"Viral marketing is the process of implementing means or tools through which the knowledge of your existence self-propagates." -Michel Fortin

Introduction

Hi. My name is Mike Filsaime. I have built my entire online business using viral marketing and the concepts laid out in this exclusive report. With virtually ZERO advertising budget, I have been able to build a business that did almost $4.5 Million in sales in 2006 and over 600,000 opt ins in under 4 years. In the Internet marketing community, this is unheard of.

Many of the strategies used in this report can be achieved with a simple, affordable, yet powerful software tool called ViralFriendGenerator.com This information is about to change the way you look at your marketing. All your efforts up to this point are finally going to pay off when you put this bit of marketing genius to work for you.

The internet itself was perpetuated using viral methods, and where would you be today without it. Selling cars?

Some of the biggest marketers online are making a killing and investing next to nothing in advertising. -In the meantime, every poor Joe Somebody is trying to make ends meet and pawning the family jewels to buy more
advertising.

I am about to reveal the truth behind how I and other internet elite, invest most of our effort, to infect the minds of masses to advertise our stuff for us.

Interested?

Read on to learn how to make this infectious method work for you and blast your business up the rankings to the top.
Follow this manual step by step and watch whatever your promoting spread like the plague.

All it takes is a little creativity and a sneeze…

Buzz

The idea that launched a thousand sites

In this section we cover how to find the unique aspects you already possess and turn them into a buzz worthy angle – “your viral agent”

What Makes You Worth Talking About?

It’s time to take what you have now and make it devastatingly contagious by pinpointing where to focus your effort. Take out a sheet of paper or use notepad to answer the following questions:

• What makes you or what you’re doing so special?
• If you are promoting a website or a new product, what sets you apart from the crowd?
• Is there something you have noticed being mentioned everywhere that somehow relates to you? (i.e. a common thread in forums addressing an issue in your niche)

Discover a facet of what you do that might interest someone or something that sets you apart from the herd. Start looking deep for the viewpoint that makes you buzz worthy.

Example: What’s Worth Talking About - "Wassap!" Video for Budweiser

Imagine for a moment you’re back in high school. Everyone is talking about someone and rumors are spreading like wildfire. What would they say about you?

It’s Time For Innovation…

Now that you have an idea of where your strong and unique points are lets keep things on the edge. Another important buzz point to focus on is innovation

• How are you breaking the rules?
• Are you using any new cutting edge technology or methods?
• Have you created something that can change the market or the world?
• How are you riding the wave of a new discovery?

Example: Who’s Being Innovative – “Free Energy”
Example 2: "Innovative Beer Opener"

If you are setting a new standard for tomorrow’s horizon use this angle.

Is Your Marketing Fresh And New As The First Winter Snow?

Ground breaking and heart-stopping like the first step on the moon…Where are you going that no one has gone before? If you are the first to market or you have created your own niche all together, use it! Get your creative ideas on the road and be the navigator on the next frontier.

• What are you proving that has only been talked about as theory?
• How can you connect your promotion to something that is new and hot? (i.e. take note of what news or events are getting major publicity and ways you can link them to you)
• How can you open someone’s eyes and ignite the fire of their interest with your latest endeavor, make it new and full of wonderment?

If you present new and fresh ideas or concepts or just a fresh new perspective on something tried and proven then this is you way to go.

Hey, That’s Pushing It… Oh, Go Ahead… Be Controversial

Are you putting it all on the line to ride the line of socially accepted norms? If you’re presenting something that would make your mother blush, believe it or not, you have something built for buzz. The herd loves a great scandal - take a look at my good friend “The Rich Jerk”, he makes a living telling it like you shouldn’t.

• Can you make someone blush at just the mention of your latest project?
• If you make a commercial would it show on PBS or Comedy Central, why is that?
• When you release your product, will you get snappish emails from the conservative crowd? What will they say is controversial about you?
• What can you introduce that breaks away from the norm and gets in the face of prospects with an inevitable truth in a confrontational way?

Example: Speaking of edgy and controversial - (great one!)

No one ever made it into the history books that behaved themselves. Be big, loud and opinionated. Just be sure to back up every shred of controversial propaganda with the cold hard proof to close with a bang.

L.M.A.O. Funny Spreads Faster Than The Flu

This is definitely the crowd favorite when it comes to getting people to pass on the word. Everyone loves to share the laughter, and when you connect this to what you’re doing its Benjamin time for you my friend.

• How can you monetize using viral hysteria?
• If you’re not the “last comic standing” How can you connect your latest project to a popular trend and use something funny as your driving force?

Take a look at these numbers:

Example 1: Look who’s starting a riot – Top 10 Viral Videos

1. Star Wars Kid (900 million)
2. Numa Numa (700 million)
3. One Night In Paris (400 million)
4. Kylie Minogue for Agent Provocateur (360 million)
5. The Exploding Whale (350 million)
6. John West Salmon Bear Fight (300 million)
7. Trojan Games (300 million)
8. Kolla2001 (200 million)
9. AfroNinja (80 million)
10. The Shining Redux (50 million)

-Taken from “The Daily Mail”

Can you believe this? As you can see the number of people sharing funny videos out there is borderline ridiculous. If you have a creative bone in your body get this buzz to work for you.

Here are a couple examples of how to take funny to market…

Example 2: Is he serious... well, why don’t you ask?

Example 3: Absolutely brilliant

In the case of building buzz with funny as your driving force, the numbers speak volumes. There are always one or two “funny videos” in circulation at my office on any given day.

Doesn’t it just warm the heart?

People love to spread the love, just give them a reason. A good example is the shocking number of eCards sent out and received every single day containing a pre written “heart-warming” message. So how can you put man’s good vibrations into your marketing approach?

• Do you have a heart-warming story to tell?
• How can you emotionally connect one-on-one with millions?
• How can what you’re doing tug on hearts and endear you to millions?

If you can affect the emotions of a prospect you have a powerful ally on your side of the court. Take a look at the human spirit at work –

Example: Warm the Heart – “Free hugs” Their viral video: 10 million views http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Just because it’s viral doesn’t mean it’s limited to being aggressive. It’s amazing what catches and spreads like wildfire, forging change on the deepest levels. If you can get the emotional power of the heart fighting for you cause you are sure to rest a marketer fulfilled.

That’s Taboo

Just when you thought the superstition was over and the world had grown up – here comes the buzz. Example: “The Taboo”

According to Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing, “an extraordinary event features at least one of six characteristics: the taboo, the unusual, the outrageous, the hilarious, the remarkable, or the secret.”

• How can you put a subculture spin on what you’re doing?
• Is there a way to approach the underground angle in your next promotion?
• Is there a following for your genre, does your niche have a fan club?

Do You Have A Secret?

…And it’s killing you to keep it. This method perpetuates using the drive of the human mind. You can put your money where your mouth is when it comes to the masses inability to keep a secret.

In fact, you get the opposite desired effect. When someone hears a secret they just can’t wait to tell and before you know it you’ve got yourself an epidemic.

• How can you build the curiosity around your project by keeping a secret?
• Is there a new way to present your material that makes it appear mysterious and classified?
• How can you make your audience feel exclusive, when they see what you’re offering?

The Anticipation Is Killing Me

“I can’t wait to see that movie” “What?! They pushed back the release date again? How can they do that?” If you can build the anticipation for your promotion, infectious selling is a no brainer. Movie previews are the masters of buzz building through anticipation - suspending your rational thoughts; you are pulled along for 30 seconds of mind-numbing intrigue.

Take this lesson from the pros:

• How can you build the anticipation for your product?
• Are you using a pre-launch formula?
• How can you include small Previews of your next product or promotion?

Inspire The Masses To Take Action

Take a minute to really look at this one. Seriously… If you have a core story that could stir the people of the pit to climb mountains, consider inspirational buzz your way to go. Everyone loves a hero, a story of overcoming obstacles, defeating the odds to seize the day. You’ve got to ask yourself:

• How can your message inspire people to take action?
• Do you have an inspiring core story?
• How can your personal struggles inspire someone else to overcome?

Pre-Viral Marketing

An epidemic is inevitable

I’ll use this space to give you a brief pre-requisite to the viral marketing material we’ll be covering in the follow sections. Let’s start with the basic concept behind the viral marketing explosion…

History of the Virus aka Word of Mouth Advertising

This is a concept that dates back to the very beginning of language, before there were marketing workshops, before copywriting boot camps, even before the internet, electricity and life as we know it…

There was word of mouth advertising.

Human kind has always felt a need to interact and connect, sharing relevant information. Now, what started ages ago with where the best grazing fields are, has advanced through time to sharing files and information over vast networks of infinite electronic space.

Now more then ever man has the ability to connect and share worldwide and as marketers you can employ this ancient method to get your message out and spreading.

The First Stages of Outbreak

This brings us to the dawn of mass media broadcasting… Here, man has evolved to the point where his advancement has given him new ways to spread the infectious word. Some of his agents of transmission include:

The Telephone

One of the easiest ways to reach people these days, everyone has a number for just about everything. You as a marketer can use this viral tool to create shout outs, or reminders.

Using online recording services makes this a hands free way to advertise and reach masses spreading your message through the personal touch of voice.

Newspaper

Print has power. Long has this been the favorite way to spread the viral effect. Read and reread newspaper advertising is a staple for many of the biggest companies of our time.Not only that, print – since the first early days of the press, until now- has served the purpose of transmitting information across nations. Single-handedly responsible for the rise and fall of power, this classic viral agent has not lost its influence yet.

Example: fireflyfans.net

Radio

It plays even when you are unaware; constantly you are bombarded by this invisible killer. Racing through the atmosphere, around your head and through your body – advertising is as abundant in the airwaves as oxygen. Effective at getting you out there locally or nationally, not only advertisers but musicians have long used this medium to infect the airwaves and affect change. Put to work for you, be prepared to handle a massive outbreak.

Television

-The biggest killer in history for big and small companies alike. This tool has been the unequaled master of the media for years. Since its early widespread inception and endearment to the people of the world, this tool markets directly to the eyes and ears of most consumers alive today. Armed with the capability to make the public love or hate, the influence TV has on generations of viewers is astounding.

The Internet

Up and coming, what we have here is the future of mind control. Quick and agile with its hands on approach we see mankind great and small taking this viral agent to market.

Never has it been easier to advocate a cause or cause a riot. The great descendant of word of mouth advertising, now the public has an immediate audience around the clock and around the world.

Mass infection is now inevitable with computers in so many homes and businesses. It has never been easier to get in touch with anyone about anything. Never has it been easier to find or create a market and create a cash flow.

Now you can connect with any country in the world, translating your message, webpage or sales letter with a piece of software could not be easier.

Viral Marketing

The Infection Has Begun

Viral marketing is a term that started with the elite guru circles at exclusive lunch meetings, and spread like the plague through word of mouth. Now it has become a common play word for the seminar attending crews across the world’s nations.

Basically “Viral Marketing” and “viral advertising” especially online, is a way marketers can take advantage of pre-existing social networks to get a message out there using self-replicating viral processes, that are very similar to the way a physical virus or computer virus would spread.

Taken from the age old “word of mouth concept” the internet has only enhanced the ability to spread to new levels allowing you to harness the power of networks. Now you can reach large numbers of specifically targeted groups instantly.

Some of the first recorded offline / online viral campaigns were developed by Artist/Designer Tim Nolan of Spent2000.com in 1995. By placing abstract catch-phrases, quotes, song lyrics alongside video artwork, Nolan solidified this method to create "buzz" for a URL.

“SPENT2000 was originally used as an alter ego in the early to mid nineties during a period of intensive “guerrilla art”. After my introduction to the early internet in 1995, as a platform, the internet seemed to be the next logical step for this type of work.” -Tom Nolan, spent2000.com.

In his art he used phrases like "This city isn't safe" and put it next to a URL. This method built enough curiosity that people would remember to visit the site the next time they got online.

Viral marketing when you hear it mentioned today usually is in reference to stealthy Internet-based marketing campaigns. This can include blogs, apparently simple web sites, and other forms of astroturfing (or in this case internet propaganda), designed to create buzz and viral spreading of a launch of a product or service.

More often viral marketing’s goal is to stir up media coverage using a unique angle or story, the viral PR alone gives you more success in most cases than an expensive marketing campaign. Viral advertising alludes to the fact that people pass on interesting, relevant or entertaining like funny videos or free marketing audios. Marketers will use these viral tools to build awareness of an event or strengthen a brand.

Some of the methods used are short viral videos that appear to be short funny film clips, flash games like advergames (dressuptellman.com), images or creative text.

Viral Campaigns are quickly growing in popularity; a couple reasons for this are the low-cost as compared to something like direct mail, and the excellent targeting and great response rates. You strongest point when marketing virally is the ability to reach a ton of interested people for next to nothing out of pocket.

One of the biggest threats to modern marketers is constantly finding new ways to acquire and then keep a massive customer base. Up until recently email marketing online has been the greatest asset to maintaining an extravagant internet marketing lifestyle.

You will find Viral marketing can be a fantastic alternative to this classic method while avoiding spam mail; by encouraging your readers to spread the word for you in a positive way.

Two Strands of Viral Marketing

Forced Viral

Hotmail.com - Speaking of forced viral marketing, remember Hotmail.com’s viral beginnings? There campaign was an easy one as they were one of the first to offer a free web-based email to the masses. Basically the process was something like this:

1. On the front end they gave away free email and other services…
2. Every message sent from hotmail.com went out armed with a simple link at the bottom of every email saying something like: "Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com"
3. From there all Hotmail did was sit back and wait while their outgoing free emails infected one small network of friends at a time.
4. A majority of all the people receiving the email would follow the link and sign up for a free email account.
5. The viral effect was highly infectious, and Hotmail’s popularity grew overnight

Hyper-viral

A classic example – I’m sure we’ve all heard of - is the Internet book giant Amazon. Not the first name that comes to mind when you think of viral marketing, this company expanded almost exclusively using viral tactics.

They did this with the simple position of encouraging their customers to by books for their friends and family. Then in every package of books they included a print letter encouraging the recipient to return to Amazon when they were looking for a book. Amazon also encouraged others with the use of their early affiliate programs, giving tools that would allow for the positioning of targeted dynamic content on their affiliates websites.

The Elements of a Viral Marketing Campaign

Self Perpetuation

When you attach your message, product or marketing to something people like - the natural effect is for people to have the drive to pass it on. If you give a good experience and attach it to what you’re doing it will expand virally. On the other hand if what your doing doesn’t satisfy, the effects will just drop off.

In short create something others will want to share using buzz worthy material, see your answers and use the examples above…

It Feeds Off Existing Networks

There are tons of ways especially online to take advantage of pre-existing networks. This can be Press Releases, or Articles, Posting on Forums, Posting Videos, and many other methods to get your message displayed on other peoples web pages, emails or ezines - we’ll cover more methods in the “Delivery Mechanism” section soon…

Another way to virally feed off networks is to tap into existing personal relationships between people.

Blue Mountain Arts – a virtual greeting card company uses this method by giving anyone the ability to email a card to friends or family members.

Then the people that receive the cards are invited to use the service by visiting the website to send a card in reply.

Viral strategy - for maximum effectiveness will make it effortless for transfer among customers.

Keeping your marketing message short and attaching it to something free like a product, service or software download is ideal. Take a lesson from Hotmail and Blue Mountain Arts, all they included was a link or message in everything others using their free service were sending – a free service, and a brief note… “hey you liked this tell your friends”

Infection Stage

Are You Feeling Contagious

In this stage you are very volatile. By now you have an idea of the viral direction you wish to take. You know how to build your buzz using the interesting, entertaining, and satisfying angles of your marketing message. You know the basic steps to take, now how to spread your buzz worthy infection…

The Maven aka Respect My Authority

In networks and social environments a maven is someone that holds influence or authority over the other members of a network. From the world of marketing, to politics to social trends, the role of maven is well established as the propagator of knowledge.

Say you have a product that was released six months ago with a miniscule response. Now, months later you have caught the attention of a big time guru in your field, and he sends out an endorsement mailing for you. – resulting in a large surge of visitors for you.

With this approach you find and use the maven and his influence to explode the viral influence of your product or service. You can also find a way to use the influence of Mavens in your niche to your advantage. For example Ivory soap once included an 800 number on the back of every soap package for people to call with comments or
questions.

In effect they supposed that only those who are passionate or knowledgeable about soap would go through the trouble of calling and the company could then use this valuable information that cost that next to nothing in the production stages.

A case study of this can be dissected with my viral report called “The Death of Internet Marketing” at thedeathofinternetmarketing.com This site leaked out to the public 5 day prior to launch. One of my affiliates did not read the notice that he needed to wait until Wednesday to promote.

This one affiliate sent an email to his list of members on a Saturday morning 4 days before he was supposed to. It started a domino effect.

His name is Joel Comm. And because he is a respected marketer, when he spoke, everyone listened. His review of the report started everyone talking about it.

In just over 24 hours, we had over 34,346 people create an account to get the report.

Saturday - 11,807 (Day One - 13 hours total)
Sunday 14,196 (Full Day)
Monday - 8,343 (First 17 hours)
Total = 34,346

This site went live by accident and was one of the most successful buzz campaigns in the history of our community. Because of the Maven/Authority principle combined with all of the other features listed in this report.

Jeff Walkers Product Launch Formula

If you haven’t heard the amazing methodology involved in this course you are probably broke. This method builds the viral buzz by using thoroughly organized launch strategies. Essentially you make your product launch an event, a mysterious cascade that results in a fascinating tsunami effect.

Here’s an awesome example of a product launch as an event:

Example: xBox 360

Buying Media Blitz

Many of the methods we have discussed so far would be examples of media blitz. These are basically ways to leverage the attention of the media to serve your marketing purpose. This can take the form of a PR campaign in which you get a spot on the local or national news…or… the media attention can be the result of a paid media campaign.

Delivery Mechanism

All the Kings Agents

In this section I’ll cover all the viscous materials you can use to suspend your killer message to easily infect your audience using an unsuspecting medium. Let’s start the viral exponent…

Tools

Tell-a-friend

This tool is used everywhere as the way to spread the buzz, and keep it perpetuating. It gives visitors to your site a ready method to get your message out there. Usually placed alongside a video, audio or page of interest – all the visitor has to do is place their friends name and email into a form to share your message. –So make it buzz worthy.

Blogs

Any time you are putting content out there to the masses that is easy to pick up and reference, it has the potential to infectious. This is especially true when you enter the highly opinionated realm of blogs. The viral exponent of blogging is that the ability to comment and link back is so easy that before you know it you blog is connected to several other sites adding to the massive web of content expanding daily.

Emails

Take a lesson from Hotmail and Amazon here. This is a great one especially if you are mailing out to a list on a regular basis. When you send out an email – make it interesting, make it buzz worthy, and include a short text link at the bottom. “Forward this message to your friends,” or “pass the word”

Viral videos

Ah yes, youTube and ifilm.com your way is paved with glory. This is a fantastic way to get your message out there. I’m sure you’re pretty well acquainted with this method thus far with all the examples given. The traffic that can be generated using this method is ridiculous.

Not only does this method have an instantaneous reaction from your visitors, but they love to share the sickness. -The more interesting or entertaining, the quicker the infection. There are also tons of free directories you can submit your video to that will bring your immediate exposure.

Viral audios / podcasts

The early red headed step-child of Internet media exposure – podcasting preceded Internet video with its widespread viral exposure. It’s ease of use and usually small files made this a quick viral solution for many causes.

Audio had the ability to quickly spread and be instantly heard spreading you message and directing listeners back to your site.

Articles

An oldie, - but goodie these days. This viral agent is the slow but steady killer. Using this method takes a lot longer than others these days, but it has real staying power. Writing and submitting articles is a great way to get readership and traffic back to your site.

In most cases when you submit your articles to an article directory you are also giving away the rights to reproduce your articles in their entirety. For you this means you Bio and any links to your site have to be included.

Web site

Essentially the root or host of your viral infection efforts. This is your hub, your center, the fruit of your efforts. Whatever your message or story, video or audio, it all leads back here. The center of your web of exposure, you want your core infectious material and message to lie dormant to pull visitors in like quick sand.

Scalability

Your Ability to Survive

Can You Maintain Life Over Time

The ability for your campaign to survive depends solely on your intelligence when it comes to this essential component. Basically how big you grow over a certain amount of time.

Slow Down or You May Crash

You have to know your limitations when you are starting any viral campaign, and plan for the size of your outbreak. You have to make sure you have the ability to sustain a healthy speed when your virus is spreading and have a backup plan when things go down – like that ever happens, right?

For instance let’s say you are launching a product, make sure you pace the promotions you’re sending out or you may flood your site resulting in a ton of emails, and visitors that never get the chance to see your message.

Don’t Kill the Host

Any good virus knows that it needs a host to sustain its existence and spread. - When you are running your viral campaign, plan to sustain your influence by having a back-end program or purpose to keep the symbiotic relationship with your visitors alive.

WIIFM

What’s In It For Me

Of course, where would we be without everyone’s favorite radio station right? One of the most basic elements this is your contagious factor. People will sell their grandmother if what you’re offering is good enough. All you have to do is give the “ethical bribe,” make it good enough and people will sign anything.

Incentive’s Cause Global Epidemics

Take a lesson from the mafia, you do something for me and I’ll do something for you. Or vice versa, you get me – a favor for a favor. If you are giving someone a reason for telling others about you, the chances of your message spreading are greatly increased.

Just Give Me A Reason… or… Your Justification

Just as in selling the likelihood of a visitor to take action is always increased when you just give a reason. Why are you offering this? What is your purpose or mission? What are your motives, or reasons behind what you are doing, a simple explanation goes a long way toward getting a visitor to take the desired action.

Call to Action

Move It Or Lose It

This is actually the most important part of any viral marketing campaign and without it you are just pointless genetic material…

What Are You Selling?

AKA – What is your product, service or message? What is the power or source behind your viral marketing campaign? If you don’t have an answer for this you’ve got one shell of a campaign running… Make sure that all your viral marketing efforts are not in vain and have a purpose behind your infectious methods. Link every bit of publicity and print back to your sole purpose which should be your product or service.

Build a list, make a sale

Before you begin know that all your advertising should focus on the purpose of building your list and adding to your sales. Really focusing your attention on the element of “network exploiting” viral marketing serves the purpose of building your list exponentially on auto pilot. Use a viral campaign to serve its primary god-given purpose and build your list for the ultimate outcome of getting you greater exposure and more sales.

Summary

Now that you know how Viral Marketing works, you may want to know where to find a powerful, yet affordable piece of software to let you put all of these techniques into work for you.

Head over to ViralFriendGenerator.com right now to start your own marketing virus. And to see the next level of viral marketing called Butterfly Marketing by Mike Filsaime at: TheButterflyMarketingManauscript.com

To you success,

Mike Filsaime