Part I: Viral Seeding
Who cares if you just created the funniest viral video in the world this year. Seriously, even if it is actually hilarious, unique and has all the elements the experts say will ensure it spreads like wildfire across the web - are you sure that it will? There is no shortage of advice about how to create compelling viral marketing campaigns and no shortage of experts to assist in their creation. Conversely, there is also no shortage of people exactly like you, people who are destined to create the next blog, video or podcast that will be the subject of incessant conversations at cocktail parties and water coolers for months to come.
So how do you standout? How do you give the proverbial viral snowball its first push down the slope toward 50 million YouTube views? Is it just a matter of better, more unexpected, more provocative content? Obviously, you aren’t going to hit the viral marketing lottery with mediocre content, but stellar content doesn’t guarantee success either.
Even if you are less ambitious, maybe you just want a few more people to like your brand on Facebook or follow your blog, is your content alone going to allow you to meet your objectives? Of course, the answer is no if you can’t get enough of the right early adopters talking and spreading the message. Its kind of like building a fire. You gather the wood and kindling. You add the lighter fluid. All the elements are in place for success but instead of simply lighting a match, many people wait for lightning to strike to start the “viral” fire. And then they wonder why their viral marketing results aren’t better.
Viral seeding is a way of increasing the likelihood that your marketing campaigns and your content gets the attention it deserves. Viral seeding is about identifying the mediums, the networks and the messages required to light the “viral” match. If your content stinks, it won’t catch fire. If your content is compelling, then viral seeding allows you to remove the element of luck from your marketing campaign . In Part II we will talk about some strategies for viral seeding and why your current followers may not be able to get the job done alone.
