Vital vs. Viral
By Curtis Hougland
The hype of viral video, viral applications, viral media and viral thisandthat was deafening in 2007.
A recent study by Deloitte & Touche confirmed consumer appetite for viral content with nearly 70% of all Internet users consuming UGC. Every brand is now chasing viral glory–to mostly dismal results because:
Authenticity is difficult to replicate (especially for marketers)
• Brands are competing with their customers for attention
• Viral content is episodic
• Reach is not an accurate measure
• Hype or buzz (prospects) is not equal to word-of-mouth (customers)
• Viral is often cute and funny rather than the meaningful and utilitarian
VITAL must become the new viral in 2008.
Instead of viral content, which is episodic and largely untested, VITAL content is a commitment to building a sustainable relationship with users by sharing content authentically and consistently. VITAL content is part of every aspect of your marketing and communications.
Vital content is one-to-one. Vital content is measurable.
For anyone tired of the question, “can we create a viral video” instead of “how do we engage our audiences via social media,” here are a few tips on creating a vital content strategy.
• Begin by mapping your audience segmentation to actual online communities (a demographic is not a community on the Internet)
• Identify the mavens within each of these communities by influence, popularity and relevance
• Inventory and create shareable assets by speaking to community leaders—learn from your influencers
• Distribution (sharing) is equally and (counter-intuitively) as important as production.
• Tone can matter as much as content
• Measure campaigns by influence, not reach
• Don’t try to sell, try to share
• Keep hype and word-of-mouth in balance
The reality of social media is that you are ceding (or sharing) control of your brand, because your customers are not only consuming your media, but also making their own. Buzz from viral content is ephemeral, but word-of-mouth from VITAL content is sustainable.