In the past, viral marketing has had a negative connotation in the eyes of many. In part, due to the name, this division of marketing has been frowned upon, for its inexpensive and overexposed content spreading across the Internet like a virus. But in today, where many are spending more and more time online, it would seem as if viral marketing would be one of the first steps in any advertising campaign. With word of mouse becoming the new word of mouth marketing, consumers are using these viral techniques as teasers or buzz to find out more about the product or service being represented.

While viral marketing is nothing new, the overwhelming growth of Hotmail and the linking of their site in every email sent from the email provider being cited by many as an early example, it is more prominent now than ever. With the social networking boom that has exploded in recent years, viral marketing is a great way to view and pass along information. Through programs like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, it is as easy as a mouse click to spread these messages to groups of people at a time, and watching them infect the public instantaneously.

Although there are many reasons for starting a viral marketing campaign, four styles stand out from the rest. Entertainment based viral ads are in the forefront. Sending videos to friends is easy, and especially in the workplace, those videos that entertain are the easiest and most enjoyable to spread virally. Incentive based campaigns are also very popular. Customers like getting things for free, or discounted, so those viral ads that give something to the customer are very well received. Cause campaigns reach consumers on an emotional level. Whether they contain a story about someone's misfortunes or a video that informs the viewer on something going wrong in the world, viewers are more likely to spread these because of their emotional connection. The last of the major forms of viral marketing are controversial ones. Controversy has always been away to attract followers, so it's no surprise that controversial viral ads are among the most spread.

The only downside to viral marketing is that it is a hit or miss type of advertising. It takes one million hits to be considered a success by most, which makes it difficult for a seemingly successful video, say one with 600,000 views, to be deemed as a successful campaign.

Some tips on how to create a successful viral video provided by Advertising Age include placing your video on a site targeted for the audience you are wanting and not just any video-sharing site, sticking to a handful of site rather than every site imaginable, and leaving room in the ads for interpretation. Following these tips should help in creating a well-received and "most watched" video.In the past, viral marketing has had a negative connotation in the eyes of many. In part, due to the name, this division of marketing has been frowned upon, for its inexpensive and overexposed content spreading across the Internet like a virus. But in today, where many are spending more and more time online, it would seem as if viral marketing would be one of the first steps in any advertising campaign. With word of mouse becoming the new word of mouth marketing, consumers are using these viral techniques as teasers or buzz to find out more about the product or service being represented.

While viral marketing is nothing new, the overwhelming growth of Hotmail and the linking of their site in every email sent from the email provider being cited by many as an early example, it is more prominent now than ever. With the social networking boom that has exploded in recent years, viral marketing is a great way to view and pass along information. Through programs like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, it is as easy as a mouse click to spread these messages to groups of people at a time, and watching them infect the public instantaneously.

Although there are many reasons for starting a viral marketing campaign, four styles stand out from the rest. Entertainment based viral ads are in the forefront. Sending videos to friends is easy, and especially in the workplace, those videos that entertain are the easiest and most enjoyable to spread virally. Incentive based campaigns are also very popular. Customers like getting things for free, or discounted, so those viral ads that give something to the customer are very well received. Cause campaigns reach consumers on an emotional level. Whether they contain a story about someone's misfortunes or a video that informs the viewer on something going wrong in the world, viewers are more likely to spread these because of their emotional connection. The last of the major forms of viral marketing are controversial ones. Controversy has always been away to attract followers, so it's no surprise that controversial viral ads are among the most spread.

The only downside to viral marketing is that it is a hit or miss type of advertising. It takes one million hits to be considered a success by most, which makes it difficult for a seemingly successful video, say one with 600,000 views, to be deemed as a successful campaign.

Some tips on how to create a successful viral video provided by Advertising Age include placing your video on a site targeted for the audience you are wanting and not just any video-sharing site, sticking to a handful of site rather than every site imaginable, and leaving room in the ads for interpretation. Following these tips should help in creating a well-received and "most watched" video.