What is Viral Marketing in Apps?

Alok Kejriwal – CEO and Co-Founder –

Games2win.com

Credentials

We made a #1 and #2 App in the world

In the process, we learnt some interesting Viral Marketing

lessons…

Now, what is ‘Viral Marketing’ in Apps?

• No one knows! It’s all guess work!

• But, it’s REAL important because good ‘Virality’ can drive your app downloads like crazy!!

• Shucks - there is no ‘Handbook’ on ‘How to Achieve Viral Marketing in Apps’.

• Double shucks - Harvard Business School doesn’t charge a million US$ and offer this as a course

Here are some lessons we learnt from our game Parking Frenzy

(hit #1 free game and free app rank on the global iTunes stores)

1. Viral is actually ‘Touch and Feel’!

Viral Marketing is ‘show me yours’

• Kids peep into their friends’ phones and devices.

• They play games all over the place and then forget what they played.

• They check what they played, via twitter!

• They look up the app and download it on their own device!

2. Viral is suggesting what to download

Viral Marketing is ‘googling between friends’

• Check the tweet. The tween girl is excited about her first game download!

• Her friend immediately follows it with a suggestion for another game (Parking Frenzy).

• Friends chat about what they are up to – they make references; that’s all viral!

3. Viral is actually ‘Customer Support’!

Viral Marketing is like having free customer service agents!

• Check the twitter chatter. See tweet marked 1 and then tweet marked 2.

• The 2nd friend actually makes the effort of typing the complete name of the game.

• Viral is not an infection. It’s actually a smooth, peer-to-peer, handholding and consumer marketing process!

4. Viral is even about Complaining!

Viral Mktg can even happen by b****ing about stuff!

• The friend tweets using a blackberry device and complains…

• A friend asks which game.

• Virality is set into motion!

• Any reference, good or bad makes good viral marketing, because it’s emotional and natural – it’s not plugged.

5. Viral happens when you prompt!

Results?

People go Viral!!!

We show Viral options at the end of all our game over/level over screens

6. Add Viral to Viral = “Re-viral”

1. Player tweets the

game to 132

followers

2. I sniff the tweet

and thank him! 3. He retweets the

thanks; the message

count doubles! = 132*2

Summary 1. Think of Virality as communication

and organic marketing, but NOT as advertising!

2. Let people talk. Good, Bad or Ugly. Just let them talk.

3. Snoop into the conversation ONLY when required. Don’t mess with the mess!

4. Erect viral triggers, but subtly. 5. Learn about your consumers (from

them) and improve on what you have learnt!

Connect with me!

e-mail - alok@rodinhood.com

Facebook -

facebook.com/rodinhood

Twitter - @rodinhood

My social network for anyone

enterprising!

therodinhoods.com

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