Various Viral Marketing Techniques

With a barrage of marketing campaigns geared towards Internet users, viral marketing has paved
the way and has become one of the top methods used in advertising.

Researching ways to generate traffic through viral marketing techniques can be tax and vex the
nerves, but is worth your creative efforts. Here then are various viral marketing techniques that
can increase the flow of traffic to your website.

The principle behind the success of viral marketing is the number of users reached through the
campaign. There are several viral marketing techniques that can be applied for an advertising
campaign to succeed. Take a look at the following:

#1. Create viral marketing gifts.

Creating viral marketing gifts help both the companies and users by creating even more users.
Gifts and awards in viral marketing help to inject more innovation into the industry and bring out
more effective marketing techniques.

#2. Giveaway free software.

Anything useful and free gets an instant �fan base� on the Internet. Provide online users with any
software that they need for free � even for a limited time � and they will surely grab it.

When using free software, you can run the program to suit any application, check the flow of the
program to learn how it works, make improvisations and have the right to distribute the software
for free.

#3. Provide a free email account.

This is what Microsoft did to initially launch Hotmail. They put in a �teaser� at the end of the free
e-mail messages that they send out providing a link for users to sign-up for a free and private
e-mail account.

The word �free� has sparked the interest of online users, as well as the fact that this is something
that online users really need. Soon, almost all Microsoft users signed up for a free Hotmail account.
This started the viral marketing fever.  

#4. Provide free web space.

Personal web logs have become the buzz on the Internet. There are companies now who are
competing like crazy just to offer customers the lowest cost on directory listing and have the
biggest space allotments.

This competition will benefit the users in such a way that they get their pick from a host of web
space providers and have the greatest deal.

#5. Create a top 100 site.

Online users often need a list of web sites relating to the topic that they need. Creating a top
100 list is one way to build your list and increase your customer base.

#6. Offer free e-cards.

Egreetings.com is one company which provide teasers for online users to send electronic
greetings cards. They are animated and personalized, so most users take advantage of
the offer.

#7. Offer free graphics, banners and templates.

Just like the marketing of regular consumer products, anything that is free and useful will
catch the attention of a lot of people. Banners, graphics, templates and other items that
online users can use is a welcome addition to their list of freebies and will infuse the viral
marketing fever.   

#8. Offer free consultation.

Most online users do not know exactly where to go for consultations about web services or
other services in various fields.

Free online consultation web sites require you to enter your name, mail address and other
pertinent information and this would help add up to your subscribers and customer base.

#9. Offer specialized link directory.

Specialized links directory help build a more specific clientele, as the users who need this
service can be classified. This technique yields more accurate results.

#10. Offer free newsletter with bonuses.

An online shopping company might use this viral marketing technique. Offering catalogs with
free online gift certificates will generate a huge customer base.  

#11. Offer free redirect service.

Redirect services give out the new contact information of a web site that changed hosts or servers,
as well as re-directing users to a new or personalized domain name. This is an alternative to the
much longer and complicated URL's offered by most web hosts.

#12. Offer free screensavers.

You cannot browse through the Internet and not find popup advertisements about free screensavers.
This is one way of getting the user�s e-mail address for a company to start building a solid customer
base.

Getting online users to take advantage of free screensavers, emoticons or able to download other such
items of value that they can use on their computers is one of the most effective techniques used in viral
marketing.

#13. Offer free autoresponder service.

Autoresponder services add up to your company's sales by using follow-up e-mail messages in marketing.

#14. Offer free email course.

You cannot believe the wealth of information that you can gain from free e-mail courses. Most publishers
of free e-books want to share their knowledge to other online users and this is a good way to entice users
to your web site.

#15. Write articles and distribute them for reprint with inserted resource box.

Make sure to have them reprinted with the resource box, when writing articles for free download,

A resource box is a box on one side of the web page where you got the article, and it shows the complete
contact information of the author of a particular article.  

#16. Use forums and discussion boards which use signatures.

The users of discussion boards and forums have the same interests. By getting their signatures on message
boards, you can have a very wide array of potential buyers from a specific target market.

#17. Start your own affiliate program.

This is certainly one of the best methods to generate traffic and sales to your site. Here, a specialized link
is provided for your affiliates so that users can be veered towards your web site.

#18. Provide free guestbook.

A guestbook makes a list of all your online visitors. After a user visits your website, you would have their
contact information for future marketing and mailing purposes.

#19. Provide free forums.

Online forums have a lot of participants which can be a very useful viral marketing technique.

#20. Act to apply viral marketing techniques

When you take action to aptly apply these viral marketing techniques to promote your products and
services, you will most assuredly generate traffic to your web site, build a huge and solid customer
base, add to your sales and contribute towards the success of your online business.

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