Viral marketing is undoubtedly hit-and-miss and, therefore, we would never claim to have found a foolproof formula. It’s extremely gratifying and good for business when you do hit on a campaign that spreads like wildfire. But, there are no guarantees. So, there shouldn’t be too much disappointment when your efforts don’t go quite as planned. The next time you start working on a potential viral campaign, try to make the following points part of your approach:
• Don’t Leave it to Chance – Know Your Audience
If your campaign has any chance of going viral, it needs to be targeted. And, you need to know everything about your audience. What is the best time to launch for maximum impact? What does your audience want and need? How and why should they respond to your campaign? Make sure you’ve answered these questions thoroughly before you get going.
• Keep the Message Simple
All it takes is a single image or one simple meme to go viral. You need to focus on minimal information and maximum impact. Devise something that can be consumed, understood and interpreted at a glance, and that can inspire a reshare or retweet in a second. Don’t make your reader have to think about it for too long.
• Focus on Visuals
As a corollary to the previous point, in order to make your campaign as simple as possible, you should focus on powerful images and minimal text. Less really is more in this instance, and the old adage that a picture paints a thousand words is absolutely true. A single image that catches the eye and sums up the message will do a lot more than a paragraph of even the best copy.
• Let it Happen, Don’t Push It
Remember that most things that go viral do so completely organically – and often by accident. You can’t force it. You need to put your message out, having done all the necessary prep work, and then let it attract an audience naturally. There will be times when it won’t work and you’ll need to go back to the drawing board, but don’t let that worry you. As long as you’ve done your homework regarding your audience, you are more than likely to hit the target eventually. Your chances of doing so will increase each time you try, so keep at it!
WSI OMS can help you with your viral campaigns. Contact us to find out how.