Online advertising is a growing aspect of business marketing in the internet age even if you don’t own an e-commerce website, and one particular brand of marketing online is of course Viral Video Marketing.

So what exactly is Viral video marketing and how can it fit into your marketing portfolio and strategy.

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that seek to exploit pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness, through viral processes similar to the spread of an epidemic.

One of the advantages of web video marketing is the cost base. Unlike the very expensive television advertising and traditional media advertising avenues, web video marketing can be far more economical and a businesses exposure to its potential customers tends to be more than the snapshot 2 minutes or glance an advert in the national press will likely receive.

Interesting and well thought out videos can keep a customer captivated often for more than five minutes at a time and if the video is particularly interesting or sufficiently informative or funny quite often they will go viral.

This is where the true magic happens as your video is spread by word of mouth, e-mail or even gets bookmarked at the many social networks that are now part of the every day buzz of the internet. This is the viral video marketing effect.

Production cost can be very low compared to traditional televised media so this aspect alone makes web video marketing a very attractive option indeed, even for the small business owner.

Another positive benefit and aspect of viral video marketing is of course to all intents and purposes it is timeless, which flies totally in the face of normal advertising.

Simply put a TV advert for example will only be shown at certain times for pre defined number of views. For more exposure you must pay a lot more, and once your run of adverts has finished, your return on your investment will all but cease.

This is similar to traditional media advertising where an advert can run for as little as a day.

Viral video marketing is entirely the opposite as once you have made your initial investment your video can be viewed around the world at any time of the day 24/7, and as has been shown in many examples currently doing the rounds a good viral video campaign can keep your brand or message out there for years.

Viral Video Marketing

Viral Video Marketing

Internet Video Marketing

Web video marketing is nothing new either, although now that increasing numbers of people around the world have access to the internet with faster broadband connections the growth of this particular form of advertising is set to grow exponentially.

One off campaigns are all well and good though but what about viral video marketing, and what indeed is it, and how can it benefit your business?

According to Breon Snowdon, MD of the award winning Surrect Media design and production company based in the UK

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that seek to exploit pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness, through viral processes similar to the spread of an epidemic.

Quite a powerful statement.

The term viral refers to the way this form of media can find its way around the internet in a very short space of time, just as a virus can be spread often totally under the radar.

Just like an e-mail virus a video these day can find itself spreading around the internet as people share a funny (and sometimes not so funny) video they have found on the internet with friends, business colleagues or even through online blogs where the videos can be embedded so there is no problem with hosting..

Intentionally or not this form of viral activity can spread the word faster than could ever be achieved from expensive traditional media campaigns as many celebrities that have been caught in compromising situations will attest to.

To find out more about Viral video marketing in the UK contact Breon Snowden at Surrect media or visit the Viral Videos blog.

Viral Video Marketing

Viral Video Marketing

Viral Video

According to Breon Snowdon, MD of the award winning Surrect Media design and production company based in the UK

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that seek to exploit pre-existing social networks to produce exponential increases in brand awareness, through viral processes similar to the spread of an epidemic.

The term viral refers to the way this form of media can find its way around the internet in a very short space of time, just as a virus can be spread often totally under the radar.

Intentionally or not this form of viral activity can spread the word faster than could ever be achieved from expensive traditional media campaigns as many celebrities that have been caught in compromising situations will attest to.

Another positive benefit and aspect of viral video marketing is of course to all intents and purposes it is timeless, which flies totally in the face of normal advertising.

Simply put a TV advert for example will only be shown at certain times for pre defined number of views. For more exposure you must pay a lot more, and once your run of adverts has finished, your return on your investment will all but cease.

This is similar to traditional media advertising where an advert can run for as little as a day.

Viral video marketing is entirely the opposite as once you have made your initial investment your video can be viewed around the world at any time of the day 24/7, and as has been shown in many examples currently doing the rounds a good viral video campaign can keep your brand or message out there for years.

Even the big G recommends that business get on the back of this ever growing in popularity media sensation so if you want to increase your online presence try a viral video marketing campaign.

Viral Video Marketing

Viral Video Marketing

Viral Video Marketing

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But thus far, there hasn't been all that much in that regard.  All but one debate has come and gone, and thus far, there's been an incredible lack of viral videos.  However, I'm of the mind that this is less a failing on the Internet's part to highlight what moments were determined as significant, but rather the ability of both campaigns to largely neuter debate performances from any snowballing memes.  Thus far, we've seen nothing like this:

Instead, we've got things like this, which are close, but thus far, no cigar:

Basically, any soundbite moment you may recall from any of the previous debates is immediately available on YouTube, but there's been little to no real snowballing of particular moments in a truly viral fashion.  As we discussed in class, there apparently haven't been any 'confirming' moments in the debate that incite people to pass along video evidence of that confirmation.  I doubt both campaigns deliberately set out to avoid becoming YouTube fodder in the debates, but they've been doing a bang-up job of it thus far.

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So now,  Jackie Mason, classic Jewish stand-up comedian, is urging Jews to vote for McCain with the help of the Republication Jewish Coalition.

Click here!

He called Sarah Silver a "sick yenta." Now those are fighting words.

The last time I checked The Great Schlep facebook group (as facebook is, arguably, one of the best way to reach Gen Y-ers who are voting for the first time in this election) was last week, when it had about 9,000 members. Now it has morphed into a  <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Schlep/33348956673">page</a>, rather than a group, making it a much bigger deal, and has over 16,000 members. As Colombus Day weekend rapidly approaches, I'm intrigued to see how it grows.

I included this Joel Stein article about the Great Schlep in my pitch to Professor Quigley, but I want to repost it because it was just so awesome. The weirdest thing about this whole campaign is that it is serious. This could actually make a legitimate difference. And that is what I find so fascinating.

More than hockey moms or gun-toting God lovers, old Floridian Jews are the most important demographic in this election. They make up about 5% of the voters in a swing state with 27 electoral college votes. They never miss so much as a condo board vote and are normally reliable Democrats.

Arguably, this idea is being tackled somewhat as well by The Daily Show, who skipped the Jewish grandchild component and just sent a black man to Florida to talk to older voters.

Click here to watch.

I wonder how much of it is real and how much of it is staged, and if people ever realize what they make themselves look like on national television.

This entry doesn't really relate so much to vices, as voting is your right as a citizen and something I encourage everyone to do. However, the use of a shock comedianne who cracks racist jokes to appeal to Gen Y voters is something that is certainly unique to this election.

Sarah Silverman, and The Great Schlep and The Jewish Council for Education and Research are playing with stereotypes. Stereotypes that happen to be true, apparently, as the Jewish vote is an important one in this election, and elderly Jews are less inclined to vote Obama.

Will it work? I'm curious.

At least, I'm hoping this is a bit. The question is, is he selling us the still-unwritten "Ghostbusters 3" or "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", which is out on DVD next Tuesday?

A Ghostbuster selling spirits. Very clever. But seriously, where can I get some of that triple Herkimer diamond filtered Newfoundland deep aquifer pure spirit vodka? On the rocks.

[Source: Alex Blagg]

I mentioned this book a few weeks ago, but hadn't had the opportunity to read it at the time. Having dug through it now, it's fair to say that while 15 Minutes is primarily written for aspiring viral video stars (and young ones at that), a lot of the lessons here can be adapted for fan filmmakers.

Most of the book's best advice boils down to common sense basics, but reiterating them isn't a bad thing, and given the many, many interviews with viral "stars" in the book, you can see exactly how they executed those concepts to get where they are today. Some of the basics: Make videos based on good ideas (the most obvious advice...and yet the hardest to take); don't be long-winded or boring; network with other videomakers on the site; post comments; make response videos; and so forth.

The book relies a little too much on raw interview transcripts, but the viewpoint that Levy, a working film producer in Hollywood, brings to the table is unique and worthwhile. You want your YouTube videos to launch you into professional filmmaking? Levy is one of those people on the other side of the fence who would pull the trigger to hire you, so if that's your dream, getting his insights into what Hollywood looks for---and dismisses---is invaluable.

There's no guaranteeing that a book can get your fan film noticed---and understandably, there's no mention of the oft-rumored automated software programs that bulk up videos' viewing numbers in order to game the system---but 15 Minutes of Fame is a relatively solid primer on how to grab some attention online. If you want to get it from Amazon, go here---and remember, you get free shipping if you order more than $25 worth of books, so why not pick up my book, Homemade Hollywood, while you're at it (yes, throwing that in is utterly shameless self-promotion---one of the lessons I learned from 15 Minutes of Fame, so now you see it at work. Cool, huh?).

Videogum goes through the fast decline of the viral video, concluding that its last great year was 2006:

They were just the videos that stood out in my mind as being exceptional. You know, the viral video that is more than just some kid farting a powder cloud or a kitten that is also a ninja. The one you talk to your friends about. And what I discovered is that all of them were posted to YouTube in 2006.

I think Gawker's reaction hit the nail and closed the case with this:

People watch a lot of TV on the computer. I mean, not a ton. Not enough to ruin broadcast television (yet). But, like, people watch Hulu and things on iTunes and various networks' websites, and that stuff is much better produced than, like, that YouTube video where that one dude falls down. Virals were a distraction from other stuff on the computer, and now virals have just become that stuff on the computer.

I'm still in awe! Hope you can figure out how they manage to pull this off. Enjoy!  

*Money: A royalties deal is done for online music.

*Bono: Bono is blogging for the Financial Times. Probably with his dumb glasses on. Also, I don't think he should start sentences or posts with the word "myself"! Gawd!

*Literature: More excerpts from Faith Evans' book: "I called Big to share the news.” “He didn’t sound happy or sad. Just very noncommittal. 'You keeping it?' he asked. 'Yeah. I am,' I said. It was a quiet moment. 'Are you sure?'" [bossip]

*Music: Bon Iver plays for NPR's World Cafe. And then we both weep loudly into our hot coffee and stare out the window as the snow falls. [music slut]

*Blogging: Lil Wayne is blogging for ESPN. [everywhere]

*Love: Pubic hair exhibitionist Devendra Banhart and Natalie Portman have broken up.

*Upcycling: A cassette tape becomes a wallet.

*Video: Diesel makes a porn-without-the-porn viral video, SFW XXX, which I don't really consider SFW (unless you have my job). [rob]

The short films [see below], featuring actress Brooke Kinsella and top chef Jesse Dunford Wood, have been created to raise awareness about the lack of toilets in the world. The films end with the message: "Imagine if there were no toilets where you live, 40% of the worlds' population do not have sanitation".

In January 2008 WaterAid launched four “Pooing in public” viral videos.

Source: WaterAid, 22 Sep 2008

It makes sense because:

1.  It's a riot!

2.  People watch pr0n on the internet.  (But don't want to get busted at work.)

Here I am helping 'em out by talking about it / linking it here --- it's just too funny not to share.  Catch it in the video above --- ('til YouTube removes it)  or alternatively, here.

No one is perfect. Not even the best actor can keep a straight face when it comes to the funniest joke or dumbest mishap. People like Jerry Seinfeld and Jimmy Fallon are famous for not being able to play it serious, but it's even funnier when it's done by someone who usually can.

Take the following three: The first one is Stephen Colbert's less popular, but still very funny breakdown after the announcement of the couple name for William H. Macy and Felecity Huffman. Good Stuff. Then come probably the two most popular breaking of characters TV has had in the past 10 years. The first is, once again, Stephen Colbert absolutely losing it when trying to play it straight (no pun intended) while lampooning allegations of Prince Charles being gay. Colbert is always very funny and it's hard to comprehend how he keeps from laughing more often other at some of the crazy stuff he does on "The Colbert Report." Knowing he's usually very serious about his comedy makes it almost painstaking to see him completely lose it.

The same goes for Rachel Dratch one of the most memorable SNL skits to air in the past ten years that wasn't a "Digital Short." An underrated cast member, Dratch was always able to keep her cool when others like Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sans were laughing their asses off. With this, things go awry from the start and by the end, you almost expect Lorne Michaels to come out and say "Cut!" Sadly, as all things SNL, they tried to do this skit twice more and failed to deliver any laughs. The character breaks made it and proved that you can't catch lightning in a bottle twice.

Sometimes there's a product so stupid and so useless, it almost defies logic. Yes, there was the inappropriate yet not titled Tiddy Bear. And there's The Snuggie.

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Yes, The Snuggie. A glorified robe meant for those who want to look like a Stonecutter.

Infomercials are always filled with stupid products spawned from stupid ideas from stupid people who end up making stupid money. Yet this one is a universe all its own where pajamas, sweaters and robes don't exist and a blanket a.k.a. THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD TO USE is a hassle.

That's not all. This isn't just something that will make you look like the warmest Satanist on the block, It's also a fashion statement!

I guarantee, without a doubt in mind, body and soul, that no one would be crowded around these high-fivin' soccer parents at a sporting event. Do you know how much soccer parents judge normal looking people?

If I meet someone that owns a Snuggie, then that will be it. I will concede and allow death to briskly take me far, far away.

and