As marketers have gained experience with viral campaigns over the last number of years and have measured the results to see what works and what doesn’t, there have been a few subtle changes to viral campaigns that have improved their effectiveness. Viral campaigns today of the “Tell a friend” variety all are associated with something specific. We know that “Tell a friend about this site” is nowhere as effective as having the viral element tied in with something specific: “Tell a friend about this product” or “Tell a friend about this special.” Providing an incentive increases the uptake on viral marketing. “Tell a friend about our special and receive a ballot in our contest” or “Tell three friends about our golf package to be included in a drawing for this golf bag” will see a higher uptake than a viral marketing promotion with no incentive.
All successful viral campaigns are personalized. The recipient’s first name is incorporated throughout the e-mail—in the subject line, in the salutation, and throughout the body. The sender’s name is also incorporated into the message as well, to reinforce the recommendation from a trusted source. The more innovative and interesting, the higher the uptake. On April Fool’s Day Workopolis offered all MSN.ca Web site visitors the opportunity to send a fake press release to their friends. There were a number of templates provided to choose from—things like announcements of the sender’s new job as CEO, TV news anchor, or supermodel. The viral campaign was a resounding success, far exceeding Workopolis’s expectations.
