World wide rave’ trumps ‘viral’ in the new age of online marketing

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‘World wide rave’ trumps ‘viral’ in the new age of online marketing

The internet’s ability to spread ideas across networks of users rapidly remains one of the most powerful forces in marketing, according to digital marketing innovator David Meerman Scott.

The reputation of viral marketing has taken a bit of a battering of late, but at its heart is an idea that’s worth saving. So says digital marketing expert David Meerman Scott, whose new book sets out to show there is far more to so-called ‘viral’ campaigns than gimmicks and publicity stunts.

The name of Scott’s latest book, World Wide Rave, comes from a term he coined himself in an attempt to capture the original spirit of what he says is “the coolest phenomena on the web.” Scott is the author of several books on online marketing and has a weekly show on online business TV network yourBusinessChannel.

“When an idea takes off, it can propel a brand or company to seemingly instant fame and fortune, for free,” says Scott.

The problem with viral marketing, says Scott, is that it can often rely on the trickery or coercion that characterises traditional advertising and marketing. “It’s the old rules of marketing mindlessly transplanted on the web,” he says, “a transparent attempt to sell products.”

The approach Scott proposes in World Wide Rave, on the other hand, hinges on identifying the kind of content that your audience actually wants to consume. A ‘world wide rave’, he says, is when millions of web users out there will then find their own ways to share your story, because they are genuinely excited about it.

All this sounds good in theory of course, but the really hard part is creating really appealing online content. Of course, Scott has plenty of recommendations on that.

First, he says, forget about your company and its products. You’re trying to excite your audience, remember, not bore them senseless with self promotion.

Next, make your content remarkable. You want to get your audience talking and inspire them to share your material. Create something that is highly useful, valuable, outrageous, funny, or innovative. Or all of those things!

It is critical, says Scott to give great content away for free. And free means free: no email sign ups, just let them have it. Make it highly accessible, through your website and blog, and on online networks like YouTube and Facebook.

Finally, Scott admits that you can never be completely sure what will take off. With this in mind, he recommends trying a number of different approaches and vehicles.

Roll out a few ideas, and one of them is bound to work: because if there’s one thing about the internet you can rely on, it’s that it’s an unpredictable beast.

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