I’ve got a viral sickness. This is unrelated to my recent stays in the hospital; I’m talking Viral Marketing.
I love– no, L-O-V-E– viral marketing. A bunch. I don’t pretend to be a total expert on it, or anything (ok, well maybe a little), but I know what I like and I love the awesome effectiveness of virals.
Here’s the thing that got my head a-jumpin’ today; I was visiting my buddy Paul McEnany’s blog and saw the latest viral music video for the new song Pork and Beans, by Weezer. Aside from being an awesome video from one of my favorite bands, it was also a wonderful spoof/ homage of all the recently popular “viral videos” that have popped up on YouTube, Google and MySpace over the past few years and worked their ways into our lives (or at least our email inboxes).
The fact that Weezer (or at least the folks who produced the video for them) embraced this idea is incredible, but it shows just how “mainstream” the potential effectiveness of viral videos can be. Heck- if a monolith like a record company can embrace such a concept, there might be hope for the rest of the planet.
Like blogs were a few years ago, viral videos represent a great leveling of the playing field. You don’t have to have a slick, polished production like the Weezer video to be effective- you just gotta try (and being really funny helps sometimes). Small and large companies can benefit from generating viral videos that appeal to their target audiences. But here’s the rub- and what Weezer’s video producers were savvy about; you have to know your audience and what they like or find entertaining/ interesting. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? It’s the same stuff we’ve all been preaching about blogging over the years. Easier said than done, I know. BUT– learning about your audience is very easy if you just participate in their worlds and simply– get this– ask some questions or answer a few from other folks. That’s it. It’s as “easy” as that.
Knowing communities and how they work, think, play, interact will always help you when you are trying to reach them. Just ask Mack Collier- the King of Community- and he’ll tell you; “it’s the community, stupid!”
So let’s all get a little sick with the fun and potential of all things Viral (just don’t follow me into the hospital doing it).
One of the challenges is that when it comes to the business side of things, we all get so serious. But as you point out, viral = fun. Try selling fun to a suit (especially if you are wearing one).
Gavin- Good point… BUT… (and you knew I was gonna say “but”) selling the fun to the suits can be done- Weezer or their video producer sold the idea to their record label (though admittedly they are often less “suity” than other suits.
Smart companies are slowly waking up to the reality that a simple viral marketing campaign (whether video or other) can be amazingly effective at a fraction of the cost of traditional campaigns.
I have only begun to play with low budget video myself- using my digital camera and a webcam- but it is something I am planning to spend much more time researching. I’m just selling bicycles, so “fun” is a key word.
So we’ll just see what happens- you KNOW I’ll be sharing my experiences along the way.
I don’t know why there aren’t more marketers that take the approach that Weezer has to viral. Why not jump on a train that has already left the station?
Nike did the same thing a while back with Ok Go’s treadmill viral and a Nike+ workout.
I blogged about this idea here: http://freshpeel.com/2008/05/weezer-viral-attachment/
Chris- Amen brother.
I don’t see embracing the community and providing them with content they have already shown they like/ want as being pandering or even co-opting something away. If done right- and by right, I mean working with/ sharing- it is a simple acknowledgment that you are watching, listening and learning about your community/ audience. How can that be bad?
Thanks also for the link!
Couple of things that I think keep most companies from creating videos that go viral:
1 – They want to create a ‘viral video’, instead of creating a video that may go viral.
2 – They want their MARKETING MESSAGE to be the focus of the viral video.
Look at Dove’s Evolution video that went viral. One of the most successful examples of a company-created viral video in recent history. But notice that the video didn’t promote Dove, it promoted a message. A message that resonated with a large audience.
Tim is exactly right in that companies have to understand why videos go viral. It’s because we find some VALUE in them. It could be that they are funny, it could be that they are informative, or it could be that they are heart-breaking. But they contain a message that resonates with us, and prompts us to want to share the video with others.
Companies can still create videos that go viral, but they have to follow OUR ‘rules of the road’, not their’s. I believe that’s the lesson that Tim is trying to get across here, and it’s one that companies would be well-served to heed.
Mack- Bingo! You did nail it. Companies have to understand the needs/ wants/ desires of their audiences. You can create something that will like by learning what it is they like.
You are also right about the point that companies have to create videos that will hopefully go viral, rather than creating something that they are “sure” WILL go viral. The COMMUNITY decides if it does… that is the distinction and if you’ve done your homework learning about the audience, there is a good chance your video (or other vehicle) can succeed.
Thanks all for the conversation.
I still have mixed feelings on how to properly implement a viral marketing campaign online. When dealing with B2B I *think* it’s pretty much impossible to expect a video to bring in customers though it still could possibly help with SEO? Of course when you’re dealing with B2C fun videos on YouTube can be an excellent way to bring in traffic and get known.
Nathan Lands
http://www.hiyaya.com