Does viral mean video?

All too often when we hear the term viral marketing, we jump to the conclusion that what’s needed is a cute 30-second (or shorter) video clip that makes us laugh. There’s no denying that the video approach works and has been very effective. Unfortunately it’s well out of budget for many smaller businesses.

A few recent campaigns I’ve come across have had a strong viral component that had nothing to do with video. Vancouver’s Rethink Advertising launched chadland.ca – an online blog that complemented their television ad campaign for Solo mobile phones. The site itself is nothing special from either a design or technology perspective – no fancy back end integration, no cool rich media or bells and whistles. It’s a simple blog that looks (intentionally) to have been designed by a very young teenage girl. And it worked.

Another example, http://www.politicalcompass.org/, asks what’s your political style? Take a simple online quiz, get your results – then a click a link to see how you compare to other people in your country. Simple, funny and very effective. The key is to entertain people, capture their attention and keep them involved long enough to make your point – without overtly selling to them.

Of course, if you have the time and the funds, nothing beats video for impact and capturing the undivided attention of your audience. And a little celebrity involvement never hurts. If you like John Cleese, you’ll love his backup webinar for The Institute for Backup Trauma

Looking for some less costly inspiration? You’ll find plenty on http://www.boreme.com/.