Viral marketing is a good type of marketing strategy today on the web. Viral refers to the fact that it spreads fast, similar to when a computer has a virus that attacks it quickly, except that here combined with marketing, it’s a good virus, spreading the marketing promotions or message in a good, positive way instead of a negative, intrusive, destructive way. In essence, viral marketing is like word-of-mouth advertising.
Of the many types of viral marketing methods available, some of the more popular ones follow.
1) Free Articles
Often given away free, articles that contain the URL of the product with a call to action to visit the link, can be used in a viral manner. For example, an author may post his or her article about a popular home remedy for cancer online at article directories like GoArticles.com or Ideamarketers.com.
Next, an ezine publisher comes along looking for content to publish in his next health issue about cancer. So he uses a copy of the article, complete with resource box and hyper link with call-to-action, in his ezine, loads it in his autoresponder, and sends it out to thousands of subscribers. In a click, those thousand now have access to the viral content, spreading around the web.
2) Free Reports and Ebooks
In a similar manner, an author or ghostwriter might write a short report or longer ebook about cancer and include banner ads, links and / or other promotions about his cancer products. He uploads the ebook or otherwise announces a link for it at various sites that offer free ebooks to the general public. As people drop by for a copy, the message contained within reaches out, going viral across the web.
3) Free Software and Services
Similar to ebook files, some people create software scripts or services like autoresponders, and load their promotional info into them in the form of a banner ad in the member area and / or other types of advertising. Then they announce the freebies at sites where people go to find them, like free software sites. And voila, people start downloading them, spreading the word as they use them in a viral manner.
There are many other viral marketing methods. Stay tuned for more news on this topic!