Page 161 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

Step 8. Make the Most of Your Marketing Efforts 153

have a captive audience to announce new products, get feedback on
potential ideas, and learn more about why they like your company.

Viral M arketing Campaigns

Viral marketing refers to spreading the word about a product by
word of mouth (or e-mail). Though it can be done by conventional
methods of magazines and newspapers, it's more typically associ­
ated with Internet usage today. Online viral campaigns are used for
the same purpose as conventional marketing campaigns: to increase
brand awareness and sales. And it's easier, faster, and cheaper to
spread the word online .

With the explosion of online social networks , viral marketing
campaigns are priceless . . . and the exposure is free! If you want
to advertise in a magazine, you'll pay big bucks that usually only
the huge companies can afford. Try to spread some good gossip
about your product, utilizing a high-tech yet simple and creative
viral campaign. For example, you can create a video that is interest­
ing, funny, unbelievable, shocking, emotional, meaningful, what­
ever-just make sure it shows your product being used! Then put it

on your company's website or your company's page at wwwjacebook.
com, www.twitter.com, www.myspace.com, or on www:youtube.com, and

get it out into the viral marketing world. Send it to your e-mail list
and ask them to pass it on to their lists; soon, if it is creative enough ,
people pass it on for its merits rather than because they know you.

E- mail Promotions

You've no doubt Signed up for e-mail lists for your favorite compa­
nies or services and then received special discounts periodically.
You can do this for your product as well.

Create a promotional e-mail introducing your website and
products to as many family and friends as possible when you launch.
Ask them to forward the e-mail to at least five or ten of their friends
and family (and, if they feel comfortable, to copy you so you can add