The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing by George Silverman
I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading — “The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing” (see http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles-clean.htm for an HTML version you can copy). But copy this article ONLY, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please. If you have a marketing or small business website, it’ll provide great content and help your visitors learn important strategies. (NOTE: I am giving permission to host on your website this article AND NO OTHERS. Reprinting or hosting my articles without express written permission is illegal, immoral, and a violation of my copyright.)
When I first offered this to my readers in February 2000, many took me up on it. Six months later a received a phone call:
“I want to speak to the King of Viral Marketing!”
“Well, I’m not the King,” I demurred. “I wrote an article about viral marketing a few months ago, but that’s all.”
“I’ve searched all over the Internet about viral marketing,” he said, “and your name keeps showing up. You must be the King!.”
It worked! Even five years later this webpage is ranked #1 for “viral marketing.”
To one degree or another, all successful viral marketing strategies use most of the six principles outlined above. In the next article in this series, “Viral Marketing Techniques the Typical Business Website Can Deploy Now” (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-deploy.htm), we’ll move from theory to practice. But first learn these six foundational principles of viral marketing. Master them and wealth will flow your direction.
“Copyright © 2000, 2005, Ralph F. Wilson, E-Mail Marketing and Online Marketing editor, Web Marketing Today. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place.”


