May 4, 2010
In a Viral Marketing Galaxy Far, Far, Away:
Viral Marketing: simple, free, and a necessity in a world run by the internet. Everything from “Charlie Bit Me” to new ways to connect with friends and share your favorite local spots on Foursquare, digital marketing can provide any brand a moment in the spotlight… Here’s how.
If you weren’t aware via Twitter, Wikipedia, or other social outlets, today is Star Wars Day! Surprised? Confused? Feel like watching the Empire Strikes Back? You’re not the only one. Known for its cult-like following, Star Wars is making a hip and social-media comeback.
Let me take you back, to 2005… “In the Country of Germany, Far, Far, Away…”
George Lucas must be applauding the tenacity of his fans and the simple German to English translation that sparked a Twitter, Facebook, and viral phenomenon today. Across blogs and Wikipedia, the story goes as this… George Lucas was interviewed bya German news group back in 2005. Of course, George Lucas was asked to say the famous line “May the Force Be with You” which directly translates in German to “Am 4. Mai sind wir bei Ihnen”… translation… “We Are with You On May 4th”.
Trending on Twitter as “Happy Star Wars Day”, “Star Wars Day”, and “#starwarsday”, Tweeters share their love for Star Wars with their friends and fellow fans.
Above is a screen shot of where Star Wars Day was around 9am on Google Search:
Only a few minutes later, the more refined search phrase had a huge response seen below:
What does this mean to you? Probably not a whole lot if you’re not a huge fan of the massively successful saga. But this may intrigue you to find those pictures of yourself as Luke Skywalker Halloween ’92, break out those dusty VHS, or even add your favorite “episode” from the saga to your Netflix list.
Whatever Star Wars Day moves you to do, George Lucas successfully, made his brand viral with no strategic plans or meetings.
How can your brand go viral? Here are some tips:
1. YouTube Sensation: Be sure to capitalize on humor and suspense with your brand in non-conventional ways. Utilizing a YouTube channel can create more space for your brand online, be sure to post it on your website, Facebook, and Twitter as well.
2. Tweet Tweet: ReTweet contests are popping up all over Twitter. Even if it’s something small, it can be a great way to go viral. You could provide a discount or a special freebee for the first X amount of Tweeters ReTweet a post of something new and exciting to grab attention and create traffic on your Twitter. Don’t have a Twitter yet? Start one, the 140 Character Micro Blogger site has gone viral in its own way spreading to celebs, brands, politicians, and the general public.
3. Call to Action: As mentioned above in the Twitter suggestion, providing your target audience with a Call to Action is the key to go viral. By having your audience post something they found on your site through a contest or even a Facebook poll can get your fans moving. Red Bull did an incredible job with this through scavenger hunts around the country and going extremely viral via Facebook, creating interactions between consumers and the brand itself.
4. Create Dialogue: This can be easily done via-Facebook. Create buzz through simply posting something new and exciting about your industry or brand category. If something comes up in the news, capitalize on the freshness of the topic and feed your target audience a new view or some solutions to a problem. The more you involve your audience, the better response you’ll get.
5. Use Humor: Gene Kelly wasn’t kidding in his historic dance and song sequence in Singing in the Rain. “Make them laugh, make them laugh, make them laugh!” Capitalizing on humor is simple and creates buzz on the web, your target audience could email, Tweet, or post your “LOL” moment to friends around the web and take it viral on their own!
From all of us here at Response: May the Force Be With You!
