Web 2.0 and the Power of Viral Marketing

You can't talk about Web 2.0 without talking about viral marketing. Viral marketing is the most powerful element of Web 2.0 marketing.

Basically, viral marketing refers to the marketing of a product naturally by word-of- mouth on internet communities such as social media websites. But viral marketing is much more than word-of-mouth marketing. Viral marketing can spread much more quickly and reach way more people than word-of-mouth can.

There are two stages to viral internet marketing. The first stage is content generation. This is the most difficult and time-consuming stage, as it should be. There's one thing web users loathe…boredom. Mass media advertising has numbed us to most information online. Trust is earned only by proving that you have something important, informative, or funny to say.

Once you've decided on your content, you'll have to expose it. There are several methods to expose your content and generate initial interest. First, your content should be found on the most popular Web 2.0 sites—YouTube if applicable, Digg, Reddit, FaceBook, MySpace.

If you're able to get an initial interest, you should see your piece increase in page views. If not, don't sweat it. Back to the drawing board for more content. Remember, this is really a trial and error system. Create, test, measure. You'll know within a few days if your piece has picked up enough notoriety. If it hasn't, leave it and move on.

When content goes viral it can happen quickly and reach its peak quickly too. That's the nature of the system. Mass information dissemination makes new content old fast. You have to keep feeding the machine. Those lucky enough to have reached the front page of a popular social bookmarking website know full well that their content will be replaced soon.

Another factor you need to consider is that there are no guarantees and, once your content is out there, it's out there. You have little control of how it's received.

That's why it's so important to:

1. Plan your content in advance
   
   
2. Keep submitting.

It's a numbers game combined with a content game.

However, once you hit on something, the traffic can be amazing. Viral marketing with great content and social networking sites is tremendous.

 

Written by: David C Skul - CEO

Back to Articles | Next Article | Relativity | Watch the Video

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Do you want more? Do you want to be notified of new blog postings and other exciting developments weekly? Do you want the competitive edge over your marketplace?

Sign Up for Our Newsletter and get Free Gifts when you Sign Up and Confirm Your Subscription:

Name:
Email:

• Monthly Updates and Informative Articles and Videos from our team of experts.
• White Papers and Free Training Offers
• Special Discounts and Incentives on our Services and Products
• Special Discounts and Incentives from our Channel Partners
• Monthly Prizes and Incentives for Blog Postings
• Much, Much More

Have questions or suggestions?

Contact Us By Email:

Email :
Company:
Name:
Phone :
Site URL:
Question or Request:
	I have read and agree to the terms of service