Mobile-Net

Rebecca Black and the Case of the Terribly Awesome Song

If you haven't heard about Rebecca Black's song "Friday", you will. Technically, you are now -- but trust me, I won't be the only one talking about it. I bring it up as an absolutely perfect example of viral social media marketing. Almost overnight, Ms. Black's video went from a very modest 3,000 views to an astounding 5 million views on YouTube, and that's thanks almost entirely to the power of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube.

In this post, I'm going to discuss why "Friday" went viral and what the thought process was behind it -- all in hopes that you come away with a better understanding of the way that Social Media Marketing can work for you.

Why did "Friday" go viral?

As a people, we delight in the failure and embarrassment of others. In fact, the Germans even have a word for it: "schadenfreude" (sha * den * froid * uh) -- literally, taking pleasure at the misfortune of others. Schadenfreude is precisely the reason that "Friday" was viewed so many times; people wanted to see for themselves just how awful the song was and then revel in the atrocity of it.

Let me give you another example. Do you ever wonder why "America's Funniest Home Videos" has been on the air for over twenty years? It's not because it's hard-hitting quality programming; AFV is never going to win an Emmy. America's Funniest Home Videos has been on the air for over twenty years because people genuinely enjoy watching daddy get hit in the family jewels with a baseball bat and little Timmy faceplanting into concrete off of his skateboard -- it's schadenfreude, baby!

To be clear, schadenfreude isn't the only way to go when crafting your viral video -- look up "Will It Blend" on YouTube, for example -- but it's definitely one of the best ways to go when crafting your viral video.

What's the point?

What exactly Rebecca and the other people behind "Friday" want to get out of their marketing campaign is hard to tell, but one thing is for certain: they want exposure, and that's exactly what they got. Viral Social Media Marketing is always about name recognition and brand proliferation.

Fame is a bankable asset, and you don't have to be good or worthwhile to be famous. Don't believe me? Take a look at Kim Kardashian or William Hung. Both attained fame for being bad: Kim for her "accidentally released" sex tape and Mr. Hung for his hilariously awful singing as a contestant on American Idol. And guess what? They're both now bankable brands and millionaires. How does this apply to my company?

Every company is different -- different products, different locations, and different corporate cultures -- and your Viral Social Media Marketing campaign has to be as unique and novel as possible, which means that by definition there's no "cookie cutter" process for creating viral content.

The major point here is that the content you create for your Viral Social Media Marketing campaign should never be plain or laudatory. Don't put up a promotional video extolling the virtues of your product, or singing the praises of your service department -- unless, of course, you plan to do it in some hilariously God-awful way. Remember that with viral content, absurdity, unorthodoxy, uniqueness, and humor are key.

About the Author

For more marketing advice for your small business, visit Carter's small business marketing blog. Carter Schimpff is the President and Owner of Garraty Group Marketing, Ltd., a Fort Worth-based firm specializing in small business web design.

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