It seems like ‘social marketing’ has taken on a life of its own, making it seem like anything and everything a company puts out there has to go viral, or it wasn’t worth the effort. At the same time, companies want an enduring viral experience – as though anyone wants a virus to stick around. We can only tolerate things for so long before we lose interest, especially if they have that jarring emotional or intellectual spark that creates a viral sensation. Very few viral videos have stood the test of time – “Where the Hell is Matt” is one of the few I can personally watch again and again, but otherwise they are like seeing The Matrix for the XXth time – the fight scenes eventually lose their allure.

There is still such a commitment to the traditional view of marketing, and to push marketing messages with the fervor of a blanket airdrop of fliers scattering encouragement to a bombed in population. There is a lot of lip service to the idea of ‘community’ and ‘connection’, but few marketers want to accept that the customer owns their own space these days, and they have to want a brand in it.

So how do yo get into the space without an air drop?  Certainly viral videos, internet memes, and other phenomena are important. But there’s also value in slugging it out in the trenches – being present on Facebook, Twitter, and expert forums (or other culturally relevant platforms) for opportunities to answer questions, have a conversation, and really hear what people are saying about your brand, your products, or your industry as a whole. The problem is, this takes people and time, especially if you are a global company. It takes a native speaker with local culture to really connect to an online community that has a strong geographical affiliation.  So platform selection becomes critical to any social strategy – where do you want to be committed?

Viral stories, pictures, videos, and events should absolutely be a part of any current social marketing effort. But viral only accomplishes one goal in what should be a multi-faceted approach to social marketing.