We've witnessed some well publicised viral marketing campaigns in the recent past as well as talk about a backlash, including those of the humorous variety. So what is it about viral marketing that gets big companies so interested and elicit such a strong response from some people?

It so happens that the answer to both questions is the same. Namely, the undercover element of many successful viral marketing efforts. The whole notion is to turn a particular message or campaign into a social fad whereby ordinary people become the main agent in spreading the word as opposed to traditional or digital media.

To encourage willing participation the campaign may camouflage itself as a real life event, or to use professionals to play the role of real life people for example. After all how many of us would spend time and effort keenly following an ordinary marketing campaign?

Is viral marketing exclusive to big companies with bigger budgets?

Well, the type of viral marketing covered in the media is pretty expensive to concieve of and execute but there's another variety which is open to all of us. Good old fashioned word of mouth! That is essentially what viral marketing achieves.

How to encourage word of mouth marketing for your business?

Aside from obvious fundamentals of having a good product and service, competitive pricing and excellent customer service contribute to word of mouth marketing. The remaining ingredient is communication, and that's where your website can do all the heavy lifting.

Having lots of relevant, fresh content on your website will encourage repeat visits, prolonged engagement with your brand and products and ultimately referrals. But instead of waiting for the question to pop up around the water cooler or the BBQ why not give your existing website users a way to tell their friends and family about something they found interesting on your website?

This is why it's important to give your website users a tool to allow them to send an email with a link to any page on your website. Even better, with the growing popularity of social networking sites it's crucial not only to offer links from every page of your website to all the popular sites but also to be able to easily add new ones as they become popular and remove out-of-favour ones.

While viral marketing often acts as a flash in the pan, word of mouth can be an ongoing reliable source of leads for your business.

Does your website have what it takes to make it happen?