This document discusses strategies for viral marketing and word-of-mouth advertising online. It notes that viral marketing uses a broad array of online tactics like videos, social media, games and blogs to encourage sharing of brands and products between users and peers. More extreme content that elicits strong emotions like humor, sexuality and shock are often used in viral videos to drive forwarding behavior beyond just awareness. Small businesses could benefit from thoughtful, small-scale viral marketing efforts given there are over 5 million small and medium enterprises in the UK.

1. 9

3. “…a broad array of online WOM strategies designed to
encourage both online and peer-to-peer
communication about a brand, product or service.”
These include, but are not limited to, viral videos, email
messages, use of online social networks and online
forums, text messaging, interactive microsites and
online games, blogs, podcasts, and so on.

7. Early
majority
34%
Late
majority
34% Laggards
16%
Early
adopters
13½%
Innovators
2½%
Market %
Time

9. 12 million subscribers/users in 1 and a half
years

12. “Appeals related to humor, sexuality, nudity, and
violence are more common as compared to
television ads (Porter and Golan, 2006).”
More extreme appeals are often needed because
viral ads must prompt “forwarding” behaviour not
just awareness or liking, as with traditional
advertising.

14. Kirby, 2003

15. We need to create a burning desire to share
(Momentus Media, 2017)

16. laugh, cry, take your breath away, sick in the
stomach, gasp, give goosebumps…

18. “We need emotional content” (Bruce Lee)

22. clever, witty and daring (Egan, 2014)

26. Thoughtful, small-scale marketing
efforts

27. 5.4 million SMEs in the UK in 2016, 99% of all UK
organisations