Delaware Business Blog

Secrets of ‘Viral Videos’ revealed at Delaware Tourism Office workshop

By admin May 24, 2013 Business, Delaware, Ecommerce & Technology, Fun, Opportunity & Resources, Press Release No Comments

The Delaware Tourism Office launched its new “Talking Tourism” workshop series Wednesday with a presentation by social media marketing expert Tod Maffin, who told attendees at the Dover Sheraton that they held the keys to creating the next Internet sensation.

“Viral videos” and other fast-spreading Web phenomena can actually be created and launched by businesses that hope to tap into this distinctly modern marketing platform, according to Maffin, chief strategist at Engage-Q Digital in Canada.

“Can blind luck be reproduced?” said Maffin. “Absolutely. Today’s viral campaigns may seem like jackpots in a one-in-a-million lottery, but it turns out they are well within the reach of any marketing team’s grasp.”

Maffin said he has worked to uncover the secret ingredients behind some of the world’s most talked-about campaigns. By “deconstructing,” or reverse engineering, these campaigns, even marketing teams with relatively small budgets can equip their own campaigns with the key markers that will help them turn viral, Maffin told participants from the tourism industry and other professions.

“So much of what Tod suggests is within reach of us all,” said Linda Parkowski, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “In today’s world, it’s hard to overestimate the impact a successful viral campaign can have on the bottom line. This is a case where the potential rewards of a minimal investment are huge.”

Maffin says a successful viral marketing campaign typically includes six components:

  • The content must match the audience’s expectations – a risqué video for a quiet, dignified vacation resort will certainly fall flat among its typical customers, for example.
  • A single, simple concept is more likely to “go viral” than a complex message.
  • Sentiment is important: The tone of the piece should be silly, serious or stunning.
  • People should be offered some sort of incentive for participating in the marketing program or sharing the video. “You can’t just put it on the Internet and let it be,” said Maffin, pointing to the prize money Dorito’s offered for naming its new mystery chip.
  • Embrace the “unofficial.” If someone makes a quirky video mentioning your product, accept it, and run with it.
  • Deliver successive rounds: If a video takes off, follow it up with a different take on the same concept to keep it fresh.

    • For viral marketing efforts that do succeed, the reach can be truly global, and the potential impact staggering, according to Delaware Tourism Department research. More than a billion unique users visit YouTube each month, and they watch a total of 4 billion hours of dancing babies, talking dogs and falling goats. In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views, or around 140 for every person on Earth.

    But it’s also clearly a challenge to stand out among the noise. 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute of the day. When Ad Age launched its “Viral Video Chart” a few years ago, about 220,000 views would get your video on the list. Today, it takes 1.5 million views to be considered a viral video — a 600 percent increase in the threshold.

    At the same time, more and more people are choosing to watch online ads — in 2011, audiences actively chose to watch ads 2.7 billion times. In 2012, that number grew to 4.6 billion, a 70 perfect increase over a one year period.

    Maffin’s presentation was the first in a continuing series that will address topics of interest to tourism industry professionals. For more information on the Delaware Tourism Office’s “Talking Tourism” series, stay tuned to www.VisitDelaware.com.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *