"The Intersection of Virality and Changing Consumer Behavior"

"The Intersection of Virality and Changing Consumer Behavior"

In today's digital age, building virality into a product has become crucial for success. Companies are constantly exploring ways to make their products more shareable and engaging, tapping into the power of social networks and consumer behavior. This article explores various strategies to build virality into a product, while also examining the changing landscape of consumer behavior.

1. Two-Sided Reward: One effective way to build virality into a product is by creating a two-sided reward system. By offering incentives for users to invite their friends and for those friends to accept the invite, companies can tap into the gifting effect. This not only encourages user engagement but also expands the product's reach through word-of-mouth.

2. Appeal to Vanity: Another powerful strategy is appealing to users' sense of vanity and competitiveness. By exposing metrics that users can drive up, such as the number of connections on a profile, companies can incentivize users to spend more time using the product and invite others into it. This approach was successfully implemented by LinkedIn in its early days.

3. Collaboration: Apps built for collaboration or communication between coworkers inherently possess viral potential. When colleagues collaborate on a platform, they naturally invite others to join, spreading awareness of the product. This viral loop enhances user engagement and expands the user base.

4. Embeds: Creating the ability for others to embed a product into their website can greatly contribute to its virality. This allows users to share the product's functionality and benefits with their audiences, driving more traffic and potential users to the product.

5. Artifacts Shared on Social: If a product generates uniquely interesting content, users can be encouraged to share it on their social networks. Platforms like Pinterest have successfully leveraged this strategy. By allowing users to pin items from the web and share them on Facebook, Pinterest created a browsing experience that enticed users to explore more, thereby increasing the product's virality.

6. Artifacts Shared via Messaging: Products that generate artifacts or URLs expected to be shared via messaging can tap into the viral potential of private communication. When users share these artifacts with their friends, it creates a ripple effect, exposing more people to the product.

7. Signatures: Including a product's signature or branding element in user-generated content can serve as a subtle yet effective way to boost virality. For example, watermarking images or videos with the product's logo can help users identify where the content was created, driving curiosity and potentially increasing the product's reach.

8. First Message sent on Existing Messaging Platform: Leveraging existing messaging platforms for product promotion is a smart way to tap into an existing user base. By incorporating the product's first message within these platforms, companies can reach a wider audience and potentially spark viral growth.

9. Highly Visible Hardware: While many of the strategies mentioned above focus on software products, it's important to remember that hardware products can also be viral. Think about devices like Square or the outdoor Nest Cam. These products are highly visible and can generate curiosity and conversation, leading to increased awareness and adoption.

As consumer behavior evolves, it's important for companies to adapt their strategies to meet changing demands. The rise of social media and the desire for unique experiences has shifted the focus from "thing" consumption to "experience" consumption. Consumers now seek experiences that can only be found in the present moment, creating a demand for "Tokimeki" or fleeting experiences.

To conclude, here are three actionable pieces of advice for building virality into a product:

1. Create a two-sided reward system to incentivize users to invite their friends and expand the product's reach.

2. Appeal to users' sense of vanity and competitiveness by exposing metrics and encouraging them to spend more time using the product and inviting others.

3. Leverage the power of collaboration and communication to tap into the viral potential of coworkers and colleagues.

By incorporating these strategies and understanding the changing landscape of consumer behavior, companies can maximize their chances of building virality into their products and achieving widespread success.