Viral Marketing: Key factors

Although we know that there is no recipe for the perfect marketing campaign, there are a few key factors that are present in almost every successful marketing campaign. So, grab a pen and paper, ’cause these tips can help you go viral.

Knowing your target audience is important for any campaign to be successful, therefore, vital for any campaign to have the potential to go viral. If you don’t target the right audience, the message won’t be passed on because the interest simply doesn’t lie in that audience. Make sure to do extensive research on demographics of each social media platform to optimize who your message should be shared with and where your campaign should be hosted.

One thing all viral campaigns have in common are visuals. Whether it’s a compelling infographic image or an enticing video, that is where the attention sparks. Visuals leave a lasting impression on viewers. Also, visuals are most often shared in comparison to text-based campaigns. Use visuals to your advantage and don’t forget to feature your logo!

For any campaign to be successful, the message has to be clear and concise. This means a lot  of planning has to go behind the production of everything from video scripts to visual layouts, even the models or actors used. When aspiring for a viral campaign, use a storyline that ties into your message.

Just like a movie, have a plot. When does the tension or emotion build? When is the release? And what’s the best method to conclude your message. Some of the most successful campaigns have a series of follow-ups with the same message portrayed in different ways. Explore the option of making a series of advertisements in your marketing strategy to strengthen the message and keep the audience engaged, wanting to see more.

There’s a reason why this is our third blog post about using appeals in advertising – they are vital! Play on the audiences sentiments, fear or humour. Make your campaign interesting. Make your audience yearn for the lifestyle your product or service is portraying by tapping into their desires. The most successful emotional appeal is humour. Why humour though?

Sometimes, humour doesn’t work. Why?
Some campaigns use humour at the expense of someone else. Whether it be at the expense of a racial, religious, political, gender, or an age group, people will be turned away from the campaign claiming it’s unfair or cruel. Also, the humour has to be relevant to the product or service. For more on appeals used in advertising click here.

Do something unexpected. Use surrealism, hyper-reality, exaggeration. Surrealistic visuals, hyper-realistic or exaggerated sounds, tend to engage the audience more than realistic sounds paired with visuals in videos. For more factual approaches, explore what your product or service can do in comparison to your competitors and prove it.

Overwhelming your audience with several ads will consequently lose the focus of the message and repel your audience. Have a detailed plan for how many times a particular advertisement will appear and when sequels of the campaign will be launched. Advertisements can easily become annoying, but the goal is to keep the audience engaged while enjoying each segment of your campaign.

Everyone loves free products and services. Ever heard of karma, “What goes around, comes around?” It’s no surprise that customers will definitely come back around, because of the positive experience your product gave them! Other methods of creating a positive emotion linked to a product or service is by donating to third world countries, orphanages and even organizations that supply products like clothing to underprivileged communities. This is a perfect example to use a sentimental approach in a campaign.

Allow the audience to share your campaign on their social media pages, and download it to allow posting on their own websites. When someone shares an image or a video, it automatically becomes “earned media.” Friends and family of the people who shared the files will be more inclined to read it, enjoy it and share it because friends and family are bound to have similar interests and values. Giving the option to share on social media and websites will increase the audience immensely, thus sharing your message with more people!

Links: Create a Viral Marketing Campaign, Viral Marketing Cheat Sheet, Tips for Launching a Successful Viral Marketing Strategy, Proven Viral Marketing Techniques, Appeals in Advertising