What is going viral? And how easy is it?

'Going viral' is a phrase we hear a lot... but what does it mean? And what does it mean to us? A phrase coined in the 1990s; then it was more associated with viral marketing. It was a well-planned process that could take weeks to get anywhere; although when it did, it was huge. It boosts brands, services, products and even people into the forefront of our online world. Now it is more associated with celebrities videos or actions that get spread globally very quickly... for example Russell Brands interview on BBC Newsnight...

 

Image: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk

This video went viral within 24 hours. Yes, it is two big-named celebrities discussing politics in a way many people have not seen for years. In this instance it went viral because it was controversial. As always controversy and mass exposure seem to go hand in hand; over the past few years we have seen this in different forms - the Gangnam Style video, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the VMA's etc...

So in the world of celebrity it seems simple enough but is the root of this not really down to clever marketing? After all, celebrities are products, each of them is their own brand and they have the potential to make big money if they get the right recognition. They sell tickets, merchandise, magazines and more and if you are in the limelight (for whatever reason) you will sell more. This is how it works... going viral means you will sell more.

It is quite clear how we can use these examples to link going viral to the business world. Actual products and brands getting mass exposure within a short amount of time can be fantastic for sales.

To tie this up to social media, see the picture below.

 

 Image: http://www.facegroup.com

As you can see, in this model, it has two main factors- spike and growth. This is a massive thing and luckily for many people it is free. Now breaking it down again, it really is about putting the right message online, to the right people in the right space. With enough market research and the right people spreading the word you can do this and you can go viral.

It must be remembered that however effortless going viral may seem, there is in fact a formula for it and if you want something recognised you must put in the hard work and research. If you were to use any social networking site to go viral and to push anything you must be marketing it to the correct audience, get people following you who are interested in what you have. It really is applying the basics of marketing and advertising onto the social media model.