Shoestring Marketing

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In what now seems to be ages ago 1998 to be precise the venture capital firm of Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson allegedly coined the term "viral marketing." Today, it's the hottest kid on the marketing block.|ret||ret||tab|

To quote the leading Internet-marketing newsletter, Iconocast, "Viral marketing is synonymous with advocacy marketing, which harnesses the evangelical zeal of customers ... and, it is successful because there are so many customers who are willing to pass along just about any message." |ret||ret||tab|

The beauty of viral marketing is that it costs very little to execute and yet, it can deliver astounding results in a very short period of time. |ret||ret||tab|

In its stripped-down version, viral marketing is nothing more than word-of-mouth advertising that is generally tied to an e-mail message. For example, viral marketers can pass along ads for products and services, hyper-linked promotions, online newsletters, games anything that creates news for, awareness of or e-commerce opportunity for the marketer's product, service or brand. |ret||ret||tab|

It's really a matter of what PC Computing's Taylor & Jerome identify as "one-to-one contagion" infecting your customers who, in turn, "sneeze" on their friends and spread the virus. The bottom line is massive reach and rapid awareness at little cost. In a sense, it's equally as pernicious and as effective as the spread of an influenza virus.|ret||ret||tab|

According to viral marketing consultant, Zhenya Gene Senyak, "Viral marketing usually piggybacks on e-mail. Maybe a survey you're taking has a note down at the bottom offering you the ability to do your own free survey. Or a note from your buddy has a viral link back to a free e-mail service. When you click on the link, you enter the host's site where you can sign up for the free goodies and, in turn, become a carrier of the virus to your friends and associates."|ret||ret||tab|

Examples abound, but the following will illustrate the range and effectiveness of this impressive online marketing tool:|ret||ret||tab|

HotMail had 12 million subscribers in just a year, starting with a budget of less than $500,000. HotMail soared to prominence as a free e-mail service. Every e-mail sent by a HotMail subscriber invites the recipient to sign up for a free worldwide e-mail account.|ret||ret||tab|

Blue Marble created advertising units for Scope mouthwash that allowed consumers to send a customized, animated e-mail "kiss" to their friends. The message reinforced the branding premise that Scope brought people "kissably close." |ret||ret||tab|

ICQ.com tells users when they're friends are online. This leads to real time chat that is much faster than conventional e-mail. If you want to chat with someone who is not a subscriber to ICQ, simply click and give ICQ your friend's e-mail address. An instantaneous link to download ICQ software will then arrive in the friend's e-mail inbox. Today, ICQ has 32 million users worldwide, and yet the company has never spent a dime on marketing.|ret||ret||tab|

Viral marketing has proven itself to be an effective marketing communications weapon. For the small business marketer, it becomes a necessity. But, there are warnings to be heeded with its adoption. |ret||ret||tab|

"Web sites swollen with content, hyperlinks, buttons and banners have become viral factories designed to spew marketing microbes into the Net. A virus succeeds only when it's good enough to be passed along," Senyak said.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Alf Nucifora has spent the last 10 years as a professional speaker. His column, entitled "Shoestring Marketing" is syndicated bi-monthly in more than 50 business publications in the U.S.)[[In-content Ad]]