What is viral marketing

Viral marketing is a marketing strategy that relies on individuals to spread a marketing message rapidly through their networks, typically via social media, email, or word-of-mouth. The term "viral" refers to the idea that the message spreads like a virus, quickly and exponentially.

Key characteristics of viral marketing include:

1. Highly Shareable Content: Viral marketing campaigns often involve creating content that is entertaining, informative, or emotionally resonant, encouraging people to share it with others.
2. Utilization of Existing Networks: Rather than relying solely on paid advertising channels, viral marketing leverages existing social networks and communities to spread the message organically.
3. Rapid Spread: The goal of viral marketing is for the message to spread rapidly and widely, reaching a large audience in a short period.
4. Minimal Cost: Viral marketing campaigns can often achieve widespread exposure at a relatively low cost compared to traditional advertising methods, although creating compelling content still requires investment in terms of creativity and production.
5. Word-of-Mouth Amplification: Viral marketing relies heavily on word-of-mouth promotion. When people share content with their friends, family, or colleagues, it increases the reach and credibility of the message.

Successful viral marketing campaigns often tap into emotions, humor, or current trends to capture people's attention and encourage them to share the content with others. However, creating viral content is inherently unpredictable, and not all attempts at viral marketing succeed.