Many people compare viral videos to word of mouth advertising.
A viral video is seen by hundreds and passed to hundreds more and is reminiscent of the "telephone" game you most likely played as a child.
Word of mouth marketing techniques have been around for years and while viral videos have many similarities to this type of advertising there are also some major differences.
One industry insider has classified viral marketing as "word of mouth marketing on caffeine".
The Virus Defined If you are not familiar with the term "viral video" there is still a high probability that you have seen one.
A viral video is a marketing technique that depends on existing social and communication networks such as email, forums, and social networking sites.
The video is aimed at increasing brand awareness, improving sales, and other objectives determined by the marketing campaign.
To accomplish this goal a marketer will identify a population group he wishes to target.
He will then create a video containing a viral message that has a high likelihood of being passed on...
and on.
What is Different, What is New? To understand the differences between word of mouth marketing and viral videos it is important to recognize the problems inherent in word of mouth advertising.
One of the biggest problems this old school advertising technique faces is credibility.
In the "telephone" game the message was drastically altered by the time it got to the 3rd or 4th person.
This also holds true in word of mouth advertising.
Consumers may not be getting all the facts or they may be getting all the wrong facts.
Another pitfall of the word of mouth method is that it fizzles out.
A marketer either tells a consumer something or does something that leads a consumer to tell 5 friends.
Unfortunately, not all 5 friends will then tell 5 friends as is commonly believed.
Only 25 percent of the original 5 friends will pass along the message.
The percentage grows smaller with each retelling allowing the message to sputter out quickly.
Not exactly a successful marketing campaign.
The Next Level of Marketing The entire concept of viral video marketing is to take the word of mouth method to another level.
The success of a viral video is dependent on the passion of the consumers who view the video.
The message is no longer a chat between friends; growth will occur at exponential rates.
As opposed to the word of mouth method, viral videos don't fizzle out.
A marketer sends a viral video in a mass email, people pass the email on to their entire address book, and it will quickly spread - just like a true virus.
The effects of spreading a viral video can be seen in the 2007 return of the wrestler Chris Jericho.
This classic viral video promoted the return of the wrester to the WWE stage.
Hidden codes in the message could be solved by the user to find out about his return.
This campaign spread across the internet at mach speed with millions trying to decode the messages.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Not all efforts at viral marketing are successful.
A great viral video must be designed with your customers or clients in mind.
You have to understand what your clients will find humorous and what will turn them off.
A classic viral failure is the Sunny Side Up lingerie viral video.
Sunny Side Up was well known for its pre-teen and teen clothing.
In 2007 they decided to add a lingerie line.
The videos created were very suggestive and not appropriate for the pre-teen or teen market.
Parents and kids alike found them highly offensive.
The company closed its doors the following year due to low sales.
On the other hand, one of the best international viral videos premiered the same year.
A Portuguese football league created the video in an attempt to sell season tickets.
Users were asked for their phone number and name before the clip ran.
After this information had been imputed the team's coach.
Paulo Bento, and several players from the team are seen in the locker room.
Coach Bento is placing a call to...
you! He informs you that they will not have a good season unless you buy season tickets.
The synchronization between the user and the clip was flawless and it acquired over 250,000 hits in the first day.
Check it out for yourself.
The best advice? Keep it short, keep it personal, keep it appropriate, and make it creative.
The most successful viral videos offer something new.
A viral video is seen by hundreds and passed to hundreds more and is reminiscent of the "telephone" game you most likely played as a child.
Word of mouth marketing techniques have been around for years and while viral videos have many similarities to this type of advertising there are also some major differences.
One industry insider has classified viral marketing as "word of mouth marketing on caffeine".
The Virus Defined If you are not familiar with the term "viral video" there is still a high probability that you have seen one.
A viral video is a marketing technique that depends on existing social and communication networks such as email, forums, and social networking sites.
The video is aimed at increasing brand awareness, improving sales, and other objectives determined by the marketing campaign.
To accomplish this goal a marketer will identify a population group he wishes to target.
He will then create a video containing a viral message that has a high likelihood of being passed on...
and on.
What is Different, What is New? To understand the differences between word of mouth marketing and viral videos it is important to recognize the problems inherent in word of mouth advertising.
One of the biggest problems this old school advertising technique faces is credibility.
In the "telephone" game the message was drastically altered by the time it got to the 3rd or 4th person.
This also holds true in word of mouth advertising.
Consumers may not be getting all the facts or they may be getting all the wrong facts.
Another pitfall of the word of mouth method is that it fizzles out.
A marketer either tells a consumer something or does something that leads a consumer to tell 5 friends.
Unfortunately, not all 5 friends will then tell 5 friends as is commonly believed.
Only 25 percent of the original 5 friends will pass along the message.
The percentage grows smaller with each retelling allowing the message to sputter out quickly.
Not exactly a successful marketing campaign.
The Next Level of Marketing The entire concept of viral video marketing is to take the word of mouth method to another level.
The success of a viral video is dependent on the passion of the consumers who view the video.
The message is no longer a chat between friends; growth will occur at exponential rates.
As opposed to the word of mouth method, viral videos don't fizzle out.
A marketer sends a viral video in a mass email, people pass the email on to their entire address book, and it will quickly spread - just like a true virus.
The effects of spreading a viral video can be seen in the 2007 return of the wrestler Chris Jericho.
This classic viral video promoted the return of the wrester to the WWE stage.
Hidden codes in the message could be solved by the user to find out about his return.
This campaign spread across the internet at mach speed with millions trying to decode the messages.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Not all efforts at viral marketing are successful.
A great viral video must be designed with your customers or clients in mind.
You have to understand what your clients will find humorous and what will turn them off.
A classic viral failure is the Sunny Side Up lingerie viral video.
Sunny Side Up was well known for its pre-teen and teen clothing.
In 2007 they decided to add a lingerie line.
The videos created were very suggestive and not appropriate for the pre-teen or teen market.
Parents and kids alike found them highly offensive.
The company closed its doors the following year due to low sales.
On the other hand, one of the best international viral videos premiered the same year.
A Portuguese football league created the video in an attempt to sell season tickets.
Users were asked for their phone number and name before the clip ran.
After this information had been imputed the team's coach.
Paulo Bento, and several players from the team are seen in the locker room.
Coach Bento is placing a call to...
you! He informs you that they will not have a good season unless you buy season tickets.
The synchronization between the user and the clip was flawless and it acquired over 250,000 hits in the first day.
Check it out for yourself.
The best advice? Keep it short, keep it personal, keep it appropriate, and make it creative.
The most successful viral videos offer something new.