Viral content is a primary component of Social Media Marketing. Viral is like word of mouth advertising. Viral works by creating an online message that’s entertaining enough to prompt consumers to pass it on to others.
The Coca Cola Facebook fan page is a great example of viral content. The page was originally created, not by Coca Cola employees, but by two regular guys on the West Coast who happened to love Coca Cola. The site grew and grew organically until it became the largest fan page on Facebook.
When Coca Cola found out about it, they decided to keep site going. They brought the guys to Coke World Headquarters and let them make this great video about the experience:
The Coca Cola Facebook page now has over 4 million fans.
Being viral is only half of the job, the marketing bit is the harder part. With Social Media Marketing, you have to create a viral message that motivates people to buy your product.
This is the second in a series of articles on Social Media.
Social Media is the modern day equivalent of the old fashioned telephone party line.
Social Media Marketing = Conversational Marketing
Traditional marketing was one way – outbound. Advertisers fed unsolicited, controlled messages to large groups. Social media marketing is two way — it’s about creating personal conversations with your clients.
As Brian Solis, thought leader in Social Media, said in The Social Media Manifesto:
Monologue has given way to dialog… It is about putting the “public” back in Public Relations
Social Media marketing uses online communities like Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and wikis to connect with the audience.
The goal of Social Media is to build your own community by using your customer base to attract other customers. People buy from those they trust. I may not buy your product because you tell me to buy it but I will consider it if people I trust tell me it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Want to find out more? The clever folks over at Common Craft have a created a video called ‘Social Media in Plain English’. Click on the link below to watch it.
This is the first in a series of articles on Social Media. In the next article, we’ll talk about Using Social Media to Create a Buzz.
