Viral marketing is a  technique that that is based on actions that pass on a marketing message to others to create potential mass growth in the message’s exposure and influence.  Simply put, it is a word-of-mouth scheme.

Viral marketing can make or break your business.  So it is wise to study how it works, the pros and cons, what to expect and what not to expect.   Viral marketing can be a tool used to your advantage and if used wisely, may very well result into success.  Here are some tips that will help you use viral marketing to your advantage.

Here are 5 Smart Tips To help jump-start your Viral Marketing Campaign:

Offer Something for Free

Give people something that is for free and they surely will take notice of your business.  You have to exploit the idea that you get the consumer’s attention when they read or hear that something is for free.  But you have to make sure that the freebie you offer is of value.  Otherwise your campaign just goes down the drain.

Now you don’t have to offer the whole product or service for free, you just have to incorporate something that is for free, an add-on, because people will feel they are getting value for their money if they are getting something for free that has of equal value to the service or product that they have just purchased

Now that you’ve succeeded in that area, you have to convince them that they should pass along the word to others so that they can share how fortunate they were for getting a product as great as yours (yes you have to think that way!).  Although by instinct, people will spread the word to people close to them, friends, family, workmates, or to people who they know for sure will benefit from your product.

Keep It Short and Simple

It sounds cliché but it is true.  And if you really are serious about having people passing around the word about your business, then you should try to make a message that is short but hits the spot.  How can you rely on people passing it on if you are using complicated terminologies or making it really hard for others to understand?

The internet makes for a lot of avenues to pass along the message about your campaign.  Utilize them!  Do make sure that the mediums you are using are easy to replicate or transfer to.  E-mail is the best way to go but then there is the website, blogs, ads, social networking sites.  Make sure you are familiar with them to effectively utilize their uses and make for an effortless transfer from one person to the next.  Don’t make it hard for them to pass it along.

Take Advantage of the Consumers’ Emotions

Not to be taken in a bad light, but when you are planning on using viral marketing, you have to make sure that you are doing it in a manner that will get people interested.  And the best way to get people interested is by rousing their emotions.

Have you seen the movie Pay it Forward?  It’s a good example of viral marketing, when I do something good to you, I don’t want you to pay me back, do it for others.  Now that will get his attention and curiosity will get the best of him/her due to the unique nature of my request.  Tendency is he/she will do exactly as told.

Create a strategy that revolves around the motivations of other people.  Make sure that the message you are passing along to the people is embedded with emotion (emotion that is appropriate for the product or service you offer), then things will just work their way.  And people will be motivated to do what you ask them to do.

Utilize Social Networking Sites Effectively

Aside from e-mail, social networking sites are the most effective ways of passing around the message about your business.  Friendster, Facebook, Twitter, Multiply, and a whole slew of other social networking sites are just there sitting, waiting for you to be used for your viral marketing campaign.  Just think of the possibilities on how far your campaign could get with these sites, people’s network of friends, families, relatives, workmates, church mates, and a whole slew of other mates!  That’s a lot!

Do Unto Others What You Want Them to Do Unto You

Sounds old-school but it sure works that way.  If you have a fellow who has business online (it could be blogs, websites, ads, affiliate marketing, etc.), then give them leverage by promoting them or better yet, passing around the message about their business.  That way, your fellow will also do the same to you.  He may have a different niche from you, but that’s the point!  It doesn’t mean he has a different target market from you that you or he can’t get his following interested in your campaign as well.  And what with a network of people you can gain access to by promoting your fellow’s business, then you have gained access to his list of prospects as well.  Now his niche will also be another avenue for you to pass along the message about your business.  It’s a great way to do business and a great way as well to get your campaign to explode and be known to others.  You can never go wrong with it.