Viral communication
Viral marketing (viral advertising) refers to marketing techniques that use pre-existing
social networking services and other technologies to try to produce increases in brand
awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral
processes, analogous to the spread of viruses or computer viruses (cf. Internet memes
and memetics).
It can be delivered by word of mouth or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet
and mobile networks. Viral marketing may take the form of video clips, interactive
Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, text messages, email
messages, or web pages. (1)
The expression "to go viral" is used in reference to Internet content which can be
passed through electronic mail and social networking sites (Facebook, etc.): an image,
video, or link that spreads rapidly through a population by being frequently shared with
a number of individuals has 'gone viral'.
In other words, a link goes viral because most of the people who get it forward it to
their Friends list or post it in their online status. Strong political content, celebrity news,
news of disasters etc. go viral. (2)
(1) Wikipedia: Viral marketing (Visited on 05 January 2015)
(2) The Urban Dictionary: Go viral