In class, we talked about the differences between viral marketing online as compared to traditional marketing. Online marketing, in my own words, is a strategy used to gain an online following, as well as, to promote a message/product on the internet. There were five key factors that made viral marketing successful. Those included: Interesting Appeal, Accessibility, Engagement (MAIN model - Modality, Agent (source of info), Interactivity, and Navigational Function), Promotion giveaway, and not awkwardness. We also explained that online marketing used word-of-mouth, but in internet terms, meaning that social media sharing is the equivalent of re-telling a message to a friend in traditional marketing.
Traditional marketing still has it's place.. billboards on highways, concert flyers around local business, and giant posters on sides of city buildings, however, advertisements typically contain something like "Find us on Facebook and Twitter or #Example." This shows that the integration and switch to online marketing will probably dominate markets eventually. There is even electronic billboards now so the possibilities continue to be discovered.
Online marketing is able to increase exposure and influence more than traditional media. It's a great opportunity to get your product out, but comes with many cons too. For instance, now you can trending one hour but something else the next hour. Also, more personal information can be exploited as we all subscribe to the system. Other countries and Apps have been known to use information or your pictures in countries advertisements overseas. We all run the risk of being exploited under the online marketing industry.
