New marketing Model: viral transmission (III.)

The originality and misunderstanding of viral marketing

Since hotmail.com created the classic paradigm of viral marketing, this "use of other resources to promote their own" marketing methods by the marketing staff, and try to use this kind of internet marketing unique way, of course, who do not want to promote their own information in a very short period of time like " CIH "As millions of people know?" This paper analyzes the basic idea of developing an effective viral marketing strategy and some error methods in its application.

Dr. F. Wilson, a renowned e-commerce consultant, Ralph an effective viral marketing strategy into six basic elements:

1. Provide valuable products or services;

2. Provide a means of conveying information to others without effort;

3. The range of information delivery is easily spread from small to large;

4. Use public initiative and behaviour;

5. Use of existing communication networks;

6. Use other people's resources.

Theoretically, Dr Wilson's analysis is certainly correct, but the problem is that in practice it is not easy to create a truly viral marketing strategy, and we can see that many free mail service providers adopt this approach, but in addition to Hotmail, Other success stories seem rare. Moreover, often in order to blindly pursue the "viral" effect, or even close to the actual meaning of the virus spread, not only can not achieve the purpose of marketing, and even seriously endanger their company's reputation.

Misunderstanding of viral marketing cognition

In practice, some marketers have struggled to use viral marketing, even as a goal, which is tantamount to trifles, and any marketing means is for a certain purpose. At the same time, there are some superficial understanding that as long as the bottom of the message to write "Please visit our site", or "please send this message to your colleagues and friends," such as the language is viral marketing.

In fact, the essence of viral marketing is the use of other people's channels of communication or behavior, voluntary will be valuable information to a wider range of dissemination. If the information or other services provided are of no value, either a plea or a threat will not produce a truly viral effect.

I was thinking that the same free email service, why Hotmail can become a viral marketing classic, and other sites did not achieve the same brilliant results? The answer should be: lack of originality!

In addition, viral marketing gives people the feeling is must be in a large range of dissemination, in fact, not every website information can or need to let the whole world know.

The misunderstanding of viral marketing application

For some time last April, I subscribe to a few email lists after receiving a mailing list of a Web site, always receive a large number of messages, which have the list of other Subscribers automatically reply to the message, there are many subscribers because of annoying complaints, as long as someone to reply to the sender, soon after, All Subscribers will receive this message, and the mailing list essentially becomes a "discussion group" in which members are free to write. After careful study found that all the mail is related to the mailing list address of a website (the company is one of the earliest companies engaged in online marketing professional services), so I replied to an email stating that the original source of all the emails was related to a company and suggested an investigation, and interestingly, from the next day, No such "viral Mail" has been received.

Perhaps the company just want to experience the effectiveness of viral marketing, but actually in the manufacture of viruses, and their own users to do experiments, such a "marketing" effect can be imagined. One of the first thoughts I've learned about this is: quit the mailing list! If all the subscribers knew the truth, how would you evaluate the company?

The birth of an idea

When you send a message using a free email, free mail provider automatically at the end of the letter to pay the "Welcome to use xx free mail" and other information, with a certain mandatory, strictly speaking, and viral marketing the essence of a little conflict, then, there is a way to let users send information to others intact?

Some time ago, in the OICQ users widely circulated a rumor about hackers, to the effect that a Taiwanese hacker organization will be in the near future to destroy all online users of the system, please try not to online and please tell each other. I have heard from a few friends and have discussed the reliability of the news with friends, almost unanimously considered to be a joke from someone, but there are still a lot of people forwarding information. To think carefully, this kind of information can spread, there is a certain reason, because the potential value is: If the message is reliable, can protect their own or friends of the system is not violated. Although this method is not a specific viral marketing example, but it contains a certain viral marketing awareness, and this way than "please send this letter to 10 colleagues or friends, otherwise the catastrophe comes" such as threatening information dissemination ideas to above.

Users using OICQ are specific groups that use instant messaging, although their subdivision features are not clear, however, from this example can be a certain inspiration, in the design of viral marketing plan, you can lock the target within a certain range, such as a website a channel of users, Visitors to a professional forum, etc. as long as the user within this range is the target user or a part of it, the effective dissemination of information can also achieve the desired publicity. As for the specific way to take, dissemination of what information, this will not be discussed, I believe you will have their own unique skills.

Viral marketing not only requires the provision of valuable information or services, but also the originality of the promotion of the way, and so on, will not cause a very difficult feeling it? Of course, in many cases, it is very difficult to imagine what creative ideas, but perhaps in the consideration of a specific program will be "brainwave" ah, this is probably a lot of marketing experts can not list all kinds of viral marketing templates for our choice of reasons?