Viral marketing is it the future or just irritating? (versie 2)
By Roderick Verplanken, October 16, 2007
“Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com” is a classic example of viral marketing. When a Hotmail-user sends a e-mail, the receiver gets under at the message the Hotmail-text. When the e-mail is sent again, it spread out the message as a virus. On this manner Hotmail has become big on a very fast way and Hotmail got a lot off fame.
What is viral marketing?Viral marketing wants to increase the reputation of a particular brand or the feeling that someone gets off the brand. Viral marketing communicate on the same manner as a virus. Someone communicates the message trough the Internet, sms or e-mail and everybody who receives the message could also become the sender. Viral marketing is also named word of mouth marketing, because it is a new variant on the old-fashioned word of mouth advertising. A good example of viral marketing is Hotmail.
Advantages viral marketing
- Viral marketing is fast. The message spreads very fast and you can adapt the message quickly.
- Viral marketing is cheap. On a cheap manner, you are able to reach a lot off people. In the case of e-mail, you can automatically put a standard text under every outbound e-mail.
- Viral marketing closes well with specific target groups as younger persons, they are difficult to reach trough the traditional media.
- In a short time a large target group can be reached.
Disadvantages viral marketing
- Some people do not appreciate to receive movies and other expressions. It’s possible that this gives a negative vibe on the brand.
- Viral marketing is difficult to stop. Unknown people for the business send on the message.
- The planning of a viral campaign is difficult and requires specific skills. What was successful in the past does not generally be a success in the present.
- If it by the look at of the viral quite fast becomes clear that it is a commercial campaign, the viral has less chance to become successful.
Is it the future or just irritating?
Viral marketing is becoming bigger and bigger. It becomes more accepted, because one has been familiarised with this form of marketing. At the other side, a lot off people find viral marketing irritating, because it’s everywhere they look. It’s in every e-mail and sms nowadays. I think it’s definitely the future for the businesses if you look at the advantages. It’s fast, cheap and easy. But they have to watch out, because a lot of people are all ready think it’s very irritating. The businesses have to find the right balance between too much viral marketing and just enough.
Words: 438
sources
The ClickZ Network. Sandeep Krishnamurthy Is Viral Marketing All It’s Cracked up to Be? http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=823941
The ClickZ Network. Blake Rohrbacher The Power of Viral Marketing http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=821371
The ClickZ Network. Kim Brooks Viral Marketing: Pitfall or Windfall? http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=821371
Article written by: Roderick Verplanken
Comment: Daan Vrijsen
Rate the article by giving a 1, 2 or 3 for each question.
1. is the topic interesting 1
2. is the title original and appropriate 2
3. is the introduction complete? 1
4. is the body of the article complete? 1
5. is the conclusion well-developed? 1
6. is the article well-organized overall? 1
7. is the article easy to read? 2
8. is the article interesting to read? 1
9. has the writer plagiarized material? 3
Do you feel that the writer has improved the article/advertorial? Why or why not? Be specific.
- Yes, because improve the two things the writer should improve from the first review.
Has the writer changed the article/advertorial adequately according to your suggestions for improvement of your first assesment? Describe the changes and state specifically whether you think they are an improvement.
- The introduction might be a bit long comparing to the whole article.
Roderick makes the introduction a bit shorter.
- The “Hotmail-text” is that an advertisement?
Yes it is!!
Are you happy to have this article/advertorial on your weblog? Why or why not? Be specific.
- Yes, because it’s a interesting topic and it’s been written well.