According to marketing mavens Dan Heath and Chip Heath it can be. Check out their “Made to Stick” section of the May 2009 Fast Company.
Viral marketing is kind of a 76-pound gor…err…800-pound gorilla that, as marketers, we’re supposed to be able to implement with a simple snap of our fingers.
As we all know, it’s not that easy. But it appears it can be easier than often perceived. Or at least if you follow three simple guidelines it can be.
First, make sure your initiative connects emotionally. People share emotional experiences. This is a proven fact (again, see article linked above). Why? Because things that evoke an emotional response are things that we feel strongly about. They either bring a smile, a laugh or even a tear. Not for me – because I’m not sensitive. But I can’t help that. I watched a lot of John Wayne movies growing up. Anyway, you catch my drift.
Second. Does your piece have a public service component? By sharing with friends, does your viewer/audience feel as if they are making a difference in someone’s day? Think of the mass emails you pass along to friends and families. Why do you do it? Likely because it created an emotional response for you (aforementioned paragraph) and you want to do the same for someone else.
And third. Is there a trigger? Does something in your message trigger people to think about your brand or category? A trigger is essentially an environmental cue to talk about an idea (in this case, a brand). Does your message urge people to visit your website or buy your product? Often, this is best done subtly. But, that can prove to be quite tricky.
Want to take a stab at viral marketing? Great. Send this post to all of your friends!
Jon
Recently, while perusing the world wide interwebs, I came across this interesting read, linked from the Behr Strategies site. If you’re unfamiliar with this company, check out their stuff. Truly one of the sharpest strategy groups around.
Not for profit fundraising: the Obama lesson
It’s a very tough time for not-for-profits here in St. Louis and everywhere. Due to the uncertaintly of the economy and stocks at their lowest rates in decades, companies and wealthy individuals have pulled back on their support of the organizations that do the most for their communities. That is not a good thing. These groups do good work for people in need and the betterment of society. They tend to work with slim budgets and have many people working for much less than they could earn in a for-profit entity. So budget cuts mean staffing cuts, and program and services cuts.
In my experience, most development executives at these not-for-profits focus most of their time on those individuals and organizations the give the most. Remember that 80/20 rule? Well in these uncertain times, it may make sense to reverse those figures for the next twelve months of so. Go after the 80% that historically gives 20%. Its time to try to get a small amount from many vs much from few.
Look at what Obama accomplished in his run for President. It was the most successful fundraising campaign in history. And the kicker is that a huge percentage (I don’t recall the exact percent) was from donations of less than $1,000 and many of those at less that $100. He accomplished much of this by using internet strategies focused on social networking and providing tools and guidance to many organizers spread throughout the country.
I think it boils down to this. Someone that my have give an annual check for $25,000 that has their assets tied up in investments can probably only give a fraction of that until the market and economy recovers. However, someone that gave nothing or maybe $25 as part of their annual membership fee, may very likely give another $25 if they were told how much it was needed and asked. If your own budget is tight and a relative or friend asked you to give them $5,000 you would likely say no. But if you knew they really needed it and they asked you if you could give $50 you probably would. There is much less sacrifice there and you feel good about helping out.
I’m not saying to give up on the big doners but am saying that with today’s communication technology it is feasible to reach thousands very easy. Those that embrace this philosophy and make a concerted effort to set up programs to reach new members and small donors will find a new revenue stream that helps them get buy in tough times and really thrive when the economy recovers and those big donations start coming in again.
Check out the feature story in this months issue of Fast Company and learn how Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, helped Obama do it.
Be sure to check out Mike’s Big Picture Blog for more.