Viral marketing: The Power of Word-of-mouth

"Mouth", a long history, has long been widely regarded as the most primitive, but also the most common means of communication, although through this way to build up the brand reputation is the most solid, but because of the slow speed of transmission, has not been seriously. However, with the development of the Internet, this way because of a leap into the ranks of mainstream marketing, and dubbed the "viral marketing" reputation, said that a product and service through the Internet can be like the virus in the crowd spread as fast as the large crowd.
Microsoft I ' m plan: In the name of the public good

One day in early March, Liu Yan as usual into his work station, open the computer, landing MSN, water, everything as usual, but it seems to be something different. When back to the computer, Liu Yan suddenly found a small difference on MSN: On MSN on the contact list, many friends before the name of a "I ' m" Green small logo, it is obvious to hang in everyone's call before, like a small banner. She couldn't help asking one of the flagging above, what does this "I ' m" mean? Can I have it on my MSN?

Almost everyone would tell her such an answer:

This is Microsoft's I ' M initiative charitable program, each MSN user (must be using the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 version above) to enter the specified nine charitable organizations code before their own, such as *sierra (Earth Environment Association), Then their own it will appear before the "I ' m" small banner, at first glance let people think is: I ' m XXX, is not abrupt. Every time an MSN user uses I to talk, Microsoft will donate a portion of the campaign's advertising revenue to the organization that the customer chooses to participate in I ' m activities. Each social event group has no limit on the amount of money it receives in the event, and Microsoft is committed to making at least 100,000 dollars of donations to each of the 9 organizations in the first year of the event.

"This is a rare viral marketing in recent years. "says one marketer who has long studied the Internet. The reporter contacted many to do the public relations and the market personage also has said: This is a very cow's creativity!

Clearly, this activity, Microsoft wants to promote its new version of MSN, but in the name of the public good, so that the old MSN users in the enthusiastic public welfare of the big, one after another to inform the new and old users.

The American Red Cross and other nine charitable organizations, which do not want to be more people know and support? and Microsoft as a listed company, each year has to donate money and quotas, if only to take out billions of dollars, so that their bosses and charitable organizations in various journalists to hold a donation ceremony, such a way is obviously too outdated.

Microsoft MSN Use crowd is a group of social care characteristics of the community. According to the survey, the vast majority of MSN users are willing to make a contribution to the public service, and are willing to help change the world. It's just that not everyone has the time or the financial ability to devote their power to the social welfare that they care about. And now many MSN users as long as the use of MSN Chat can achieve the "help people happy" desire, he/she is certainly willing to help people to tell their friends and relatives.

The essence of viral marketing is to find a "right ingredients". And charity, and everyone can participate in the charity, is undoubtedly the best to inspire this group of MSN users of the social responsibility of "the". Microsoft MSN's huge user base also provides a successful guarantee for Microsoft to carry out viral transmission. Each MSN user tells the contact person on his MSN list again, word of mouth, is distributed by the geometrical effect, forms the very huge dissemination quantity. This activity was originally only carried out in the United States, but in China has also been warmly sought after, it is evident that its rapid spread and enthusiastic response.

Viral marketing is rife

Viral marketing has become an important means of internet marketing, many enterprises invariably use this model, and innovation, the formation of a viral marketing trend.

Famous dating website Love apartment, has also held a similar viral marketing activities. In the 2006, Western Halloween, love apartment for the Alps did the Ghost Festival gift-giving activities is so. They told the users of the love apartment that, at the time of Halloween, if their cabin did not receive a gift, then the hut will become a haunted house, the House will appear Amityville scary scene. In this way, Alpen, Die is presented as a gift by all the registered users of the love apartment, and its brand attention has suddenly increased to unprecedented status.

The success of this activity is closely related to the application environment. More than 3 million registered users of Love apartments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, 20~30岁 Young White-collar (51%) and college students (30%), they value the life experience of virtual space. "Give gifts, otherwise change ghost house" this kind of intimidation, so that 3 million registered users to each other, the effect of natural transmission is wonderful. "Advertisers are very satisfied, a lot of customers in our business here after the activities often require long-term to do, such as ebay." "Love Apartment CEO Zhang Jiaming knows the viral marketing way."

In 2006, the eve of the Spring Festival, Pepsi-Cola joint NetEase did a "Pepsi blessing thousands of miles, a common innovation record" activities, but also took the virus marketing routines. NetEase first by mail to all the mailbox users to inform this activity, NetEase mailbox users just fill in their names and friends name and write a blessing, the system will automatically generate a message with the blessing of the word, and sent to their designated mailing address, sent to a certain number of rewards. In this way, Pepsi through the name of blessing, in a short period of time to the impact of their brand to NetEase's huge mail users and other mailbox users. Here, the spread of viral marketing is "send blessing, Record", and media is mail.

Other viral marketing cases and "people in a dream of red mansions," the network video transmission, playing the banner of nostalgia and culture, with the help of network video to achieve these players "did not play first red" transmission effect. In fact, including Angel sister, bus sister, such as Network celebrity fame, also benefit from these people's pictures and text information in various network forums between the rapid word of mouth, but also the use of viral marketing methods.

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The five major points of attention in viral marketing

To provide a valuable product or service: The primary reason for the communicators to be the communicators is the value of their content to the communicators. If it is not important, how can he/she help you to have word of mouth for free? Therefore, before the adoption of viral marketing, enterprises must first of all to disseminate their products and services to refine and design.

Provide a way to deliver information to others without paying too much effort: that is, the need to design a little bit of communication can be achieved, such as the use of instant messaging tools such as MSN, QQ, or send a text message, send a message and so as long as the hand can easily realize, the most taboo complex operation

The scope of information transmission is very easy to spread from small to large: that is, to find the easy to spread the message quickly out of the starting point-"virus infection source." such as some famous forum Tianya. Or to find some celebrities as the source of infection, such as Sina blog rapid rise to make good use of celebrity's eye effect.

Take advantage of public activism and behavior: the most likely to inspire the enthusiasm of all people is the topic of public, of course, with everyone's own closely related topics can also arouse the interest of the communicators, although the award can attract some people to participate, but far less than "neutral" has a higher potential for attention. For example Webmaster Network held " Degree Valley "SEO Contest, also are fully mastered to the user's investment-free participation.

Carefully choose the existing communication network: that is, according to the characteristics of the product carefully selected network, mobile phones and other advanced transmission channels, so that products and services through the interaction between users quickly "infect" out.