Council of Peacocks: What is Viral Marketing?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

As writers, the most important marketing tool we have is word of mouth. Today, word of mouth is only limited by your access to social media.

However, most people are not using social media correctly. Plugging your book on social media is a waste of time. If you want to get the most out of social media, you need to understand viral marketing.

WHAT IS VIRAL MARKETING?

"Viral marketing is an idea that spreads--and an idea that while it is spreading actually helps market your business or cause"

Seth Godin

The key to effective viral: Create and execute an idea that's intriguing enough to get consumers to interact.

Theresa Howard, USA TODAY

Few things spread faster than gossip. If there was a way you could get hundreds or thousands of people spreading good "gossip" about you, would you be interested?

Viral marketing is normally done in video format. It is easier to spread on Facebook and Twitter. People watch them because they are fun. Most of us are so inundated with advertising that we tune out as soon as soon as it sounds like someone is selling us something.

So stop selling.

Relate.

Entertain.

Over the next few weeks I'll be giving you some ideas on how to do this. To get you started, here are a few free ebooks on viral marketing brought to you by experts in the field.

Free ebooks on Viral Marketing

UNLEASHING THE IDEA VIRUS by Seth Godin

HOW WILL YOU CREATE A WORLD-WIDE RAVE? by David Meerman Scott

THE NEW RULES OF VIRAL MARKETING by David Meerman Scott