Savvy Internet marketers have jumped on the viral marketing bandwagon, successfully creating buzz for their products and services quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. Much like Tupperware parties of yesteryear, viral marketing is the digital form of word-of-mouth advertising. The “virus” of your message spreads via the Web and e-mail.
The Internet is the perfect tool to integrate with your marketing campaigns. It's much easier for meeting attendees and customers to forward a targeted e-mail to colleagues within their address books or distribution lists than to tell them all. And chances are slim that a recipient will photocopy your printed brochures and mail or fax them to others.
Tips and Tactics
Electronic information is the easiest to forward, so consider e-mail your viral vehicle to success. Here's how:
-
Provide subscription-based content about your meeting on your organization's Web site, such as extensive meeting details, promotions, and message boards and listservs that will foster community interactions between attendees.
-
Allow participants to post testimonials about your meetings on your Web site. Add a “Recommend-It” button.
-
Add a button that says, “Forward this meeting information.”
-
Publish information about meetings in an e-newsletter.
-
Play to invitees' behaviors and motivations. Consider messages that focus on humor, information, and professional development.
-
Leverage existing marketing collateral with additions and edits. Remember, your campaign should be sustainable. Often the best promotion materials for this year's meeting are post-marketing materials from last year's meeting. This can extend your messaging and create a nice transition from year to year.
-
Consider a Web-based game or animated graphics. When Nike sponsored the San Francisco Bay to Breakers Race, the company wanted to use something fun to spread the word. It created a popular screensaver game that 70,000 people downloaded from the Web, resulting in nationwide exposure.
Consider the following steps when planning a viral marketing campaign:
-
Identify the target audience. This includes understanding their behaviors and interests.
-
Decide how to spread the message. You may choose a simple, informative e-mail, a slogan, or an application.
-
Perform “value matching”: Make sure the message, distribution vehicle, and target segments are aligned to deliver your goals.
-
Find ways to extend the life of your message. Incorporate viral marketing into your current marketing strategy. You can extend your reach, increase Web traffic, and receive a better return on your investment when it comes to building your meeting's brand.
Edward Lang is VP of strategic partnerships for Cvent, Arlington, Va., a meeting registration and e-Marketing application service provider. Reach him at elang@cvent.com or (703) 226-3570.
