Buzz!

One of those commonplaces of modern marketing is that overnight successes take a hell of a long time to manufacture. It's only the punters who think they're spontaneous. Seth Godin, however, takes a slightly different view, and puts his finger on what makes an idea viral.

No-one sends an idea unless:

1. they get it (see below)
2. they want it to spread
3. they believe that spreading it will enhance their status
4. the effort necessary to spread the idea is less than the benefits.

No-one "gets" an idea unless:

1. the first impression demands further investigation
2. they understand the foundation ideas necessary to get the new idea
3. they trust the sender

That's why viral marketing and internet memes are so shallow. And, most importantly, ideas never spread because they're important to the originator.

From Small is the New Big, by Seth Godin.

If you don't want to read the whole book, just read this one blog post. Really, do. It'll take you three minutes.

What Every Good Marketer Knows

Here's a few of my favourites from that post.

• People don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want.
• You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
• Good marketers tell a story.
• Effective stories match the worldview of the people you are telling the story to.
• Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.