If you work in social, chances are you’ve wondered or been asked how to go viral. It makes sense that so many businesses look at viral marketing as the ticket to social media superstardom. After all, who doesn’t want to get their brand and content in front of as many people as possible?
And the pressure is on. According to a Q4 2022 Sprout pulse survey, 72% of marketers cited “keeping up with changing social trends” as their biggest challenge.
So what is viral marketing today? And does chasing trends still make sense these days, or should brands focus on social as part of a bigger marketing funnel instead?
With the many changes social has experienced in recent years, the concept of viral marketing deserves to be revisited. Let’s get into it.
What is viral marketing today?
Viral marketing is a style of promotion that relies on an audience to organically generate and push the message of a product or service. On social media, marketing is considered 'viral' when it's being shared rapidly by the public at large (with a compounding effect) rather than just its target audience.
If achieved, your message will be in nearly everyone’s social media feed.
How does viral marketing work, though?
Modern viral marketing on social can be illustrated by the popularity of social media memes or trending TikTok sounds. Think about how seemingly random phenomena like Baby Yoda, the Milky Way meme or the “It’s Corn” trend take over your social feeds out of nowhere. Memes get shared and promoted like crazy because they resonate with people.
Be diligent and check your child's candy this year, just found an invasive silver carp shoved inside a Milky Way. No words. pic.twitter.com/4lxTErtQsX
— Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) October 10, 2022
