Viral Marketing

The words far below are probally the best definition of viral marketing, however in people speak it's really just another annoying way to sell ones wares. with every medium the annoying outweighs the good, but nevertheless there is good to be found in this medium. Twitter is very casual about making connections. As a beginning twitter user; I asked my self who would follow me what do I have to say that is so important? and why do i want to follow that guy, he seems like a moron.

And in that lies the beauty of this medium, you can search for topics, names, events and more than likely someone else has something to say about the same thing, and there is usually a link to a bit more on that person view of the subject. Now you have invested two clicks into the perspective of a person who you would of never found without this medium. A few more click and an email and you may have made a friend. or even still someone to buy your stuff.

from wikipedia-

The buzzwords viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet^[1]. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or even text messages. The basic form of viral marketing is not infinitely sustainable.

The goal of marketers interested in creating successful viral marketing programs is to identify individuals with high Social Networking Potential (SNP) and create Viral Messages that appeal to this segment of the population and have a high probability of being passed along.

The term "viral marketing" has also been used pejoratively to refer to stealth marketing campaigns—the unscrupulous use of astroturfing on-line combined with undermarket advertising in shopping centers to create the impression of spontaneous word of mouth enthusiasm.^[2]