Ryan Pitylak Viral Marketing Blog

A friend of mine was discussing with me whether his product was viral or not.  Ultimately, the definition of viral is either too loose or too tight.  In his case, it’s too tight.  In the case of most VCs it’s also too tight, which makes the entrepreneur wax “tight” as well.

Ultimately, 1 person telling another person IS viral marketing.  Is it viral?  That’s another question…. Does it virally grow on its own without any additional push?  For every person who joins, does at least 1.0001 additional person join above anyone else who leaves?  If the answer is yes, the over time, you will see growth organically.  We’re not talking about traffic from search engines, redirects, or other places.  We’re talking about straight direct traffic that delivers new visitors.  That’s viral.

But, do I think that someone who tells someone else about a product isn’t viral, no.  That’s also viral.  It may be harder to understand how to capitalize on the opportunit, but it’s certraintly viral.

Ryan Pitylak and viral marketing.

The Dark Knight is a huge success.  Not only was it a superb performance by Keith Ledger, who played the joker, it had all of the makings for a viral marketing success.

Fans were given the opportunity to create their own online space where the joker still roams Gotham City.  This engagement helps create brand awareness, because people associate with the brand (in this case, the Dark Knight).

Fans could also view trailers of The Dark Knight on websites months before the movie was released, but that’s not too compelling, as most movies let fans see trailers months in advance online.

Traditional viral marketing comes into play when people rave and review about the movie, tell their friends, which all result in sold out shows.

Ryan Pitylak’s Viral Marketing Blog discusses viral marketing trends and techniques.

If you didn’t think it was coming, well, you were wrong.  Bluetooth advertising is real, and it’s being tested in India right now.  IndiaTimes wrote, “Step into a mall or temple, and your mobile complements its surroundings with local ads, special offers, merchandise, directions, aarti timings and what have you. All you need is to switch on the cell and ‘bluecasting’ takes over.”

However, I feel that it’ll take some time before bluecasting (advertising to cell phones through bluetooth) will be accepted here.  You’ll need to add significant personalization before people will really feel like they’re receiving the benefit from the push advertising.

Ryan Pitylak provides viral marketing services for companies.

JC Penny withdrew support for an undressing video that went viral this year.  This is exactly the reason why brands like JC Penny can’t reach a younger generation, because they’re not willing to allow their brand to become vulnerable by actually connecting with a younger audience.

Well, viral marketing isn’t for every company, but if you’re really trying to reach a younger demographic, then you can’t worry about videos created by third parties.  The ad wasn’t even about JC Penny, but they made things a lot worse for themselves by getting involved.