Today we will explore the science of the memes and how spreading ideas through society is ingrained in humans.

Memes

Memes refers to types of ideas that spread the quickest through society, why they spread so fast, and how that affects consumerism. You can use this same concept to create a lasting positive impression about your company, products and/or services. People are more likely to try a new product or service when they feel protected and reassured by the masses.

It has been established that spreading ideas is essential to the survival of a society. There are 5 main situations where this occurs. They are:

1. Crisis
2. Mission
3. Problem
4. Danger
5. Opportunity

Think of evangelism. This is a prime example of people not only spreading the word, but also convincing people to jump on board and start spreading the word themselves. To do this effectively, you need to incorporate a few key things that always catch people’s attention:

• News
• Unique Results
• The Unusual
• Helping Others
• Secrets

Next we are going to switch gears and discuss viral marketing. While traditional marketing can be used to your advantage, viral and online marketing should be your bread and butter. If you know what to do online, your word can go viral in the blink of an eye. Here are some simple steps to accomplish this:

• Find an interesting idea;
• Make it easy for people to experience or trial;
• Spread the idea with people who are in close contact with others;
• Take advantage of existing communication methods;
• Develop a way of trying your product in such a way that it automatically draws more people to test it.

Some great places to use viral marketing are:

• Geocities
• Amazon
• Roger Wilco
• YouTube
• Facebook Messenger
• Instagram Messenger
• TikTok
• Gmail
• “Tell A Friend” Buttons
• E-Greeting Cards

There are six things everyone should be doing to benefit from Word of Mouth (WOM) on the Internet:

1. Put WOM components on your website;
2. Assign people to monitor your viral marketing;
3. Place testimonials in different places on your website to walk a customer through the purchasing cycle;
4. Set up an email marketing campaign;
5. Stay up to date on what products and services the experts in your industry are recommending;
6. Use your website to demonstrate the great ways people are using or finding success with your products and services.

This concludes our lesson on traditional and viral marketing. If you need help putting together any of the plans or successes in this lesson, reach out to me today for assistance.