Viral | Habefast
Viral definition
Viral reveals the idea of contagion since it can indeed be defined as “a source of contagion” according to Giraudoux.
It is used today in the marketing and communication sector because it evokes a kind of virtual word of mouth that is often sought after when developing a strategy. It allows to gain visibility because when a campaign is viral it means that it is shared to a large audience by many people.
The objectives of viral marketing
There are multiple objectives. The primary objectives of a viral marketing, the ones we think of first, must allow a brand to gain visibility and quickly. But it can also be used for commercial purposes to strengthen interactions with the brand: increased click-through rate, increased traffic on the website, purchases or orders made…
If viral marketing has some advantages it can bring some challenges that should be known before implementing it.
To learn more about this practice discover our article on communication and viral marketing viral marketing.
Advantages of viral marketing
One of the main advantages of viral marketing is the buzz, which brings a strong visibility and potentially a strong interaction with the company or the brand. But in addition to that, the costs are relatively low because the return on investment is very important, and the speed is very fast. Between shares, comments, reposting, a campaign that goes viral goes viral fast.
Limitations of viral marketing
However, it can be difficult to evaluate a viral marketing campaign or even to keep control of it because the message can be modified or diverted by consumers. Speaking of consumers, some experts talk about a potential weariness among consumers who become less and less receptive and reactive, which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of this concept. There is also the risk of excessive success, which then causes harm to the brand, unable to react in the right proportions.
