As we dive in to the wonderful world of viral marketing
I want you to keep something in mind; a true viral campaign gets
forwarded because consumers are compelled to do so by the
entertainment or quality of the content, not because you bribed
them with a reward or something else.
E-mail: It was first but it is still around and still used. It is, however, getting a little harder to use as more and more government restrictions
are placed on it. Still... it does work.
Newsletters: This is an extension of e-mail but it a very effective
tool. If you include enough timely and valuable information, a good
newsletter can drive up the number of visits to your website.
Blogging: Providing the tools on your website to enable bloggers
to interact with one another is a terrific way to get the message
about your product of service out there and being talked about.
Bloggers have their ears to the ground for new products and
services.
Chat Rooms: A chat room on your website can and does
encourage interaction among your customers and that can't be a
bad thing. Also, you can use the chat room to schedule special
events like having an expert available to answer questions on a
given day at a given time.
Ebooks: Share your ebook with your visitors and let them share
copies of the ebook with their own visitors and other contacts.
Include a nice blurb or ad for your most popular product with links
to your website.
Software: Share a trial or "lite" version of your software with
your visitors and just like with your ebook tell them that they can
share copies of the software with their own visitors and other
contacts.
Templates : Design your own website or other templates,
include your own marketing information on them and give them
away as free downloads or as an electronic package. Grant
permission for recipients to pass them along.
Articles : Write articles about your niche topic. Include your
website and contact information in the byline and grant permission
for others to publish as long as they keep the byline in tact. Then
people can use your contact on websites, in ezines, newsletters
and other places where once again, viral marketing will speed the
spread of information about your business.
Video Clips: This is one of the hottest types of viral marketing.
Including cool video clips on your website will keep the interest up
and increase traffic.
Flash Games: Although they are a little costly to start, they are
an extremely effective tool to get your viral marketing campaign
going. Once they are launched, they require nothing more from
you.
Keep in mind that viral marketing is just one basic component of your overall marketing plan. It should be linked with other strategies such as setting up squeeze pages to collect subscribers. When you take the time to combine viral marketing with other essential business building strategies it can help you increase awareness about your business, generate traffic
to your web site, build a huge and solid customer base, add to your sales and go a long way in contributing towards your success.
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