Viral Marketing 101

I stumbled upon a very good article by Dr. Ralph Wilson on the key principals behind successful viral marketing. The article (The Six Simple Principals of Viral Marketing) defines what viral marketing is, how it works and the elements behind the most successful viral marketing campaigns.

And those elements?

1. Gives away products or services
2. Provides for effortless transfer to others
3. Scales easily from small to very large
4. Exploits common motivations and behaviors
5. Utilises existing communication networks
6. Takes advantage of others' resources

In my opinion, the article is perhaps a little broad in its definition of viral marketing though it is an excellent starting point for marketers considering viral marketing.