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. June 23, 2005, 2005 Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily.Viral Marketing - definition, information, sites, articles 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.

It is claimed that a customer tells an average of three people about a product or service they like, and eleven people about a product or service which they did not like.

Viral marketing is based on this natural human behavior.

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" is also sometimes used pejoratively to refer to stealth marketing campaigns May 8, 2007?the use of varied kinds of astroturfing both online and offline December 14, 2005 to create the impression of spontaneous word of mouth enthusiasm.

* See Viral phenomenon