Top Ten Tips on Viral Marketing

Just discovered germ - the microsite for a new viral competition, organized by the Ideasfactory of the UK tv station channel4.

The site contains a lot of interesting content on viral marketing, including a couple of Top Ten Tips from leading experts. Here are some of my favorites:

• Don't try and compare a viral campaign with, for example, banners. A banner view is passive, while a video clip view involves a proactive, involved experience. And there's also the added benefit of third-party endorsement through download site editorials and comments made by people as they pass on the creative.


• Learn to let go. Once the viral content is out there, you have little control over how it's presented, which can be hard for brand managers to accept. It's another reason for ensuring high quality.


• Be topical. Latch on to what everybody’s talking about.


• Try to push the envelope a bit – take risks.

(via Martin Oetting)

Comments

[Mike Bawden]

Bjoern,

Thanks for this link. I've been looking for tips on viral marketing and have posted a pointer to this blog entry on my blog: "Much Ado About Marketing."

I read your blog frequently and enjoy keeping up on your insights. Please keep up the great work.

Best Regards,

Mike Bawden
Brand Central Station

[Gary]

If you're UK based, it's really worth entering, probably just for the exposure and having your viral featured on the Channel 4's Ideas Factory website, let alone the prizes. The deadline for entries is the 5th December, so hurry!