Viral Marketing Ideas

What makes a concept viral?
For a concept to spread, it needs to be sent and received.

No one "sends" a concept unless:

• they identify with it
• they desire it to spread
• they believe that spreading it will improve their power (reputation, profit, relationships) or their peace of mind
• the effort needed to send the concept is smaller than the advantages

No one "understands" an idea unless:

• the main impression demands further examination
• they currently understand the foundation concepts required to get the present idea
• they believe or respect the sender enough to invest the time

This explains why online concepts spread quickly but why they're usually shallow. Nietzsche is difficult to comprehend and risky to spread, so it moves slowly among individuals apt to invest the time. Numa Numa, on the other hand, spread like a toxic waste spill because it was so transparent, reasonably entertaining and easy to share.

You'll come to find that concepts never spread because they are fundamental to the originator.

Notice too that a key dynamic in the spread of the notion is the capsule that contains it. If it's easy to swallow, tempting and complete, it's undoutbtedly more probable to get a good start.

But that doesn't mean that there is no responsibility for mystery or concepts that unfold throughout time. In essence, the unmeasurable variable here is style. Howard Dean's concepts spread in the beginning--certainly not because of the economic ramifications of his immigration policy, but because of the factors above. The way they were presented fit into the worldview of those that spread them.

A key element in the spread of concepts is their visual element. iPods and visual styles spread more rapidly in the real world as opposed to ephemeral concepts. Pictures and short jokes spread quicker online since the investment necessary to learn if they are worth spreading is so miniscule.

And of course, plenty of poor ideas spread. Panic, for instance, is a superbad idea at all times, but it spreads quicker than most. That's because spreading a concept is rarely a thoughtful, voluntary act. Alternatively, it is right about the core of who we are, and we often do it without thinking much in regards to the implications.