Does this title sound more like a maniacal scheme by a government to infect upper management with a new form of social disease? Well, although such phrases as “viral dissemination” may sound a bit worrisome, they are simply defined as distributing content that is popular and engaging to the relevant people to help increase the exposure of a product or service. Social media managers happen to be the most receptive, and therefore it makes the most sense to grab their attention whenever possible. The “viral” aspect can be attributed to the fact that social media platforms have become one of the widely-used and powerful platforms that companies can employ to effectively reach their target audience. So, it proves wise to understand what content can be considered viral and a few of the best ways to distribute this information to the right social media managers.
What is “Viral”?
The term “viral” came about in the latter part of the 20th century and is defined as any media which attracts a large amount of attention within a short period of time. Most larger advertising agencies will attempt to use viral advertising to “hook” a certain demographic. With the power of social media the reach of viral media has never been greater. A video may be posted and shared that achieves millions of hits within a few days. Similarly, a simple picture or phrase may become the slogan for an entire movement. Indeed, this was seen during the recent Arab Spring uprisings when millions copied and pasted viral videos and pictures which spread like electronic wildfire across the web. So, simply stated, a “viral” piece of media tends to be catchy, memorable, amusing and sometimes even shocking. Either way, it will draw an audience’s attention and will spread mainly through public forums and social media platforms. A more comprehensive definition of “viral” can be found here.
The Unparallelled Reach of Social Media
Although many of us many not realise it, the word “viral” had little place in our modern lexicon before the rise of social media networks. As a viral piece of media is one which can be shared an indefinite amount of times, social media sites have provided the fuel for such exposure. Reputable news sources have indeed picked up on this phenomenon, such as seen on this site. What is even of greater benefit to a company is that social media relates to little or no financial outlay, thus advertising expenses can be drastically reduced or even eliminated altogether. All that is needed is a witty statement, a catchy video or a picture that captures the immediate, albeit perhaps short-lived attention of an audience. Social media provides the perfect framework for such a spread.
It is Called the Web for Good Reason
Let us not forget that astute social media managers are keenly aware that although social media is extremely important in a marketing campaign, a large part of the viral nature of certain content relies on the fact that this information is linked to numerous other media sites, blog repositories and standalone homepages. Thus, while social media managers may view social platforms as the “hub” of a marketing campaign, they also recognise the power that the web can provide to link media to other locations; therefore increasing the likelihood of it going viral, as stated here.
It is obvious that the main point of initiating a viral campaign is to get the attention of social media managers who are aware of the potency it can provide. Therefore, a properly implemented social media plan needs a few things to produce viable results:
- A catchy theme that is easily recognised and can be replicated
- Exposure across multiple social platforms
- Links to a homepage or other “hub”
By following these guidelines, what may one day be an interesting topic for a few individuals may soon spread like wildfire; becoming the next million-hit internet wonder. As intuitive social media managers grow in numbers, they will be further drawn to such strategies and the company that appreciates such exposure may very well find itself on the crest of the next great wave of success on the internet.