Top Viral Marketing Tactics to Get More Customers

Your content can do wonders.

If you are like other motivated entrepreneurs, viral marketing plays an important role in your online marketing strategy. When successful, viral marketing has the ability to skyrocket awareness and hence profits.

What Is Viral Marketing?

Viral marketing is content that captures the attention of the mainstream consumer. It is that content that people will bookmark, forward, post on social sites and link to. It has the ability to spread from one corner of the globe to the other like a virus and can change a business overnight.

Top Viral Marketing Tactics

Let us be clear. Viral marketing is content marketing. However, when you are creating your content, your goal broadens. You want to offer value to your prospects and customers. However, you also want to go beyond offering basic value. You want the content to be very compelling that it goes viral. There are several types of content that can help you reach your viral marketing goals.

Lists

People love lists. In fact there are many popular books that are nothing more than a long list. For instance: 10 business ethics lessons from Isaac Nasong’o. Lists are easily downloaded and shared, and are often linked to. They make great viral content. Think about your audience and the value they are seeking. What lists can you provide that might go viral?

Quizzes

Have you realized that just about every magazine has some sort of quiz inside? That is because people like their content to be interactive. Quizzes offer the opportunity to learn something about yourself or reinforce something you know about yourself.  Quizzes, like lists, can be funny, interesting and informative for the user or interesting and informative for you. You can use a quiz to learn more about your prospects and customers.

Tools

Tools are things people can use. One great example of a tool might be an iPod application or a downloadable worksheet. A tool is also something that makes your prospect’s life easier. It offers value.

Video

Video may be the most popular type of viral content. Most often the videos that go viral are funny, but they can also be informative or heart wrenching. You however need to identify your audience and their preferred tastes. 

Images

Photos and cartoons are common viral images. They can capture an idea, make people laugh, or inspire them to take action.

‘How to’ content

When it comes to standard content forms, it doesn’t get better than the ‘How To’. Your ‘How To’ content can be video, audio, or print. Whatever your audience responds to positively.

Funny/meaningful/touching story

Humor is the most popular type of viral content online. However, a touching case study, life lesson, or an inspirational story also spreads quickly. If you have a story to share, craft it well, then make it public and share.

Controversy

Loud opinions about situations will always stir up a controversy. Many people would like to weigh in and share their opinion on the same. Reports are a great way to create viral marketing content that is controversial. 

Blog posts work quite well too because they provide people with a format to respond. One way to capitalize on controversy is to create a free report, promote it and discuss it on your blog. This way you are reaching your audience quickly and the viral report will spread quickly.

Sweepstakes, contests and giveaways

The last type of content that can easily go viral is a contest or sweepstakes because everyone likes to get something for free and everyone likes to win. The bigger the prize, the more quickly word will spread. For instance, if you are giving away a phone on your blog, the likelihood of getting a ton of traffic is very high.

People will be linking to your blog and there will be quite a commotion. Give away a free report and you are not going to have as much activity. The key to capitalizing on this type of viral content is by building your opt-in list at the same time.

Creating viral content is the first step to a successful social media campaign. You will also want to integrate it into your overall marketing strategy. Use every tool available to get the word out quickly.