Research on the Risks and Strategies of Using Viral Marketing in the New Media Age

Abstract

Viral marketing has become a popular word in marketing as the Internet developed and media format changed, which offered new opportunities for businesses to market their products or services. Although this kind of marketing method is famous for its low cost and high efficiency, it is still risky. The paper does a lot of literature analysis and case studies, finding out there are three main risks of viral marketing: uncontrollable process and results, negative influences due to the difference between the reputation and the quality, and consumers’ tiredness to too much repetitive information. The paper recommended optimizing the proportion of different kinds of campaigns, more realistic marketing without excessive exaggeration, and increasing the variety and diversity of viral marketing instead of the quantity of the information. The paper aims to help marketers and company leaders better understand the risks and dangers of using viral marketing inappropriately and develop recommendations to grow viral marketing more safely and effectively.