viral marketing

Meaning

This term refers to a promotional strategy that encourages individuals to share a marketing message, video, or campaign with others, creating exponential growth in its visibility. In entertainment, it often involves mysterious websites, interactive games, or social media trends designed to get people talking about an upcoming movie or show.

Examples

• The movie's viral marketing campaign included a fake website for the fictional company.

  The movie's viral marketing campaign included a fake website for the fictional company.

• Thanks to clever viral marketing on TikTok, the low-budget horror film became a massive box office hit.

  Thanks to clever viral marketing on TikTok, the low-budget horror film became a massive box office hit.

• They relied on word-of-mouth and viral marketing rather than traditional TV commercials.

  They relied on word-of-mouth and viral marketing rather than traditional TV commercials.

• The studio's viral marketing strategy succeeded because it felt like a puzzle for fans to solve.

  The studio's viral marketing strategy succeeded because it felt like a puzzle for fans to solve.

• An unexpected meme became the perfect tool for the video game's viral marketing.

  An unexpected meme became the perfect tool for the video game's viral marketing.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The company did a virus marketing to sell their new show.

  ✓ The company did a viral marketing campaign to sell their new show.

  Use the adjective 'viral' rather than the noun 'virus' when describing this type of marketing.

• ✗ We paid millions of dollars to guarantee our video would have viral marketing.

  ✓ We invested in a campaign, but you cannot easily guarantee viral marketing.

  Viral marketing relies on organic sharing by the public, so it can never be 100% guaranteed or directly bought.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The horror film used ___ by setting up creepy, real-world art installations that went online.

  💡 A strategy that relies on social sharing to spread rapidly

  Show answer

  viral marketing

• If you want your indie game to succeed without a big budget, you should focus on ___.

  💡 Organic, peer-to-peer digital promotion

  Show answer

  viral marketing