Viral marketing that works

After Time's feature, it's time for Jim Calhoun to share his wisdom on viral campaigns. Five lessons feature here. For me, the most irritating thing is the fact that a lot of clients, prospects and agency people still look upon viral marketing as something that shouldn't cost any time, money or effort, after which they' say 'I told you so' when everything goes pearshaped...

1. Use good karma - make it a pleasure to share
2. Make sure your message is clear
3. Enable viral marketing to happen - offer the tools
4. Test and listen - use your environment
5. Analyze the campaign to keep it alive - looking more and more like work, no?

Comments

[Tom De Bruyne]

Point well taken. "Can you make us a viral?" is an oxymoron, because the viralness of the concept depends on the work you put into seeding it or in the degree in which it gets picked up by bloggers and other opinion leaders.