So, what's this viral thing all about then? Although swine flu might spring to mind, it's not an illness. In marketing terms a viral campaign is a campaign which spreads your commercial message around your target audience, allowing you to reach more of your target audience for less investment.

A successful viral campaign costs little in comparison to the returns and is easy to execute because consumers actually do the selling through implied endorsement. Think electronic word of mouth!

 What types of creative can be viral?

Anything can be viral, from a paper voucher to an elaborate online game. All advertising aspires to being viral but until the internet, viral could not happen on the scale and with the speed it can today. The internet was built to allow interesting content to be passed among users and a viral campaign capitalises on this.

Viral games can be addictive and tend to be forwarded as a challenge to friends, family and colleagues.

Used throughout the noughties, games such as P&G's old-style space game introduce Vicks First Defence, proved popular and successful.

A more recent viral, targeted at engineers, for the Institution of Engineering and Technology , 'Cogitate' has been played by 1.2 million players in more than 128 countries worldwide.

With a click-through-rate of more than 12% and still gaining more than 1000 daily plays one year after launch, the positive impact for brand on awareness has been enormous.

 So why do it?

 A good viral campaign can create word-of-mouth recommendation which, literally, cannot be bought.

Unlike some web promotions it is the potential customer who initiates the engagement, so the experience (and message) is likely to be viewed more positively. Additionally a viral campaign;

· Increases traffic to your webpages at a fraction of  the investment of a    traditional advertising campaign

 · Stimulates awareness 

· Helps you build a relationship with your customers (old and new)

 · Exponential growth in exposure for your message

· Provides valuable email addresses and e-commerce sales opportunities

 · Reach members of your target market which may have been unattainable through other channels.

  · Gives easily measured results, establishing an accurate return on investment figure

If you embark on a viral you may never look back as, combined with other appropriate marketing channels, virals can wield an enormous power.

Let us know here at the thebestofbishopsstortford how your business has got on with your virals and look out for details of our own viral campaign in one of our next blog posts. Contact Ian on 01279216379 or email him at bishopsstortford@thebestof.co.uk