A Study on Various Strategies for Viral Marketing & Its Impact on Consumers: Exploring the Effects of Viral Marketing on Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Viral marketing is a marketing technique whereby information about a company’s goods or services is passed electronically from one internet user to another. Viral marketing is quite a new concept and it is predicted to have a bright future. Even if it is argued that Viral messages at social media do not have huge effects on making the consumers buy, but it does have positive effect in the consumers buying behaviour. In fact, viral messages can raise consumer’s awareness and create need for products and services, influence them and also create brand awareness, which might possibly lead to a positive buying act for the consumer in the future. Consumer’s listens and talks, they forward viral messages to people around them and people tend to listen to the satisfied/-dissatisfied opinion of the people around them has towards a brand. It is important for companies to understand the power of viral marketing; because viral marketing is as good as “word of mouth” effect and has positive or negative influence on consumers. Social media is an important marketing tool- but according to our primary research, we gathered through our cross sectional study, it is not only panacea to make consumers buy and act as per expectation of the companies. However, it is a very good way to create awareness and need for a product, to influence the consumers and also to create brand awareness. This in turn will possibly lead to a positive buying act for the consumers in the future.