Online promotions have the potential to generate high returns on investment. However, the attributes that make online promotion attractive are subject to a code of Internet etiquette that has developed over the years, springing forth from the personal connections established between younger consumers that have grown up using computers. These rules must be followed if any promotional campaign online is to be successful and go viral.
The good news is that if you know the rules, a world of opportunities can open up for your business. Here are some tips for businesses interested in conducting promotions that can go viral online and in creating a cost-effective marketing campaign.
1. Learn Your Internet Memes.
An internet meme is any concept that spreads over the Internet. The concept may be a picture, a tweet with hashtag and attached hyperlinks to a video or something as simple as a word or popularized phrase. Putting your finger on the pulse of the online environment means learning what is popular with the taste makers of the Internet. The Internet meme is the sound bite that everyone listens to. If you can create an Internet meme with your online promotion, you will go viral faster than using any other method.
Creating a successful meme is much more difficult than it sounds, but the process of transforming your meme into a viral event is actually easy. You must know what is popular with audiences and simply build off of those trends. For instance, if you had created ads using pictures of cats with funny captions five years ago, you could easily go viral again.
2. No One likes to be Hard-Sold Online.
The easiest way to stop an online marketing campaign from going viral is to directly state that you are trying to sell something. Although online customers are typically looking for quick solutions and have very short attention spans, they are much more likely to pass your message along if your promotion includes humor.
The way to obtain new customers is not to hard-sell them; rather, Internet etiquette demands that you access new customers by breaking into their social circles through initially befriending the leaders of those circles. These leaders will then introduce you to the rest of the group as an accepted friend. From this point, you can continue the ongoing conversation and they will prove to be much more open to solicitation.
3. Do Not Fear Contests and Sweepstakes.
If you are trying to break into new social circles, one of the best techniques is to hold a targeted contest or sweepstakes. Make sure that such campaigns are targeted toward those customers that are most likely to buy your product. A promotion can easily go viral if it is well-targeted.
In actuality, one of the worst things to do if you want a promotion to go viral is to attempt to force it into a broader audience. People will see right through this sort of marketing and will stop your would-be meme in its tracks. Making sure that your audience is targeted will afford you a much better chance of going viral with your promotion.
For better, deeper insight into the world of online promotions and sweepstakes, contact the experts at Marden-Kane today.
[Image via LinchPin SEO]