their friends & family tell them vs. a company or brand.

Wouldn’t you be????

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The result??

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Just in case you don’t believe me...62 percent of consumers read consumer-written product reviews on the Internet.

Of those, more than eight in 10 say their purchase decisions have been directly

influenced by the reviews.

Seven in 10 of the consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact.

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“This increasing market transparency can adversely impact the margins, market share and brand equity of consumer products companies,” says Pat Conroy, vice chairman and US consumer products group leader at

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. 

“In the past, clever marketers and advertisers shaped brands, but now consumers are increasingly empowered, everyone has a voice, and information and opinions are instantly dispersed. Consumer product companies need

to determine how best to capitalize on this new landscape. Clearly, there will be consequences for those

who don’t.”Source: Deloitte & Touche USA 10/2007 Survey. The survey polled a sample of 3,331 consumers over the age of 16. 

The margin of error for the entire sample is plus or minus two percentage points.

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so...

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what everyone wants to know, is...

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How do you get a campaign to “go viral??”

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Every successful viral campaign has three key components

1.) Distribution to the right audience

2.) Engagement with that audience that will result in...

3.) Relationship building with the brand/company pushing the campaign

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Distribution

✦Who are you targeting?

✦How many people are in your initial send?

✦How are you going to communicate with them?

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Engagement

✦Why would someone pass along your message?

✦What is the value you can offer?

✦Why will they remember you?

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Relationship

✦What information are you asking your audience for?

• Name, email, etc...

✦How will you keep the lines of communication open for the future?

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Once you have answered those questions, you can begin developing your campaign!

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But before you dive in, take a look at what others are doing...

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Trend: Viral Videos

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Trend: Viral Emails

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Trend: Viral Games

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Ready to get started??

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Here are some tips to help you begin...

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✦Keep your budget low by exploring your ideas with a proof of concept

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✦Get creative - don’t just think outside of the box, think outside of the room!

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✦Lastly, don’t limit yourself to a specific medium

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For additional information on viral marketing or social media,

please contact:Lauren@LaurenCandito.com

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