yms17: the formula behind viral marketing
TRANSCRIPT
© SEARCH LABORATORY LTD | ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDLEEDS HQ: +44 113 212 1211LONDON: +44 207 147 9980NEW YORK: +1 646 473 1826
THE FORMULA BEHIND VIRAL MARKETINGSEARCH LABORATORY
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
AGENDAAbout Search LaboratoryWhat is viral?Why go viral?The mathematics of viralThree content typesProcess and toolsCase studiesLinkLab data studyWhat goes wrong?Other tips and tricksQuestions?
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
ABOUT SEARCH LABORATORY
Founded in 2005
150 specialists based across Leeds and New York
Specialise in SEO, PPC, Social & Display
Dedicated, multi award-winning content team
In-house multilingual team
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CLIENTS
WHAT IS VIRAL?
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
WHY GO VIRAL?
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
WHY GO VIRAL Massive reach
Low cost
Reach = BrandingLinks
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
Detail
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
Coverage
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
COVERAGE
600 Quality backlinks
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
VISITORS
Initially, site had negligible trafficFrom all sources
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
TRAFFIC BREAKDOWN
Big spike was referral traffic
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
TRAFFIC BREAKDOWNSearch?
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
VISIBILITY
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
WHY?
Inbound links
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
VALUE TO THE BUSINESS
X
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
GET DOMAIN AUTHORITY, THEN USE IT
MATHEMATICS OF VIRAL
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
STOCHASTIC GENERAL EPIDEMIC MODELProbability of epidemic depends on:
Initial number infectedLikelihood of cross infectionRecovery rateSize of populationNumber of susceptibles
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CONTENT GOING VIRAL
Number of catalyst sites and their reachLikelihood of one person sharing itHow long it will stay in their feed/consciousnessSize of populationWhat proportion of the population this relates to
Initial number infectedLikelihood of cross infectionRecovery rateSize of populationNumber of susceptibles
Quality of the content
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE MATHS
Quality/sharability is important
Consider the susceptibles (target population)
Number of seed sites is critical
THREE CONTENT TYPES
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
AIMS OF CONTENT
Entertain Inspire
Educate Convince
Awareness
Rational
Emotional
VIRALS
QUIZZES GAMES
COMPETITIONS
BRANDEDVIDEOS
WIDGETSCELEBENDORSE-MENTS
REVIEWS COMMUNITY
FORUMS
ARTICLES EBOOKS ENEWS
INFO-GRAPHICS PRESSRELEASES
GUIDES
TRENDREPORTS
REPORTS/
WHITEPAPERS
EVENTS RATINGS
PRODUCTFEATURES
CASESTUDIES
DEMOS
WEBINARSCALCULATORS
Purchase
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
TYPES OF CONTENT
https://www.searchlaboratory.com/what-type-of-content-to-use/
Ranking Content
Viral Content
Customer Engagement
Content
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
RANKING CONTENT What is it?
Aims to rank high in search engine results for ‘buying terms’ (e.g. ‘evening dresses’, ‘buy laptops online’)
AimsHigh rankingsHigh traffic (from search engines)Generate sales and enquiries
Measurement RankingsTrafficConversions
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
RANKING CONTENT
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT CONTENT What is it?
Content that aims to engage with potential customers at various stages of buying
AimsRelevant trafficSign ups (email, social)Brand recallCollect cookie – remarketing
MeasurementTrafficSocial sharesSign ups (Email, Social follows)Conversions
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT CONTENT
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT CONTENT
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
VIRAL CONTENT What is it?
Content that aims to engage with a large audience, gets shared and builds backlinks
AimsGain large follower numbersReach as many people as possibleIncrease online visibility
MeasurementLinksSocial shares
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT: STAR WARSRide search trend - Star Wars: The Force AwakensEasily sharable contentSupported by video, blog post & social updates Seeded on Reddit and outreached the following weekTarget: marketing, design and technology publications
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT: STAR WARSRolled out in UK, IE, DE, NL & FR235 total coverage212 live linksAverage DA 42.5Shared via social over 75,000 times50,829 YouTube views
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT: STAR WARSThe campaign has reached over 100 million web usersCoverage beyond: Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, etc.One of the top 10 most socially shared articles on the web – SocialBro
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT: STAR WARSDue to the large number of links and articles referencing “post it notes”:
We saw ranking uplift onto page 1 across multiple country siteWithout any on-site optimisation to the product category pages
Google UK – Viking UK Rank
Google NL – Viking NL Rank
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATIVE CONTENT: STAR WARS
Post it notes
PROCESS AND TOOLS
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
Aims Ideation Identify niches
Gauge interest
Source contacts
Create content
Promote content
Report on results
CREATIVE CONTENT CAMPAIGN PROCESS
Build and maintain
relationships
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
AIMSIncrease rankings for key terms by:
Driving authority (links) to siteDiversifying backlink profile
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
IDEATIONResearch industry trendsAssess previous campaigns
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
IDEATIONBrainstorm as whole campaign team
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
IDEATION
https://www.searchlaboratory.com/2014/07/contagious-content-stepps-and-the-science-of-shareability/
Social Currency
Triggers
Emotion
Public
Practical Value
Stories
0
1
2
3
4
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
IDENTIFY NICHESMaximise opportunitiesMinimise risk
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
GAUGE INTERESTUtilise existing relationshipsCollaborate with:
Industry expertsInfluencers Thought leadersLeading journalists
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
SOURCE CONTACTSAssemble media listsCover all niches and various tiered publicationsSelect best reporter or editor
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CREATE CONTENTSelect type(s) based on aims and niches
WrittenImage-basedVideoInfographicInteractiveData & statisticsInterviewsCompetition Product or service page
<html>Written copy Data Video Images Podcast Design Development
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
OUTREACH PROCESS Identify niche influencers and catalysts
Compile media lists
Tailor content to targets
Pitch to journalists / top tier
Send tailored press releases
Ring / email blogger targets
Tweet influencers
Chasing up social shares
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PROMOTE CONTENTStart by pitching to catalyst sitesPotential to go viral
Catalyst Site Checklist: Stories get picked up elsewhere High readership and reach Thought leaders in market High social engagement
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PROMOTE CONTENTTailor approach based on tier and contact preferencesAdapt approach based on responses
Tier OneCatalyst sites
Tier TwoNiche magazines
Tier ThreeBlogs
Exclusives, embargoes, phone
calls
Press releases, emails, phone calls
Emails
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PROMOTE CONTENTFollow up with various nichesIdentify further opportunities to maximise exposure
Evergreen content
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
REPORT ON RESULTSWhat were we trying to achieve?
Results
Links
Reach
Organic traffic
Revenue
Conversions
Coverage
Rankings
Referral traffic
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
REPORT ON RESULTS
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
REPORT ON RESULTS842 backlinks352 referring domainsAward winning campaignMultiple KWs from page 10+ to pages 1-4
CASE STUDIES
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
THE COST OF POWERING THE DEATH STARAims
More diverse backlinksMore quality backlinks (DA 30+)
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
THE COST OF POWERING THE DEATH STAR
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
THE COST OF POWERING THE DEATH STAR
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
THE COST OF POWERING THE DEATH STAR
215 links DA 37
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
OFFENSIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONSAims
Volume of linksBrand coverage in relevant publications
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
OFFENSIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
“What’s the most offensive thing an interviewer has ever asked you?”
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
OFFENSIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
OFFENSIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
106 links176 pieces of coverage
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE ETIQUETTEAims
Links from multiple international marketsCoverage in relevant publications: business
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE ETIQUETTEInsight from our very own international team
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE ETIQUETTE
182 links234 pieces of coverage
6 different international markets
EXERCISE
LINKLAB DATA STUDY
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
LINKLAB DATA STUDY4 years of data100,000+ sites200,000+ people contacted
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
USING CATALYST SITES
Average Using Business Insider
Using CNET
25%
120%
207%
Closing Rate
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
USING CATALYST SITESAverage campaign vs. Cost of Powering the Death Star campaignBiggest difference = natural links from CATALYST SITES
Coverage
Natural links
Acquired links
Contacted
54
198
17
171
Coverage
Natural links
Acquired links
Contacted
10
11
24
183
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
MOST EFFECTIVE NICHES7 biggest viral campaigns of the last year
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
MOST EFFECTIVE NICHESTheir catalyst sites by niche
Takeaway Tailor campaigns to these key markets’ major publications
News26%
Business / Finance
18%Tech16%
Design15%
Pop Culture11%
Fashion / Lifestyle
8%
Film5%
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CONTENT TYPESTheir content types
Infographic Image-led Data and statistics
3 3
1
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?(DISCUSSION)
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
IMMUNOLOGY (REPEAT IDEAS)Repeat idea and exposure = audience immunologyNeed to constantly innovate
842 links 38 links
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INTERNAL BARRIERSComplexity of internal structuresDifferent departmental aims
https://www.searchlaboratory.com/2015/10/integrating-seo-brands-existing-marketing-strategy/
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INTERNAL ISSUESSell benefit of content marketingClarify aims
What a flop… we didn’t sell a single Zombie
Log Cabin!
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
NEWS LANDSCAPE
EXERCISE
OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
INVOLVE INFLUENCERSEnhance quality of contentProvide extra targets for earning links
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
PITCH A CRAZY ONEPitch ideas at various levelsSliding scale of brand relevancyThe “Goldilocks Effect”
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
CONTENT IDEA TOOLSBuzzSumo Pro
Find best content by topic
AhrefsAnalyse top performing competitor content
Idea FlipBrainstorm ideas with team
Catalyst publicationsWhat’s trending?
AnswerThePublic.comRelated questions and topic areas
LinkdexFind authors that rank for particular topics
Social mediaFollow thought leaders and key influencers
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © SEARCH LABORATORY LTD
TRAINING FOR INTERNAL TEAMSKey points to cover
Aims – what’s the purpose of the content?Return – what can you expect to achieve?Different types of content – what is it that you need to produce?Case studies – how are competitors benefitting?Internal conflicts – how on-brand does the content have to be to achieve its aim?Process – how do we go about this?
IdeationCreationPromotionReporting
QUESTIONS?
SEARCH LABORATORY LTD.GLOBAL DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERTS
facebook.com/searchlaboratory/ @searchlabs linkedin.com/company/search-laboratory/
Email: [email protected]
SEARCH LABORATORY LTD.GLOBAL DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERTS
Leeds HQ: +44 113 212 1211London: +44 207 147 9980New York: +1 (646) 473-1826
Web: www.searchlaboratory.com
CONTACT DETAILS