Wrap Up

I have only touched upon the possibilities in Viral Marketing online. I focused more on the unusual and highly contagious viral marketing. There is a school of thought that a more controlled and conservative approach targeting existing client base and communities is more effective and easily tracked. I agree that in most cases that would be the smarter road to take and maybe by looking at some of these success and incorporating what works with a controlled delivery would result in a bottom line boosting result.

Some tactics are contrived viral approaches that users sniff out a mile away. Other approaches are just out right stupid. A stupid joke with a logo attached to the end is not enough of a concept to make something viral. The examples of a timely nature seem to be very successful as are those that are very clever.

The good news is that failed attempt are rarely noticed and not expensive so it is probably worth failing a couple times if it can get you closer to that golden idea. The truly viral is usually not planned and a matter of being in the right place at the right time but there are a lot of things to avoid to make an idea that much more appealing.

Resources

http://www.upyourbudget.com/
http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2004/10/22/mazdas_blogviral_campaign_falls_flat/
http://www.marketleap.com/report/ml_report_23.htm
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,66960,00.html
http://www.beyondmadisonavenue.com/2005/11/bands-using-myspace-to-make-sweet.html
http://video.spreadfirefox.com/testimonials/
http://video.spreadfirefox.com/advertcontest/index.php
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/18/t-virus_hoax_spam/
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050614glaser/
http://www.onedegree.ca/2005/08/30/saw-the-viral-bought-the-tshirt
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes/stories/2002_03_03/story_519.asp
http://chiefmarketer.com/crm_loop/custom/e-zine-viral-052505/
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/get-the-bug-viral-marketing
http://www.clickz.com/experts/archives/mkt/onl_mkt_strat/article.php/837321