Digital Marketing Posted On: Sep 20, 2022
Ever felt curious about what made the best marketing campaigns go viral? Think of the contest you asked your friends to participate in. If not, then how about the funny cat videos? Guess what? They shared them too and so did their friends. The phenomenon of ‘Going Viral’ hasn’t just been restricted to videos. It’s also articles, memes, advertisements and pretty much any form of content out there which goes viral.
What makes these go hit? Enter viral marketing.
Viral Marketing is a tactic used by businesses that generates buzz and sensation amongst audiences, makes them spread the intended message like wildfire, which further helps leverage sales.
It is one of the best marketing strategies you can use today to put your brand in the spotlight.
But what’re the secret ingredients behind every viral marketing campaign? You may ask.
We’ve curated a handy list of tips along with some best marketing campaigns which you can use to make your next marketing strategy go successfully viral. Read along.
First things first, you need to know who you are going to target.
Why?
Almost all virally successful and best marketing campaigns are directed towards a certain group of people. You can’t expect to target a diverse group of people and expect great feedback from all.
This is why getting into the specifics is important.
Getting all the required information about your target audience will make your viral marketing more effective. The more specific details you have about your audience, the better.
Start by researching people who are likely to get attracted to your viral content. Find out what drives them. Explore their needs, behaviors, interests, and all the essential demographics.
Here’s the drill: Don’t be boring.
Don’t just churn out bland posts or videos to promote your products and services. Instead, surprise your audience. Give them something they have never seen before. Intrigue them in every way possible.
When you experience something unusual, your brain is forced to think about it and engage with it. With some fresh and out-of-the-box ideas, you have a much greater chance of making your campaign viral.
To give an example, check out what Old Spice did with their “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign.
The intention behind this campaign was simple: To appeal to the female audience and also prompt men to buy Old Spice.
The result?
The campaign was a huge success on social media garnering more than 600K Facebook likes and more than a 1,000 percent increase in Twitter followers.
That’s the power of being unique. Next time you come up with an idea, think how can you express it in an unusual way.
Viral marketing is all about emotions. It makes no sense of having a great idea for a campaign if it doesn’t drive emotions.
Here’s an example of a print ad from Pedigree.
Do you feel it? Sure you do. It makes you relate in many ways, it makes you think, and it moves you.
Try incorporating some emotional elements in your content.
Another sensational campaign was done by Dove. Their “Real Beauty Sketches” campaign was a short film featuring a FBI-trained Forensic Artist. The goal of the campaign was to empower women on their beauty and looks.
The result of the campaign was a success! It received 114 million views in just the first month alone. It became an internet sensation and increased the brand’s YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook followers. It also bagged many awards.
This ad best demonstrates how emotions can spike social engagement and virality.
Want your campaign to go just as sensational? Then stir those emotions.
People love visual content be it infographics, GIFs, and images. If they like it, there’s a high possibility that they’ll either save it or share it, or do both. Which is what makes it go viral.
Visual content like an infographic is easy to consume and provides information in a well-presented way. Plus, you can also get plenty of backlinks each time someone shares your infographic.
Here’s an example of an infographic created by Quid Corner. It garnered over 4.5k shares.
Make sure you create high-quality infographics that can be easily shared by your audience.
You can also use them in your own campaign to further leverage it.
Hashtags, if used the right way, can help you spread your message like wildfire. And there are numerous viral marketing examples of campaigns that have leveraged the power of hashtags.
One gift you’re allowed to open early. #ShareACoke #ChristmasEve pic.twitter.com/UBVSgGkiVm
— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) December 24, 2017
Coca-Cola, for example, created a widespread buzz with their #ShareACoke campaign. The goal was to let customers share Coke bottles with personalized name and titles on it. This campaign drove massive sales, engagement, and user-generated content for Coca-Cola.
To make your campaign go viral, create a hashtag that’s original, easy, and relevant to what you’re posting. When writing your hashtags, make sure they’re written in title case so that they’re easier to understand.
Also, always ensure your hashtags are well thought out. You don’t want to end up in a fail or let your competitors take advantage to promote their own products using your hashtags.
You can also take advantage of trending hashtags to go viral. Like how Oreo did with their SuperBowl tweet back in 2013 when there was a power outage in the stadium during the SuperBowl XLVII. This tweet took Twitter by storm and is regarded as one the best viral marketing examples.
Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013
Shareability is what makes something go viral. If you want people to know you or your products, why not give some stuff for free?
You can create valuable and share-worthy content like ebooks, courses, or infographics and make them freely available for your audience.
You can also create giveaways and contests on social media or on the web to promote your products.
This FREE giveaway of a LG V40 by Android Authority has received more than 300,000 entries and counting.
By inviting and making people participate in contests and giveaways, you increase your chances of going viral.
Viral marketing has shown to not only boost brand awareness but also create a massive impact on consumer emotions and actions. By using the above mentioned tips, your creative input, and some ideation skills you can easily make your next marketing campaign go viral and sensational.
Incase, if you’re short of ideas on how you can make a marketing campaign go viral, then we’re there to help.
We’re a reputed digital marketing agency based in India. Our digital marketing team can help you pen a robust viral marketing plan for your next campaign. Take a look at our Social Media Marketing Packages or Digital Marketing Services and let us know how can we help you best.
