Viral marketing is the buzzword in marketing circles these days. 

Here’s a definition for the uninitiated – 

Viral marketing, in simple terms, is a style of promotion that relies on the audience to popularize a product/service via word of mouth over the internet.

Phew! Quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

Yet, it is one of the most effective forms of marketing that is. Owing to its proven track record, it is quickly turning out to be the marketing style of choice for a variety of compelling reasons.

It is right up there with other proven new-age marketing styles such as search engine marketing, video marketing, and cause marketing.

This is precisely why viral marketing is not only a great choice but absolutely crucial when you plan to launch a new product.

Now I know you may be of the opinion that viral marketing may only be necessary for certain products. 

Surprise, surprise – absolutely NOT!

Viral marketing can help you no matter your product, no matter your industry, and no matter your location. 

Listed below are a few reasons why viral marketing is a must when you launch your new product:

The Immense Costs You Save

Marketing efforts tend to burn a huge hole in your pocket. And let’s be frank here – you want to minimize your costs, well, at all costs.

Traditional forms of marketing demand a lot of money while offering you very little flexibility and far lesser reach.

Viral marketing, on the other hand, costs a fraction of traditional marketing while offering you a much better deal in terms of popularizing your product.

Keep In Mind:

• Stick to free (or low cost) and popular platforms for marketing.
• Weigh the pros and cons properly.
• Do not compromise on quality in your search for the most cost-effective option.

It Takes A Lot Of Burden Off Your Shoulders

The most magical thing about viral marketing is the fact that your audience does all the work for you.

You simply get the word out and bam! It spreads like wildfire taking your sales through the roof.

Well, not quite as easy as I make it look – but you get the point.

Viral marketing helps you relax once you know you have done a great job by building a viral-worthy campaign. 

So at the start, you grind – by the end, you shine!

Remember:

• The way you build your campaign at the start will determine how it pans out in the future
• You nonetheless have to monitor the virality of the campaign to watch out for any negative marketing
• Never lose track of how your viral marketing is being responded to by influencers on social media

It Is Neither Pushy Nor Invasive

So let’s say you have planned to launch your product in a week’s time, you already have a lot of things on your mind.

At this stage, you may be fueled by your excitement and flood the internet with info on the product. But that is precisely what you must avoid!

Negative buzz is a real thing, and the only way to counter that is viral marketing since it relies on the social media user to share your content.

Pro Tips:

• Do not forget to make your content shareable in every manner possible
• Create a unique hashtag which captures what your product is all about
• Do not ever push your product too hard as that may put people off

It Helps Build Your Brand

It is an old saying that the best form of marketing is word-of-mouth. This holds true even today- in fact, now more than ever.

This holds true no matter the industry – be it real estate marketing, healthcare marketing, or fashion marketing. 

We all know that social media has made it easier than ever for people to share opinions and create content.

This means that even passive users are looking for genuine opinions in the form of testimonies instead of how loud a brand can shout.

Higher the number of satisfied consumers – the higher the brand value.

Pro tips:

• Try to make your brand name stick
• Associate your branding with your product as tightly as you can
• Maintain a strong online brand presence

It’s All About The Hype

No other form of marketing can hype your product up the way viral marketing can. 

It generates a buzz at the beginning and, depending on the success of its virality, can turn your product into a phenomenon.

It makes users actively search for your product without you even trying!

Some Points To Keep In Mind

• Come up with a contest associated with your product right before the launch.
• Alternatively, you can even create a challenge that has the potential to go viral.
• Capitalize on the hype right when it is at its peak by shifting product launch dates if needed.

It Works Across Multiple Platforms

In the online world of today, anything can go viral –  a YouTube video, a Facebook post, an Instagram image, or a simple 140 character tweet.

Do you know what this means? Viral marketing can work on any and all popular social media sites today.

Incredible, isn’t it? Which other form of marketing can boast of this? 

Pro Tips:

• Try to maintain the same hashtag across multiple platforms
• Build your presence on any platform that shows potential for virality
• Use multiple forms of media such as written content, video and/or images

In conclusion

Marketing has radically changed in the past few years, owing to the wide reach of the internet in today’s times.

It continues to evolve even today, which means, so must a brand in order to stay relevant.

Viral marketing may seem intimidating to those who haven’t yet experimented with digital marketing.

However, that should not mean that you keep yourself out altogether.

Do not give up; the beginning is always the hardest.

As we have mentioned in the above points, viral marketing is essential in modern times.

You want your business to flourish and become as successful as possible. 

For this, it is crucial that you pull out all the stops that keep your product from getting into the hands of as many buyers as possible.

All the best and may success be yours to keep!