Are you aware of the viral marketing virus’s existence? It is definitely not a new virus; it has been around since 1976 and, it may be very contagious especially, there is the five types of viral marketing viruses that exist today which are value virus, cunning virus, shy virus, spiral virus, and unpleasant virus, as well as the five principles that must be present for the virus to be transmitted: social popularity, emotion, general, practical value, and stories (Mehdi 2021).
Most businesses, however, benefit from this virus because viral marketing has a positive impact on consumer purchase intention. Furthermore, it increases brand awareness and recognition. In fact, when compared to other marketing strategies, viral marketing has been deemed one of the most effective strategies. The social media platform is one of the main reasons why viral marketing is so easily spread around the world.
The presence of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube provides more trustworthy, credible, and honest marketing messages (Puriwat and Tripopsakul 2021). It also makes it easier for audiences to spread the messages. Therefore, social media has played an important role in speeding the spread of viral marketing.
However, there are some disadvantages to using viral marketing strategy, such as unexpected results, such as creating a negative buzz rather than a positive buzz. While negative buzz can increase brand awareness, it can also harm the brand’s reputation. Furthermore, viral marketing cannot be controlled, so if the messages are perceived negatively among the public, it will be difficult for the business to keep things under control. Eventually it will have a negative impact on the brand’s reputation.
Lastly, there is no fix method for businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. In other words, the company is unable to determine whether the increase in sales is the result of the viral advertising strategy. Hence, business may carefully consider the messages that would like to be shared when applying this strategy. Overall, viral marketing has both advantages and disadvantages that marketers must consider in addition to understanding why it is viral.
Vania 
Hi Vania! I really enjoyed reading your blog this week! I adore the artwork and imagery used, i think it looks great! You have used some really fantastic examples and references to explain the concept of viral marketing and back up your arguments which I believe is done really well! I would have loved to see some memes or viral examples in your blog to show how strong viral content is these days! but other than that, great blog! 🙂 Alicia.
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