The Secret to Going Viral: Harnessing the Kevin Bacon Effect
- Wed, October 26 2011
- Filed under: Social Media
Today I’ve got a particularly useful, pithy guest post from Darian Rodriguez Heyman on the elusive concept of “going viral.” Enjoy. And to thank you for being a great person, I offer you a FREE GIVEAWAY: I will send a free copy of Darian’s book to the first three people to post comments about “going viral” here on my blog.
My diligent research has proven that I hear the word “viral” within 42 seconds of talking with any nonprofit interested in marketing their cause online. But what does that mean, anyway, and what’s the key to unleashing the immense word-of-mouth power that is the allure of social media?
As I’ve been traveling around the country with our Social Media for Nonprofits conference series (coming to San Francisco 11/4, Atlanta 11/17 & New York 1/30/12 with Katya keynoting - save $20 w/ “N4G” code) promoting my new book, Nonprofit Management 101, I’ve enjoyed listening to industry leaders like Beth Kanter, Geoff Livingston, and (of course!) Katya Andresen provide nonprofit execs with practical tips and tools—actionable insights nonprofits can use immediately to raise more money online, market their organizations, and affect policy.
So what’s the secret to unlocking the “Kevin Bacon effect,” AKA viral marketing? How can each of you take your cause viral, whether it’s an exciting announcement, a newly released YouTube video, or the nonprofit you represent?
The answer is simple yet confounding: C+C+C = C.
• Compelling: Never mind the what; the key is sharing the so what with your audience. If you can’t convey why they should care, and how what you’re talking about relates to their interests– it’s game over.
• Concise: Einstein said it best, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” How can you expect folks to spread the good word if it’s too long and complicated to remember?
• Credible: Great, so you’ve engaged me and done it quickly, but if you try and tell me that your magic beans are the cure to cancer tomorrow, I’m onto whatever else my fascinating network of do-gooders and colleagues is up to.
Put ’em all together and you get the key to viral victory:
• Contagious: The holy grail of social media marketing is attained when your engaging, short, and believable message takes fire and people start spreading it on your behalf; hopefully even remixing your message and broadening your appeal.
I hope this insight serves you well, as it has for me, and that it aids you in your efforts to build stronger communities. In fundraising, we say that the most powerful form of ask is a peer ask, and what is social media if not a perfect medium to facilitate that?
But that said, never let anyone tell you they’re a social media expert; the field is moving too quickly for anyone to claim guru status in this newly forming world. Never forget that no matter how bright any given luminary may be, as Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sandburg first noted in 1949, we have officially entered a world where everyone is smarter than anyone.
The waterfall age of the Encyclopedia Brittanica has given way to Wikipedia, and the bottom-up world is here to stay. Embrace it and thrive, or resist and go the way of the technosaur.
But enough hypocrisy as I sit here and tell you that there are no experts and attempt to share my self professed nuggets and insights. What keys to the viral kingdom have you discovered while going about your work?
Follow Darian Rodriguez Heyman on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@dheyman
After five years of service, Darian recently stepped down as Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation. While there, he helped launch Nonprofit Boot Camp, the Environmental Nonprofit Network, and the Next Generation Leadership Forum. His new book, Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals, includes practical tips and tools from 50 recognized experts across 35 topics, and he recently launched a nationwide Social Media for Nonprofits conference series and his Advancing Social Impact blog on Skoll Foundation’s Social Edge. Heyman is now a public speaker that provides strategy, messaging, and fundraising consulting for nonprofits and green economy organizations.
Comments
Darian,
Love the “C”‘s! We should get together since I have a framework called the 5 C’s of Digitial Community Engagement!
Here is one more dimension I have found critical in the quest for any campaign to go viral:
CONTENT: classic WOMM (Word of Mouth Marketing) tactic is to understand that your best advocates are not necessarily going to be content generators themselves. Thus it is critical for you to produce a plethora of shareable content pieces they can pass along and promote to their own tribes. This means zeroing in on what insights or impact your best brand ambassadors will want to be associate with and put on display using up their own social capital within their own networks. Is it humor? Or surprise? Awe? Uplifting, feel-good?
The type of CONTENT streams you plan for and produce can make or break a communications campaign that depends on others to help spread the word.
The 3 Cs are a nice concept - easy to remember and as a concept, they seem to summarize a lot of the reading I’ve been doing lately. It’s putting the first two together - compelling and concise - that is always a challenge. Thanks.
I completely agree that compelling content is what generates interest and can cause something to go “viral.” I believe the more authentic the content, the better. We did an impromptu video of a child in our hospital that received tremendous attention. He was confined to his room and Ohio had experienced a major snowstorm. He wanted to go out and play but because of his illness, was unable to do so. His physical therapist decided to bring the snow to Nevin and they built a snowman in his room. We posted it on Facebook and it was picked up by the local news and later, the Weather Channel. We did it on the spur of the moment but the content was moving, fun, and inspiring. Very low-tech but it showed the magic that happens in our children’s hospital. Here’s a link to the video: http://youtu.be/WGQhMKHHFoI
I think the key to ‘going to viral’ is to be aware of what your supporters are most concerned about, and then providing content which matches their interests. An organization that takes the time to get to know its supporters on an ongoing basis has the best chance of making this happen.
Kenny- I totally agree that making it easy for people to spread the word is key to success. For an example, see the “marketing toolkit” I put together for 50 partners and 50 contributors, all of who helped to get the word out about my new book, Nonprofit Management 101: http://nonprofits101.org/nonprofit-management-101-marketing-toolkit/
At the same time, while content is still crucial, it’s context that’s king online. Ensuring that as many people are buzzing about you as possible, so that whoever you want to reach hears about your great work from multiple sources, is what really puts things over the top.
And Bethany, love the snowman story- those emotional connections are SO important in social change work, esp. when you can personalize a group’s work. Kay Sprinkel Grace likes to say that people don’t give to you, they give through you, so how can we demonstrate the ultimate impact their support has?