Viral Marketing Methods

Everything About Viral Marketing Methods

If you're ready to start making your first viral marketing campaigns, using the right viral marketing method can make a big difference. Case studies have shown that using viral marketing methods can increase the amount of traffic to your website not just by a small amount, but by up to a thousand percent. Sound too good to be true? Well, choosing the right viral marketing method isn't always easy. This guide will give you some quick tips that can start to generate ideas for your next viral marketing move.

Viral Marketing Method #1: Use Humor

Great viral marketing often looks very different from traditional marketing. One viral marketing method that can work for a lot of firms is to use humor. While people don't traditionally associate law firms with being funny, of all viral marketing methods this may be the most likely to get your content in front of more eyes.

Statistics show that jokes and humor pieces are the single most likely type of content to be passed on by internet users—88% of people will sometimes send this kind of content on to someone else. Only about half of internet users will share a news article. Don't be afraid to poke fun at your own law firm, if you decide to use these viral marketing methods. People enjoy self-deprecating humor, and because lawyers can have a reputation of being sticks in the mud, you can change viewers' minds about how lawyers (or, at least, your lawyers) act.

Make sure, though, that self-deprecation used as a viral marketing method never crosses the line into unprofessionalism. Avoid any types of jokes that could be considered offensive, or your viral marketing methods may backfire in a big way. You should also make sure that your humor is actually funny to someone outside the office you work in. If your joke was of the “you had to be there” variety, it doesn't belong in your Twitter feed.

Viral Marketing Method #2: Listen To Your Critics

Sometimes, the best viral marketing opportunities can come about because of mistakes. If you have received criticism or complaints about some aspect of a previous marketing campaign—or even a complaint from someone who used your firm—don't try to cover it up or hide it. Instead, consider using viral marketing methods to show potential future clients that when something goes wrong, you'll know exactly how to make it right.

Consider criticism to be a gift, something that can help your firm become better in the long run and respond more effectively to client needs. If the criticism is unfair, you can address that, but being defensive is a bad viral marketing method and should be avoided at all costs. If you focus on making your mea culpa content that is genuinely interesting on its own, you may find that it creates as much buzz as the content you created through marketing initiatives.

Viral Marketing Method #3: Don't Make Your Own Buzz

It can be tempting to use viral marketing methods in ways that suggest you're getting more traffic than you really are. It's not difficult to make a slew of new Facebook or Twitter accounts to increase the number of followers your firm has, but is it worth it if you get caught? The best viral marketing methods rely on building trust and camaraderie with users, and that trust can be broken in an instant if people find out that you are “astroturfing” by using fake accounts or making fake comments praising your firm.

There's another reason that making your own buzz is a bad viral marketing method, even if you never get caught. Viral marketing methods all depend on real people sharing content. If there are no real people, the content doesn't really get shared. Having more followers or more “likes” is not a substitute for getting conversions, and getting conversions from your viral marketing methods requires you to get an audience of real, socially connected people.

Viral Marketing Method #4: Be True To Yourself

It can often be useful to have several marketing campaigns going on at once, but make sure that your viral marketing methods aren't too much at odds with your traditional marketing. When an internet user made a Youtube video showing that Unilever was simultaneously promoting misogyny in ads for one brand, while promoting women's empowerment with another brand, the internet exploded with harsh critiques. While that's, of course, an extreme example, it illustrates the importance of keeping the messages you send about your company consistent.

Viral Marketing Method #5: Listen to Your Clients

No matter what other viral marketing methods you use, content is always important. Without great content ideas, your law firm won't be able to draw in new clients or attract the kind of buzz you need. If you're running out of ideas for new content, using client ideas can be a great viral marketing method that guarantees you a receptive audience.

When you get a request for new content, or clients seem interested in talking about a particular topic frequently, consider that to be a valuable marketing idea. Commenters on your LinkedIn and Facebook can also have great ideas. If your competitors aren't as fast to respond to requests, be the one who gets there first: your rapid response time can make a difference when clients decide who to call.

Viral Marketing Method #6: Evaluate and Analyze

It's not enough to just guess whether your viral marketing methods worked. For each viral marketing method and campaign you use, you should use analytics tools to determine whether you're seeing real results for your bottom line. If you're not getting what you want out of the viral marketing methods you've been using, you may want to consider using a different viral marketing method or focusing on other aspects of your marketing strategy, like search engine optimization. You may also want to hire viral marketing consultants to help you understand why the results you've been getting have been sub-optimal.