I’ve seen many successful viral content marketing strategies for product launches over the years, whether it be a cool new invention, a funny product, or a new service offered. They have all generated a huge amount of exposure around the world from some form of viral marketing.
Today, I am going to share what I believe are the best methods to apply in order to have the best chance possible of “going viral” on the internet in this day and age.
But, first, let’s establish what “going viral” actually means…
Well, in a nutshell, viral content marketing (also referred to as viral advertising) is the way in which potential customers rapidly spread the message of a product or service via social networks, just like how an actual virus might spread from person to person.
When done successfully, it can be the kind of growth-hacking promotional strategy that every start-up or business owner dreams of for their product launch.
First and foremost, I 100% recommend that you look into a crowdfunding campaign service. Why? Well because they can actually help with most of the other strategies I cover below.
They will help you to actually get your branding, story, and content structured in a way that will give you the best possible chance right off the bat. This is especially important when it comes to the way in which your product video is designed.
A crowdfunding campaign manager already knows all the ingredients required to make your product launch “viral worthy” in the first place. Additionally, they will also have relationships with all the media and influencers that you want to be talking to in order to get the word out about your product or service.
So if you are looking to create a “buzz” around your product launch, then you should definitely consider working with a reputable crowdfunding campaign company that has proven results.
My company, Awesome Stuff 365, has featured many Kickstarter & Indiegogo product videos on our Facebook page that have gone on to have millions of views. Facebook still favors video content, and there are many pages out there similar to mine that will happily upload your video content.
Some might ask for a fee to post the videos, while others just need content to keep their fans engaged and will happily upload the video to their page as long as its good and engaging.
Simply make sure to make it as easy as possible for them—a quick email to the company, a message to the Facebook page telling them that they can post the video, and a link to the video so they can download it, preferably. Most companies prefer to be able to edit the video slightly, at least to add their logo to it.
If they want to be paid for the video promotion then they will doutlessly get back to you and let you know. If they don't reply at all and you are willing to pay for the exposure, then I suggest re-submitting your request but outline that you are willing to pay for it.
YouTube is a beast! It attracts over 1.9 billion logged in users a month. Also, 96% of american users aged 18-to-24 use YouTube, and half of all American Internet users aged 75 and over use YouTube also. Additionally, it is available in 80 languages around the world!
So, it’s probably safe to say that your target audience is lurking around the platform on a daily basis, That being said, how do you find a big YouTube influencer to help you promote your product launch?
This might seem a bit obvious at first, but that’s because its the best place to start—simply do a Google search for terms such as “YouTube influencers” and there will no doubt be dozens of articles where bloggers have extensively covered this topic and link directly to the influencers themselves. You can also try search terms such as as your niche + “YouTube influencer;” for example, you might search for something like “camping YouTube influencers.” You can also search the platform itself.
Once you find your potential influencers, you will need to perform your outreach by sending them a well-crafted e-mail outlining what you are looking for and asking what is required to make it happen!
As of the time of writing (June 2019), Reddit commands an impressive 542 million monthly visitors, making it the 6th most visited website in the USA and 21st in the world! Again, it’s safe to say that, with the right approach, you could definitely get a bit of viral content exposure here.
In case you have been living under a rock for the last few years and have never heard of Reddit, well, Reddit is basically a huge collection of forums known as subreddits that allow people to share content and comment on other people’s content. This content can be up-voted, which (with enough votes) allows it to become viral by eventually ending up on the front page of the subreddit page.
The best way to get something featured on Reddit is by finding Reddit influencers or “power users” (users with huge amounts of karma). Reddit karma is what shows next to your profile and it is accumulated when your posts & comments are upvoted.
Once you find this type of user, then you simply want to reach out to them and pitch them your campaign.
I purposely left this strategy ’til last because it involves a controversial style of risky and out-of-the-box thinking. Additionally, when not done successfully, this type of strategy could actually damage your brand and online reputation management forever.
Therefore, this is not a recommendation—just an example of an actually really successful marketing strategy that i recently witnessed.
So, what is it? Well, it’s the manner in which someone goes about creating viral exposure with a very shocking and controversial stunt.
Here’s a perfect example: The Youtuber known as Vitalyzdtv has streaked—yes, I said “streaked”—at multiple events such as NBA playoffs, champion leagues, and World Cups!
Because of this, he has been banned from every stadium throughout the world—but has that stopped him from getting more viral exposure? Well, it seems not!
You see, Vitaly recently launched a brand new website and needed to promote it—so, what does he do? Well, he dressed his good-looking blonde girlfriend in a one-piece with his branding on it and got her to streak the champions league final which just so happens to be the 2nd most watched game worldwide!
The result? The equivalent of about $4 million worth of advertising spend in impressions and shares within about 2 hours of it happening!
Her Instagram account also gained an additional 500K followers within the first hour! Crazy stuff, right? Not bad for the measly €10k fine they will no doubt have to pay for breaking the law!
Which, of course, is why I do not recommend this at all—I just wanted to share an example of a shocking and controversial marketing strategy.
In summary, if I were trying to create a viral marketing strategy for a crowdfunding campaign, then I would definitely start by finding a crowdfunding campaign service and hiring them to help you apply the other strategies mentioned above.
P. S. If you are considering something “creative,” then just make sure it’s legal and preferably not streaking a football field. :)
Shane Paarman is a digital marketing entrepreneur and founder of Awesome Stuff 365, a popular web magazine featuring cool, creative, and unique things.
