What is meant by 'viral' in the phrase, "viral marketing idea..."?

Question

What is meant by 'viral' in the phrase, "viral marketing idea..."?

Answer 1

"Viral" means spreading very quickly through many different channels through word of mouth or proper link placement.

Usually the best viral videos are the ones that come across our emails everyday from a friend or a family member.  It might be a cute 30 second video of a baby doing something funny, or the latest goof-up by a celebrity.

These can get millions of hits in one day.  Many of these videos are placed strategically by companies to sometimes create a stir about a topic and release a product that has some correlation.

Successful viral marketing can be very lucrative.  You have to be very creative and again, have strategic placement to really see good results.

Answer 2

In marketing the word "viral" means something that spreads mouth to mouth with no need of paying advertising. It can also mean something that brings you some added value if you promote it.

For example, imagine that you are invited to join a business where you can earn money out of some amount invested but you can also earn in terms of the people you refer to the business. Would you refer people to join the business? Of course you would, right?

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