While viruses have been here since time immemorial, the concept of viral marketing would probably not be conceived if not for the prevalence of Internet marketing.  What is viral marketing and how do companies benefit from this strategy?

First, let’s study how viruses behave.  Although viral marketing has nothing to do with propagating life-threatening viruses, this marketing style is inspired by the same behavior of viruses – they explode rapidly in exponential numbers over a span of time.  Viral marketing is a strategy in which individuals are encouraged to pass along a marketing message to their networks, thereby creating a rippling effect and the possibility of exponential growth in its influence and exposure.

No other media is able to create a similar effect of viral marketing than the Internet mainly because of the swiftness of how any message is passed along.  Under no exception are marketing messages that come as free, cheap, or inexpensive which are easily conveyed either by emails, free products or services, and other forms that take advantage of pre-existing networks of communication.  Unlike sponsorship when companies have to provide resources in exchange of media exposure, viral marketing can take advantage of the resources of others with only a tiny amount of investment.

Viral marketing is actually a potent strategy that works well in the Internet, where a marketing message can easily and quickly grow from small to very big without spending as much for advertising purposes.

One good example is the Hotmail.com free emails (the first to provide free email services on the Web).  When people signed up for free e-mails, there were also instructions telling people to email their own circle of friends and colleagues who also signed up for free email services and who told the message to their own networks.  And that’s how viral marketing initially works.

Encourage Words-of-mouth
Viral marketing propagates a message by word of mouth, referrals, creating a frenzy, or network marketing.  This strategy not only works on the Internet, though.  If you want your business to be renowned using as least resources as possible, then you should give viral marketing a try. 

Have you ever rewarded or gave incentive to a customer for referring your business to others?  If not, then it’s probably time you do and watch how it can help your business exposure grow inexpensively and exponentially.  Another way to encourage is to find the most common human motivation and then constantly feeding that.

Choose a Medium
Another element of viral marketing is to ensure that the medium used can easily spread the message to others.  In the virtual realm, it can mean websites, free software download, graphic, and e-mails.  In the real world, you can encourage words of mouth to spread like wildfire by giving out referrals and rewards. 

Grows Easily From Small to Very Large
You can consider the success of viral marketing when the message you sent out has rapidly spread.  In that case, you should plan ahead of what to do in the event that customers start flooding the Nile.  You can’t die down just when the virus has exploded.  A business has to benefit from the spread of news about the business rather than die because of it cannot sustain the growth.

Make Use of Existing Networks
Even the most aloof person has 8-12 people by their sides, according to social scientists.  And, depending on a person’s status in society, the outer network can be composed of hundreds or even thousands of people.  Utilizing these existing communication networks is to the biggest advantage of the exposure of your business.

Many of the business successes on the Internet are the results of viral marketing.  This strategy has long term benefits, so give it a try and see how it will work for you.