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Viral marketing on the internet is a hugely valuable tool because it uses the best and cheapest form of advertising there is - word of mouth.
The basic idea is that an end-user comes across a digital product, normally music, video or text, which they find amusing, entertaining or useful in some way and are encouraged to freely distribute it in the hope that it will go 'viral'. This relies on exponential growth so that each person who receives the product passes it on to another two or more, so that an original distribution of perhaps half a dozen might eventually reach hundreds of thousands. The product is, of course, branded with the URL or other advertising of the original advertiser.
Where the viral method fails is when the information product offered is effectively worthless and is perceived as such by the recipient who has no incentive to share it with friends or colleagues. A hastily cobbled together e-book just won't cut it, because the recipient must receive kudos for passing on the product and doesn't want their reputation tarnished by passing on tat. It must have a perceived value.
This is obvious from the You Tube videos which go viral. They are not the Photoshop tutorials or even the band promos, they are the pranks and japes which tickle the viewer. Not only are they amused, they get a buzz from the gifting of the link to their friends. This is not a one-size-fits-all type of operation because the cute kitten repeatedly falling off a sofa may split your sides but leave others cold. On the same score this is not a precise science, because no-one can predict what will go viral and what will not. All the advertiser can do is look at what has worked in the past and try to replicate it, hopefully with some creative input.
Comedy, generally, works, but it must be good comedy and humour is so subjective that it is difficult to predict an audience reaction. Following your pet around with a video camera might supply some magical moments but the worldwide audience is becoming jaded with these adventures into animal antics.
Text is easier because everybody can write, but not everybody can write funny and if the advertiser accepts that funny is what works then a source of written comedy material must be found. This is not as difficult as it may at first sound. The internet abounds with sites for aspiring writers, hopefully posting their work in the hope that they will get noticed. Find a piece that you think is genuinely funny and will amuse a broad spectrum of readers or perhaps even your specific target audience and contact the author. Offer a small amount to brand their work with your advertising and the chances are that they'll accept because what they really want at this point in their career is readers more than immediate financial rewards. Suggest that the e-book you will create from their material could also carry advertising for their other work, which might be paid-for.
The e-book will probably be created in the PDF format but try not to use the free Word to PDF converters which litter the digital landscape. The effect usually looks poor and these programs rarely offer the opportunity to embed a clickable link within the book. A static advertisement might produce some returns but a clickable link is much more valuable. Your potential customer doesn't like having to type your address into his browser.
Finally, comes the task of kick-starting the viral process. It has been suggested above that an initial distribution of six might produce excellent results but the truth is that the greater the initial distribution, the greater the chances of success. Get that magical word FREE into your email signature and onto your website. Send out copies to everybody you know, but don't spam. Away from your PC's operating system and your own immune system it's the only virus you might actually get some benefit from.
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