Using Viral Marketing to Promote Your Business

Viral marketing is a new buzzword for an old concept. Viral marketing essentially means getting your message distributed by word of mouth. The primary goal of viral marketing is to get the word out about your business and get people to visit your website or try your product or service. Today, we'll take a closer look at viral marketing, different strategies for using it and how it can take your business to new heights.

How Does Viral Marketing Work?

You may be involved in viral marketing right now and not even know it. Have you passed on an audio copy of a teleconference to a colleague or forwarded a special report to a friend? That is viral marketing. Viral marketing can take many forms including:

• Videos
• Audio files
• Special Reports
• E-newsletters
• Articles

What Is the Advantage?

Viral marketing is one of the most cost effective advertising methods you could use for your business. For little to no cost and a bit of time and effort you can get more attention and publicity from this type of marketing than with any other method.

How Do I Get Started?

The best part about viral marketing is that you can get started right now! Decide what type of campaign you want to do. It might involve one marketing piece or a combination. You can start small and add on as you get the hang of it. The following are some ideas to get you started:

• Start an E-zine or Newsletter - It doesn't have to be big. Just some useful information that your clients or potential clients can use. Make sure your website address and contact information is on it (and all marketing materials). Add a paragraph at the end of your e-zine to encourage your readers to pass it on to their friends. You might also consider adding a statement that the information can be used on their website, blog or newsletter as long as they include your contact information with it.

• Give Away a Special Report -Whether it is a few pages or an entire ebook, put the special report on your website as a free gift to people who sign up for your newsletter or purchase products or services. Send an email out telling people how they can get a copy of the special report.

• Record a Video - about your product or services and place it on YouTube. Put a link to the video on your website or send an email with a link to the video.

• Reciprocal Link - Allow select business owners to place a link on your website in exchange for placing a link on theirs.

• Social Networks and Forums - Put a link to your website, blog, video or free offer on the social networks and online forums you belong to.

Things to Remember

Viral marketing can be very successful for your business but you need to keep a few things in mind when setting up your campaign:

• Be Consistent - Don't randomly or sporadically do your marketing. Make a plan and follow it. Decide on how often you are going to implement your marketing strategies. The more regularly people hear from you, the better chance you have of people passing on your information.

• Don't Give Away Junk - Whether you're writing an ebook, sending a newsletter or promoting a video, make sure it's useful. People love free stuff but they don't love useless information. Make sure whatever it is you are promoting is useful and beneficial to your consumer. If it's not going to help someone in some way, they aren't going to pass it on to people they know.

• Include Your Information on EVERYTHING - Make sure your name, business name, email address, phone number and URL are on every piece of marketing you put out. Whenever possible put a link to your website wherever you can. Doing so makes it that much easier for people to get to your website and see what you've got to offer.

Viral marketing is essential for every business and with today's technology there is no reason why you can't get started now. It's cheap, it's fast and most importantly it works. What are you waiting for? Get out there and spread the word!