Trust in the power of the democracy, but understand the value of a lobbyist and get to know who wields the power in your areas of interest.<BR>
There have been a few articles here on iMedia that highlight some of the immutable rules of viral marketing.
Jim Meskauskas in "The Little Bug that Could" highlighted entertainment, utility, palpable reward and uniqueness as the basic rules to support a viral marketing campaign's success.
Joseph Carrabis in his iMedia article titled "Why Some Viral Marketing Doesn't Work" added critical mass, trust and fair exchange.
I wholeheartedly agree on all points. So, there you have it. If you simply follow those seven rules when developing your viral marketing campaign, you will be wildly successful in your effort. Good night and good luck.
Now, of course I am being facetious, and I think that most creative professionals would say that if it were that simple, everyone would be doing it. However, the preponderance of user-generated media (UGM) suggests that anyone can actually do it or is actually doing it.
The world over the last year or so has been given a platform. We've been given YouTube, MySpace, blogs, Digg and others through which people can share, vote and collaborate. You even have the chance to hear the whispers, comments and giggles formerly reserved for the gallery by way of message boards on these sites. We witness debate and then ultimate recognition when content gets passed along frequently enough to authenticate its worth. You never know what is going to rise to the top, and I am constantly amazed.
Generally, what you find is something of low production value, but which exhibits extreme creativity. Or, you find something that you should have known already. You think, how could I have not thought of that? Or, there is something like that out there already.
The masses come together to highlight what is important or impressive, and they share this as good community stewards. I love the efficiency and democracy of it all. The good stuff quickly rises through the power of voting and the power of those who vote. Those who wield the voting power have been elected by way of a certain amount of votes, links, et cetera.
Now, what can the savvy marketer take away from all of this? Trust the power of the democracy, but understand the value of a lobbyist. Get to know who wields the power in your areas of interest and support them.
It takes a lot of content to get some of the good UGM to naturally rise to the top. Dredging through Blogspot or YouTube will prove that to you. Much of that content does get to the top, whether it takes longer than you thought to get there or it's on a topic that has benefited from significant media exposure (such as a top news story, a unique occurrence at a big awards show, et cetera). But as a marketer who actually needs to sell something, you want your viral campaign to quickly rise to the top in order to be deemed a success by ROI metrics.
Recognize that your viral campaigns are fabricated and unnatural in the world of UGM; you may have even written down that part of this campaign is intended to be viral. The voting public knows it, so your work is therefore held to a higher standard, which immediately presents a barrier. Then, to add more complexity, you typically have a window of time when you intend to measure the effects, which are likely too short to reach critical mass.
So, when faced with these issues, don't be afraid to lobby. Find the right people in the most powerful places and make them aware of your "issue." Prove to them that you've satisfied all the major drivers of viral success and help them use their power to improve your viral campaign's chances of rapid success.
Lobbyists beware
Now, it just wouldn't be politics without scandal. Take note that some influencers recently realized their value to marketers and are now available for hire. They develop strategies for maintaining their high profile or rank, and while most of their tactics involve legitimate posts, many are tainting their reputation by seeding unscrupulously-- and they may not have lost their status just yet. Recognize that these people are not the best resources with which to align your reputable brand. The skeletons may come back to haunt you.
I am eager to see how this new UGM movement within marketing shapes up over the long term (the next year or two). What will the long tail effect be when some companies' marketing strategies have changed and their "old messaging" is still floating in cyberspace?
With any of these concepts, only time will tell. The key to success in any effort will be the same classic basics we've always held. As with much of the top organic UGM content, it is not necessarily about big budgets or top-tier talent. The new internet democracy will choose winners based on quality creative concepts, strong execution and ethical marketing practices.
Reid Carr is president of Red Door Interactive. Read full bio.