Viral marketing: the recipe to spread your brand like wildfire

In this article, we break down the mechanisms behind this formidable strategy and share tips on how to effectively integrate marketing intoyour communication.

What is viral marketing?

Viral marketing is based on a simple but frighteningly effective strategy: create content that is so engagingthat users feel pressured to share it massively.

Whether it’s a video, an image, a meme, or even a contest, the goal is to elicit such a strong emotional reaction that users become your spontaneous ambassadors.

The idea is that, like a forest fire, a small spark quickly turns into a large-scale phenomenon, capable of captivating a large audience through different digital channels.

Why bet on viral marketing?

1. For its impressive reach

Viral marketing allows you to multiply the reach of your content without blowing your communication budget.

Indeed, unlike traditional ads, virality is based on the organic sharing of users. This allows a brand to reach a much wider audience, while keeping costs down.

Virality can turn small-scale content into a surging wave, generating thousands or even millions of views, without a huge advertising investment.

2. For enhanced credibility

When your customers spontaneously share your message, your brand gains authenticity.

A viral message is perceived as more authentic because it comes from the users themselves, not from a traditional marketing campaign.

This type of recommendation is all the more powerful because it is more difficult to elicit such a reaction from the audience without a real emotional impact.

3. For a rapid increase in your notoriety

A well-thought-out viral campaign propels a company into the digital spotlight in record time.

Thanks to digital word-of-mouth and the multiplier effect of shares, a viral campaign propels your brand to the top in a few days.

Brands that succeed in their viral campaigns see impressive increases in awareness and visibility, boosting their brand image exponentially.

How to create an effective viral marketing campaign?

1st ^{point: know your audience}

Before you even think about creating content, it’s essential to understand your audience’s motivations.

• What touches them deeply?
• What are their interests?
• What types of content arouse emotion, engagement, or even amusement in them?

A good viral campaign starts with a thorough knowledge of your audience.

By meeting precisely these expectations and creating content that speaks directly to your target audience, you maximize the chances of your campaign going viral.

2nd ^{point: play on emotion}

Emotion is the main driver of viral marketing.

Content that arouses strong emotions (laughter, surprise, anger, sadness, etc.) is more likely to spread widely.

Emotion is one of the key elements that drives people to share content with their friends, family, and followers.

Example of “emotional” viral marketing

Dove’s emotional natural beauty campaign has reached millions of people around the world, as it addressed a sensitive topic in an authentic and emotional way, creating a true connection with its audience.

3rd ^{point: create easily shareable content}

Another key criterion for a campaign to go viral is how easy it is to share.

It’s important to adapt your content to the specific formats of different social platforms.

Like what:

• Short videos for TikTok or Instagram,
• Impactful infographics for LinkedIn,
• Humorous memes for Twitter.

By choosing a format adapted to each social network, you promote the virality of your content, by facilitating its sharing and dissemination to your target audience.

4th ^{point: surprise and innovate}

Originality is a major asset to capture the attention of Internet users. The content should be unique and think outside the box.

People are constantly exposed to similar content, and for your campaign to stand out, it needs to surprise.

Example of innovative viral marketing

The Old Spice campaign captivated audiences with its absurd tone and personalized responses to internet users, resulting in a high spread of content and high visibility.

5th ^{point: encourage sharing}

Another method to increase the chances of virality is to directly incentivize users to share the content.

Use clear and direct calls to action like:

• “Share this video if you agree!”,
• or “Tag a friend who must see this!”.

These messages motivate users to share your content in turn and make it a chain of exponential shares.

6th ^{point: collaborate with influencers}

Influencers play a key role in spreading viral campaigns.

Their large audience and credibility with their subscribers help give your campaign a boost.

A collaboration with an influential YouTuber or Instagrammer turns a simple campaign into a global phenomenon. Influencers are ideal relays to amplify the dissemination of your content and accelerate the virality process.

Mistakes to avoid

Copy without personalizing

It can be tempting to take up an idea that has proven successful elsewhere, but it can backfire.

Internet users quickly perceive the lack of authenticity, and a viral campaign copy will not generate the same enthusiasm.

It’s crucial to personalize your campaign to your brand and audience to be seen as authentic.

Neglecting the quality of the content

Viral marketing doesn’t mean creating low-quality content. On the contrary, quality must remain a priority.

Poorly produced content will damage your brand’s image and fail to achieve its goal. It is therefore essential to invest in professional-quality productions, even in a viral campaign.

Not having a crisis management plan

A viral campaign can very quickly get out of hand if it is not controlled. Negative feedback will spread just as quickly as positive feedback.

It is therefore important to anticipate risks and prepare an appropriate response in the event of a crisis.

Good crisis management will prevent the situation from becoming a burden for the brand.

Inspiring examples of viral marketing

• Ice Bucket Challenge (2014): a simple video, a noble cause, and a fun challenge. Millions of people have participated in this initiative, turning a simple gesture into a global phenomenon.
• Red Bull Stratos (2012): Felix Baumgartner’s stratospheric leap captivated the world, boosting Red Bull’s notoriety in a fraction of a second.
• The Always #LikeAGirl campaign : By redefining an often pejorative expression, Always has created a real societal discussion and has largely contributed to the evolution of the brand’s image.

Is viral marketing for VSEs and SMEs possible?

Absolutely! You don’t need a colossal budget to succeed in a viral campaign.

Several small strategies can offer the possibility for a VSE or SME to get into viral marketing:

• use humour to engage your audience,
• launch competitions on social networks,
• use micro-influencers,
• Mixing storytelling and authentic content.

To conclude on viral marketing

Viral marketing is a powerful strategy that turns a small idea into a global phenomenon.

With creativity, a good knowledge of your audience and the right emotion management, you can make your content a real viral success. Why wait to test viral marketing? Your content could be the one that makes the buzz tomorrow!