Inside the search marketing world, I still see many folks struggling to grasp the concept behind viral marketing, particularly when it comes to moving beyond the basic top 10 lists and iPhone helps destroy evil RIAA posts. So, I thought it would be valuable to take a look at some solid examples of well-thought-out, niche-relevant content that nails the viral marketing concept.
Let's start with Indeed.com's Job Trends search function:
The interface is smooth, seemless and fast. The data is hard to verify, but certainly fascinating to chart and eminently quotable. They've also done an excellent job of branding themselves with their logo behind the image and a free license to reproduce with a request for links back to Indeed.com. Now all they need to do is show a chart where Digg is going up and Microsoft is going down and submit it to the former :)
Next up is a link I came across via Sphinn (yes, it's already influencing the linkerati). This is a data-fetching tool for webpages that's now been freely licensed since the original developer could no longer support the bandwidth.
You can get data about SEO, popularity, IP information, blog subscribers, link data and more. The interface is fairly solid, too, despite the scrolling list formats and it appeals to the most link-likely part of every blogger - the ego. Someone's already made a working version at XinuReturns.com.
Last up is the Compete.com blog, which constantly advertises on Techmeme, but had a surefire hit this week with their release of click data to political campaign websites.
It's timely, informative and even looks like it matches up well with mainstream polling data (with the obvious lefty-slant thanks to the online demographic). Their biggest mistake? Not including Ron Paul in with the Republican data initially and then showing his somewhat lackluster numbers. Good linkbaiters know that the summer of 2007 is the summer of Ron Paul on the web - if you want traffic and links, say nice things about that guy :)
Now I'd love to open up the floor - if you've got examples of well-architected viral content to share, please do!
I agree that many companies don't truly understand what "viral marketing" means. You wouldn't believe the times I've been approached by senior executives telling me we should create crazy videos "like the dancing baby one - that's viral right? Then we can put it in our product emails." There are so many things wrong with comments like that, I can't begin to dissect.
More often than not, the conversations begin with, "let's make something" (product, video, article, image, whatever), followed by "how do we make this viral". If you're looking after the fact to make something viral that isn't, then that's the wrong approach.
Exactly - as soon as I'm back in the office I plan to send some examples of how to do it well - which is when the viral element comes first.
The Web Trend Map is a sweet example of viral. I'm having one printed for the office, will be fun to look at in 5 years. So cool - they could have branded it a bit better but solid overall.
It's described as "The 200 most successful websites on the web, ordered by category, proximity, success, popularity and perspective." For visual people like me it rocks.
Wow --- I almost lost my eyesight staring at that page for so long.... very cool! In a more frenetic way it reminds me of the chart Bruce Clay created years ago....which obviously has had many a facelifts over the years!
Bruce Clay SE Reationship Chart
You can also view the PDF version here.
Actually the Xenu logo reminds me of a Foo Fighter...
If you guys know about Bruce Lee and the movie that he was suppose to play in after the Green Hornet - Kung Fu but did not because David Carradine got the part.
https://www.kungfu-guide.com/resources.html
Well we are the Foo Fighters of the Internet!
The word Foo has a special symbalic value in the hacker's world.
And please, a hacker is not a cracker-->
The Compete site showing the interest in Hillary Clinton....surely the clustering matches the population density as much as the interest in her campaign?
What would be virally wicked is an inverse of this...showing all
the interest coming from the "empty" states. Not necessarily true
but it might get some wry comments and loads of links.
Great examples Rand - when I get back to work (yes, I'm actually on holiday beliee it or not), I will dig out some good virals.
I have one other thing to say though, about Xinu, which I also said at Sphinn & which mirrors a comment on the original Techcrunch.
That logo! Seriously, is Web 2.0 suddenly about racially cliched cartoons? I'm sure it ws done with no malice, but it really shouldn't be encouraged.
Rant over - hope I haven't spoiled the mood!
I picked up on the Xinu logo also. Didn't offend me, but I thought, "Wow, that will piss someone off"
Ciaran is seems like your comment was heard. The logo isn't there when I click through to the site now.
Wow - they probably shouldn't have actually done that. Now I'm going to think that my opinion actually matters and really start kicking off about stuff!
;)
Seriously though - good work to the people in charge of that.
Wow - it really is gone....so much for their branding campaign.
You can make a business out of this... take a look at 'mister wong' -Favicon
Thank God the fav is the only nasty thing left. I wonder how people think this sort of thing will be a good idea;
Ahhh, the joys of web 2.0...
Check out the Who's Linking page at XinuReturns. Shows you exactly who is scraping this post :o
Yeah how about making a page randfish or igor both should work...
:)
Just if you do put a link to our Websites...Ha, Ha, Ha!
Amit I do not think the tool works.
https://www.google.com/trends?q=Spam it shows Spam down but it is way up...
Its the same in the other tool too - https://www.indeed.com/jobtrends?q=spam&l= which also shows there is downfall in the spam ;)
The indeed tool doesn't necessarily show a downfall in spam, but maybe it truly shows that there is a downturn in hiring to combat the problem.
This tool only shows the volume of queries for the term 'spam'. It is in no way saying that spam has decreased, only the number of times someone searches for the word in Google.
Isnt google trends showing more related information state wise?
https://www.google.com/trends?q=%22social+networking%22
A few days ago I Googled Igor The Troll and found only two pages.
Today I did the same query and found 214,000 results. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Igor+The+Troll&btnG=Search
Inspired by Rand I went out and did a Viral
https://www.igorthetroll.com
I can use a nice graphics image for Igor The Troll
If anyone intersted, please make one and email it to: [email protected]
You will get full credit due!
Ha, Ha! Why bother spending all that money on running a political compain when SEO shows the results of the election already!
The candidates should just give the money to some charities and do some blog debates and the winner takes it home....
I wonder what else SEO can be used for? Arranged marriage, job selectivity, market prediction, weather prediction...wow it is unlimited.
So, it goes statistics 101 an undergraduate requirement, guess we are not reinventing the wheel after all, just learning from history.
Hey guys, I am not joking!
Check out this query..
https://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=Igor+the+Troll&btnG=Google+Search
If someone is to make a page with this title it will get tons of generic hits.
I am to busy to do this, so anyway please go for it...
Just if you do please place a link to https://www.phsdl.net it is a non for profit anti Spam project that I conceived, developed, and now administrating.