Spreading the Virus: 5 Categories of Viral Marketing you might wanna try

Every day, marketers think of and execute strategies to let the [online] world know that a company or brand exists. The easy part is to make sure something is put out there consistently so they wouldn’t be left behind by competitors, but ambitious bloggers are not pleased with just an ordinary mission. There are those who aim to make their content stand out above the rest, like a vivid red amidst a backdrop of black and white.

If you want to achieve that, your content must fall into a category outside of the usual, run-of-the-mill articles. And not only should it be unique; it must also be share-worthy. It must be viral. Yes, just like an infectious virus spreading throughout cyberspace, your content must be able to contaminate readers with absolute curiosity and interest that their minds begin to succumb to the urge to infect others as well.

Here are the different categories of viral content that you can blog about. Be warned: fiddling with these themes, though beneficial when done with care, may involve serious risk.

Taboo-esque. There are unwritten rules imposed by our society that say, “You can’t talk about this or that.” While it sets the standard for decency and social harmony, sometimes we need to break the ice to put emphasis on reality. Bloggers try to subtly incorporate matters of politics, corporate malevolence and even sex into their articles just to get people talking about it. It becomes acceptable as long as you stick to your goals and stay true to your principles.

“What the…?” For a blog post to elicit this kind of reaction, it doesn’t have to talk about profanity or out-of-this-world subjects. It could be something ordinary but presented with a shocking twist, like what LG did to show how incredibly realistic their monitors are by pulling a prank on elevator passengers making them think the floor was falling.

Comical. When your marketing boss asks you to think of a funny marketing blog post, you’d immediately think of posting a satirical video or a spoof, which is a logical thought, but not really a necessity. You’d be surprised to discover how bloggers could get their posts go viral even without a single touch of visuals. They rely purely on ingenious storytelling and a knack for evocative punch-lines. But videos are great, too.

Inspirational. Did you hear about the quadruple amputee who crossed the English Channel? Of course you did. Personal triumphs are bestsellers when it comes to viral content, but they should be combined with marketing ever so delicately, otherwise people will accuse you of exploiting emotions. Trendy. Of course, it’s a marketing standard to use topics that are currently trending because of the search potentials it could bring to the table. The challenge is how to make yours more noticeable amongst a barrage of piggyback-riders.

Trendy. Of course, it’s a marketing standard to use topics that are currently trending because of the search potentials it could bring to the table. The challenge is how to make yours more noticeable amongst a barrage of piggyback-riders.