You may have heard of the term ‘viral marketing’ before, when describing the behaviour of online communities or the ways in which people share and spread information online. Viral marketing is all about encouraging as many people as possible to engage with your content. In return, you will benefit from a massive increase in traffic to your site. However, not all viral marketing is created equal, and it’s often difficult to understand which types of campaigns are the most effective. In this article, we will discuss some of the tactics that can be used to build a highly successful viral marketing strategy online.

1. Build a community

If you want to create a viral marketing success, you need to start by building a community. An effective marketing community will consist of people who are interested in your product or service and want to hear more about it. Moreover, you should try to create a community that is as engaging as possible. Fortunately for you, we have compiled a list of some of the most effective ways in which you can build a solid foundation for your viral campaign.

Start a blog

Blogs are extremely useful when it comes to creating a successful viral campaign. A blog can be used to provide valuable content to users on a regular basis, which in turn can lead to huge amounts of traffic. Moreover, a blog can be used to establish credibility for a company, which in turn can make all the difference in the world when it comes to gaining support for a product or service. For these reasons alone, starting a blog is a great idea for your viral marketing campaign.

2. Establish authority

Having a blog is one thing, but being able to establish yourself as an expert in your industry is another. To do this, you need to have a thick skin, but also be willing to learn from your mistakes. Sometimes it’s better to admit when you’re wrong, so that you can grow and improve as an individual and a marketer. When you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work, establish yourself as an expert in your industry by publishing high-quality content regularly. Moreover, establish yourself as an expert by participating in online forums and groups where your industry peers congregate. Doing this can greatly improve your odds of being recognized as an expert in your industry, and it’s a great way to gain credibility with your target audience.

3. Giveaways and bonuses

Sometimes it’s not enough just to have good content; you need to entice your audience to come back for more. One way to do this is by giving away free stuff in exchange for their contact information. In general, giveaways and bonuses will boost your campaign’s viral factor, but it’s important to keep the type of prize you’re offering in mind. If your aim is just to increase web traffic, then you can opt for a cheaper yet effective trick – provide a discount on your product or service. The choice is entirely up to you.

4. Create a social environment

The success of a viral marketing campaign greatly depends on the type of social environment you create. To create the perfect viral marketing campaign, you need to consider the following:

• How can you engage with your audience?
• What do you want your audience to do?
• How can you encourage your audience to share and engage with your content?
• What motivates your audience to take part in the conversation?
• What do you want to gain from this campaign?
• How can you measure the success of this campaign?

The answer to these questions can be found in the various ways in which a social platform, like Facebook, allows you to engage with your audience. Consider creating a Facebook group where your target audience can engage with you through discussions. The key takeaway from this step is to make sure that you learn from each interaction. Moreover, find ways to encourage your audience to connect with each other and share content. Doing this can lead to even more engagement and traffic, as people are more likely to share content that is relevant to those with whom they’re already connected. For example, if I were to create a Facebook group for sports cars, I might start by sharing my love for fast cars and inviting my Facebook friends who share my passion to join the group.

5. Personalise the experience

To create a successful viral marketing campaign, you need to ensure that each interaction with your audience is as personal as possible. If you can’t be personal, you’ll lose a lot of luster in your campaign. To achieve this, make sure that the content you share is relevant to individual users, and that the way you interact with them is relevant as well. For instance, if I’m interacting with a user on LinkedIn, I might choose a status update that relates to something she would be interested in. Moreover, if I were to take a poll on my blog, I would make sure that each one is relevant to the person who is taking the survey. In this way, you can ensure that every response is useful and, most importantly, personal.

6. Use analytics tools

To track the success of a campaign, you will need to use analytics tools. These tools can help you pinpoint the exact demographics of your audience and determine the content they are responding to. Moreover, you can use analytics tools to track the success of various campaigns and compare them on a head-to-head basis. For instance, if I were to compare the success of a blog post with that of a Twitter campaign, I could easily do so with the help of analytics tools.

7. Measure ROI

The final step in any marketing campaign is to measure the return on investment. This is, essentially, the total amount of profit or loss from a given marketing activity. When it comes to measuring the ROI of a given campaign, you will need to take several things into consideration. First, you need to make sure that you’re comparing apples to apples; to do this, you will need to look at the whole picture, not just at the final outcome. Moreover, you need to look at whether or not the activity resulted in the desired effect. For example, if I wanted to measure the ROI of my blog, I would need to consider the following metrics:

• The number of people who visited my blog
• The number of people who subscribed to my blog
• The number of people who commented on my blog posts
• The number of people who linked to my blog
• The amount of time it took to get these metrics

The answer to the first question, namely, ‘The number of people who visited my blog’, can be found by using a tool like Google Analytics. To find the answer to the remaining questions, I would turn to my blog’s dashboard. From there, I would click on ‘Reports’ and then ‘Marketing’ to access my Google Analytics report for my blog. In this way, I can easily track my blog’s traffic and the resulting conversions – the number of subscriptions, the amount of time spent on my site, and so on.

Building a successful viral marketing campaign isn’t as difficult as you may think it is. With a little planning and the right tools, it’s possible to go a long way. The important thing is to have fun with it and enjoy the process of growing your business.