There are close to 300 million people in the US and over 6.4 billion people in the world. Yet I can potentially reach every one of them with the flick of a switch or click of a keyboard. With this kind of power, no wonder there are so many scandalous sorts out there attempting to coerce the system, tilt the schematics to grasp at the slightest advantage, and hold on in secrecy for dear life.
Being that there is this extreme competition in the realm of Internet based marketing; companies have become more creative in their attempts to strike up interest in their product lines. Marketing efforts have become so desperate that the methods used turn into off-beat manipulation that borders the lines of trickery.
Call it what you want, "buzz marketing," "leverage marketing," or "Viral Marketing," it's the method of utilizing the power of the Internet in order to exploit people's ability to assist with a message's rapid duplication, often linked to some brand or product. There are several forms of strategic marketing campaigns that are looked at in this disdainful way.
Pass along e-mail and edgy gossip ads are used to create controversy in one way or another. Like the dubious love affair between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes that came out just before each of them released a movie. The mere discussions caused by the mass distribution channel are enough to generate interest. Link swapping, Blog spots, and text messages get developed and passed around which in turn increases search engine rank and placement through mere availability.
From Burger King's "Coq Roq," and Hotmail's free e-mail campaign, to the clever ILoveBees.com campaign for the Halo 2 video game, these marketing methods spread through the use of e-mail, word of mouth, instant messaging, or any other transport systems used as the message conduit.
Viral marketing describes these sorts of Internet-based stealth marketing campaigns, including the use of blogs, amateur web sites, and other forms of matrix magic to create word of mouth traffic for a new product or service. Often the ultimate goal of viral marketing campaigns is to generate media coverage via "offbeat" stories worth more than the campaigning company's advertising budget itself. These systems are ingenious when they work, and the concept exemplifies the level of extremes that people are willing to go to in order to achieve success.
Nothing last for ever in the ethereal world on the WWW. There are more fly-by-nights there then any other place in existence. Floodded by cutthroats and briggands that will steal your ideas and ruin them in a heartbeat, no wonder so much secracy exists with the companies that are successful.
Yes it sounds harsh and to tell the truth it is. The battle to be at the top gets more and more difficult every day. Creative advertising can be well worth its effort, and really push a product on a limited budget. Yet if you want to compete on a budget, the trick is in the SEO.
CUT HERE...
To Be Continued...
