Pros & Cons of Pass along e-mail

It is no doubt that using pass along e-mail to reach customers is low cost. Once we get the e-mail address from previous customers and members, we can send out the promotion e-mail to them. E-mail receiver will be always willing to forward the mail to their friends if they think it is useful and attractive. Through the word-of- mouth, people usually open the mail which is sent by their friends. Perhaps, it is one of the fastest and credible way to spread message.

However, pass along e-mail may not be successful sometimes. First, many promotion e-mail will be listed as junk mail, e-mail user will always neglect it. Second, e-mail user may feel annoying to receive the mail from the company, they may delete the message immediately. Third, pictures and text cannot be viewed when user open the e-mail (see the example blow).

The Pros & Cons of Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt)

I have discussed the example of Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt) from the last post, as I mentioned Web-Facilitated Viral is highly relied on the motivation of value-added benefits, therefore, the benefits are (1) the advertiser can leverage the power of netizens to spread its message; (2) building good feelings/reputation from the brand to customers, also, (3) save a lot of advertising cost etc.

However, there are also some trade-offs with the Web-Facilitated Viral, for examples, (1) the value-added benefits are hard to determine because the value is from the point of sender’s view; (2) an effective and efficient website takes time to build and fine-tune etc.

In conclusion, Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt) can be a powerful and cost-efficiency tool to promote a product/brand/company as long as the advertiser has a good tactic.

 

Pros and cons of incentivised viral marketing

As my mentioned in previous two posts, I think you know what incentivized viral marketing is basically. Now, I would like to discuss their advantages and disadvantages which base on the example of free netbook.

For the pros, the activity is very attractive due to nobody doesn’t want to get free stuff. It will increase the participation numbers and then company can easily to get customer database. Moreover, this activity also can create internet WOM and increase brand awareness because the gimmick power is big. Many customers are willing to spread the message with their friends as soon as possible. Then, company can achieve the aim of incentivized viral marketing.

For the cons, there is a risk if the activity can’t get customer attention. Because of we can’t ensure customers love the free gift and they will spread message with others. Moreover, company needs to spend cost on purchasing the products.

Pros and Cons of Web Link Viral

As viral marketing is being used widely nowadays, it proved how useful the viral marketing is. It seems that web-link viral has a lot of advantages so that it can be used widely. However, there are still some disadvantages of the use of web link viral. I am going to explore the pros and cons of web link viral to all of you.

In the above case, it has demonstrated the web link viral very well. As the writer of this blog has expressed how amazing the company's activity is, and the content is all come from their personal opinion, it is more persuasive. Other readers may believe in the content more, and have positive prejudice towards the company. In the example, the writer has successfully attracted some other users to discuss the link, and most of them believe that the function of the company is attractive. It proved that the web link viral is useful when spreading the positive word of mouth out.

However, there are still some disadvantages of using web link viral. As the user may not have positive opinion about the company, they may express their negative opinion about the company. The negative image of the company will be created afterwards.

Pro and Cons of using Web Link Viral

This time, let's talk about the pro and cons of using web link.

Pros:

Web link is a good builder for equity since it is something can creating word of mouth effect. Consumers tend to trust it more often because people doesn't feel it as “intrusive” as other regular advertising. It can spreads at a fast pace and which is an effective means of branding and developing an impression in the minds of audience. Besides, Web link helps in  differentiating from competitors and breaking away from the clutter.

Cons:

Viral Marketing could damage your product forever. Since you cannot fully control it, you can just plan ahead, prepare the information, set it loose and hope everything goes as planned. Moreover, Using web link has no standard practices and it is quite difficult to quantify the results.

 

So, how do you think about using web link?

Incentivized viral's pros & cons

Pros

Companies in different industries like using Incentivized Viral to help them increase referrals. They can be easier to obtain customers’ personal information through Incentivized Viral as customers can get some free stuff after leaving their or their friends’ contact. It can increase their customer’s data base. Moreover, more and more people like sharing on their blog or forum. They would like to share the “jetso” to the others so that the company's brand awareness would be enhanced finally. The more they discuss, the more opportunities to get the media’s attention. The optimal situation is getting the media’s attention to broadcast the campaign to help the company do a free promotion.

Cons

Incentivized Viral would increase the production cost of the Companies as they have to produce some gifts to the customers. Besides, it is difficult for the companies to outstand their incentive as more and more competitors exist.

Real Case of Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt)

There is a real case about Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt) from HK Tourism Board. It is a promotion for the event - HK Summer Spectacular. It is not a good example of Web-facilitated viral as the impact is really small.

For a Viral Marketing like Web-Facilitated Viral, a force or an initial in terms of benefits to the sender, such as monetary (coupons) or physiological rewards (share of funs), are required to motivate them sending to relatives. However, in this case, there is no value for the sender and hence, the impact of this campaign is really small. Therefore, this is an unsuccessful case of Web-Facilitated Viral (Web Prompt).

Pros and Cons of Web-facilitated viral(e-mail prompt)

E-mail prompt is user-friendly?
Advantages of e-mail prompt

Company can gererate mass contacts via internet . For example members also can recommend others to visit the website if they also left their friends or colleagues e-mails.Therefore, company can be easier to gerenate mass contacts for promoting.

As the communication process between visitors and company in internet, no matter sent out e-mail or gerenate contacts, company only spent less on the communication but can promote the products or promotio even without boundaries.

Disvantages of e-mail prompt

It is easier to be through as a spam so that people will ignore. It was because e-mail can be left by other people. In this situation, some people may not be willing to receive these kind of message. Therefore, people will be list the types of e-mail as spam.

 Someone may think that e-mail prompt is under owner permission even the sending company is illegal to generate their contacts. Thus, the privacy problem is seriously destroed by e-mail prompt too.

Successful Example of Using Viral Marketing with Web Links

This is the successful example of using viral marketing with web link in tourism industry.

Innostel is the partner of The Seoul Metropolitan City Government. It is a Korea website which provides clean and comfortable accommodations chooses for foreign tourists with reasonable price in Seoul.

Why it is successful in using viral marketing? Many foreign customers who have experienced Innostel before, after that, they always recommend it to other people through Internet with some web links, for example, they usually post some information or advantages about Innostel on forums or in their blogs with some text message and web links which links to the official website of Innostel. 

Since Innostel has a very high pass-along rate from person to person on the Internet, people spread the messages about it through posting web links and text content on the social networks such as forums, blogs and even Facebook. Therefore, it's a very successful example of using viral marketing with the power of word of mouth.

Demonstration of Web-link Viral!!!

Web-link viral can create an effective word of mouth throughout the blog. Many companies will use web-link viral to increase their awareness in a persuasive manner. Here is an example that can fully demonstrate this technique.

In this famous discussion group, one of the users posts the web link of the company. Moreover, the user introduces how attractive the company’s event is, and how convenience the participant can attend the lucky draw. As the post is created by the writers themselves, the content is more persuasive.

After the post creator has created the web link post, it will arouse the discussion of the discussion group users. The effect of viral marketing is created eventually.

As the company can successfully attract people to post their link in the discussion group, it proved that the company can master web-link viral technique very well, and can fully play the advantages of the web link viral technique.  

The masterpiece of web-link viral example:

Example of incentivized viral marketing - Free netbook

An incentivized viral marketing helps to generate mass customer data base to company and customers will to spread the message to others. Moreover, they also can get some free things from incentivized viral, such as, coupon and cash. Now, I would like to share an example to you.

Feva Works Company holds an activity to get Lenovo IdeaPad Lite S10-2 free as incentive. If customer introduces the selected course to their friends they can take free netbook. Furthermore, customer can enjoy extra 10 marks as encouragement before the due day to join this activity.

Surely, this activity can allure many consumers to join and spread the message to friends due to getting free thing is the best motivation in the world. And also, customer will leave their personal information with the course and Feva Works Company can generate customer information. Finally, company can send their information to the customer via e-mail in the future.

Example of Pass along e-mail (viral marketing)

In the tourism industry, e-mail is a very common promotional channel. Definitely, e-mailing is one of the efficient and effective promotion way which can deliver the message to the selected segmentation. Moreover, it can reach a huge number of people by further referral .

Priceline - A US company which is selling travel products online since 1998. They aim to offer the lowest  price of travel products in the most convenient way. I am the regular customer of Priceline. I receive their promotion e-mail regularly although I did not officially register. Priceline is doing the viral marketing with their customer database. They wish e-mail receiver will click the link that leads to the specific landing page, and forward the e-mail to their friends at the same time. There is an example below:

Example of Incentivised viral - Groupon

Incentivized viral is one of the techniques of viral marketing which is an effective way to help company to increase referrals. Therefore, companies would like to offer various incentives for people in order to attract them. I would like to use “Groupon” as an example to explain more to you.

“Groupon” corporates with different companies to offer coupon to the customers. They are now holding a marketing campaign to reward the existing customers. The existing customers can earn $50 for their own use if they recommend their friends to join it. They just have to click a button “Recommend now and get $50 for every success recommendation!” and leave their friends’ email address, they can get $50 credits if their friends purchase in “Groupon”.

That is one of the examples of Incentivized Viral. Customers can be rewarded if they refer someone to the company, so the company can be easier to increase referrals.

 

Web-facilitated viral (web prompt)

Web-facilitated viral (or web prompt) is one of the forms of viral marketing. Web-facilitated viral is the web page such as a product catalogue or white paper which contains a link or graphics to “e-mail to a friend” or colleague. A web form is again used to collect data and an email is subsequently sent.

Web-facilitated viral is highly related to the value of the page or content in the users’ minds. The value can be an interesting thing, or benefits to reward the users. Web-facilitated viral can be also viewed as WOM marketing. Web-facilitated viral can be found from the new products promotion that required the effects of viral marketing.

Here are some examples of Web-facilitated viral (or web prompt):
Campbell's

Cottonelle

skype

A real case of e-mail prompt(Web- facilitated viral) in Travel Industry

There is a real case about e-mail prompt(Web- facilitated viral) . In Travel Expert website, we can observe that company would like to increase their customer base via e-mail prompt. It is the normal way for company using website to strengthen customers base if customers left other e-mails there.

  

For example, if I think a travel package is attractive, I could left my friend's e-mail as recommendation for him or her so that share the message to them. Through the e-mail prompt, it is benefical for business to earn the most benefit and promote their products in the fastest way and attract mass customers with lower cost.

However, it is not a successful case in E-mail prompt in travel industry. Travel Expart doesn't have good brand name, therefore,viral effect is not obvious to forward out by customers because may not everyone think it is a good product. Also,customers normally having their choices base on their own opinion. Consequently, people will have own need to choose individual package too.

Reference: 
Travel Expert(2011). Retrieved July 12
From http://www.travelexpert.com.hk/en/package_TellYourFriend.asp?Uid=337

An incentivized viral marketing helps you to get something for nothing

Why incentivized viral marketing is important for the marketing campaign?

An effective incentivized viral marketing motivates people to pass on their marketing messages. If a large percentage of people forward the message to a huge number of friends, the growth snowballs extremely speedily.

Who don’t want to get free stuff?

The gimmick of incentivized viral marketing is featuring "free give-away". Moreover, “free” is the most attractive word tends to have power in this society. Thus, the marketer is generally offering cash, prize and coupon, etc have also been tried as incentives for consumers to spread the marketing message. For example, a recipient forwards the message to their friends through e-mail, and then they can get $10 cash coupon when the receiver accepted the message.

To sum up, the marketer can spread the message as soon as possible due to have enough of an incentive as attractiveness.

Web- facilitated viral ,What is it?

Web - facilitated viral ( e-mail prompt). The e-mail includes a link or graphic with 'e-mail a friend' or 'e-mail a colleague 'in a web page. Company is useful to collect visitor's e-mail and then forward  and sometimes with optional message. The company then send a separate message to the friend or colleague.

That's mean when you visit a website which you found something interest or useful, you can write down your friend or colleague's email  with a button with 'e-mail a friend'. Therefore, company can depend on the e-mail address and then send the separate e-mail as forward to your friend or colleague. It is useful for company to collect e-mail address for their database.

Reference: 
Viral Marketing (2011). Retrieved July 12
From Internet Marketing, Strategy,Implementation and Practice (fourth edition)

Viral Marketing - Incentivised viral

No one would like to give without taking anything, that’s “Give and Take” principle. Therefore, Incentivised viral is an effective way to help company increase referrals as people can be rewarded when they refer somebody to the company.

Incentivised viral is a type of Viral Marketing’s technique used by companies in which users are offered rewards when they refer their friends to the company. It could be the "Invite friends, get $25" button on the site. The company would like to reward people who gave their friends’ email or contact number to the company. People are more willing to give when they are rewarded. Incentivised viral becomes more effective when the referred person needs to take action for the reward to be given. 

                            

Web Link Viral--an Effective Marketing Tool for You

Web- link Viral is a type of viral marketing. As viral marketing is an effective tool of reaching numerous numbers of people, it consists of several criteria. There are two main categories of viral marketing, which are passalong-emails or discussions in social network. 


Web- link viral is a form of viral marketing mechanisms. Web link viral means links in individual discussion group postings or blogs. As the post in discussion groups and blogs are posting the writers’ personal opinion, the content is more persuasive, powerful, and trust worthy. Therefore, web-link viral is a very effective type of viral marketing. Most importantly, the company needs to get a lot of targeted online and offline mentions of the viral agent when seeding the activities. 


Example of Discussion Group:

Viral Marketing - Web Link !!!

Viral marketing is the concept of passing a marketing message to other people through methods that can create a 'buzz' and which helps in increasing brand awareness and enables you to capitalize on referrals from others. Viral marketing could be any web link, video, email, newsletter, photo, advertisement, etc.

Web Link is one of the viral marketing methods which can be passed from user to user. It could be the "Tell A Friend" script, or "Share This" button on the site or email. By placing web links on every page of your site you are ensuring to drive addition targeted traffic to your site. Web link not only allows visitors to email the links to your site, or to post on a networking site but also enable the visitor to quickly and easily spread the word about your site, product or service.

Viral Marketing - Pass along E-mail

Pass along e-mail
We can easily understand the definition and meaning from the wording. Obviously, pass along e-mail is a kind of e-mail which rapidly pass along from person to person. Word-of -mouth is a certain element of the pass along e-mail.

Some e-mails especially commercial may offer 'forward to a friend' in the creative. Pass along e-mail is one of the powerful form of marketing that is not complicated and expensive. When customers/people are willing to forward the e-mail from your company, potential customer might be reached. Most of the e-mails may include incentive to make pass along e-mail more effective.

An example below:

Definition of viral marketing

Viral Marketing, also called Marketing Buzz, is marketing technique through social networks to produce and increase awareness like viral. Internet facilitates viral marketing's development. Word-of-Mouth marketing is one of the most important tactics in social media marketing nowadays. Viral marketing can be included different forms like test messages, video clips, flash games, or even images.

There are some different types of viral marketing, for examples. (1) Pass-along e-mail viral; (2) Web-facilitated viral (e-mail prompt); (3) Web-facilitated viral (web prompt); (4) Incentivised viral; (5) Web-link viral. This is blog will be introduce them regarding the travel and tourism industry.