The notion that an idea can become contagious, in precisely the same way that a virus does, is at once common-sensical and deeply counter-intuitive. So writes Malcolm Gladwell in his introduction to Seth Godin's revolutionary book Unleashing The Ideavirus.
Thinkers such as Godin and Gladwell have changed the way people think about marketing. Instead of yelling at full volume to get attention, successful businesses, artists and publishers are telling stories that people want to spread.
While advertising agencies work round the clock to create viral campaigns for their clients, the new marketers insist that real glory is reserved for those who build viral into the product, rather than try to add a viral component to the marketing. In other words, viral marketing is not a marketing strategy.
But don't be discouraged if your products don't fit the viral model, because you can still create an excellent word of mouth campaign. Just remember that stories spread only because people want to spread them. So create stuff worth caring about and find the best tools for spreading your content and you're in with a chance.
by Simon Synett
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