People engaging in the Ice Bucket Challenge had the choice between dousing themselves or donating to the cause. Though those doing the challenge, per the rules, did not have to donate, their participation guaranteed huge attention that led to many donations. This works for small businesses on social networking as well. Any interaction, whether it’s liking, sharing, commenting, or retweeting, boosts the number of people who see your marketing – even if they don’t make a purchase.
Timing is Everything
The Ice Bucket Challenge became viral during the summer months of 2014, and this was a wonderful time. People had been overwhelmed with terrible news ranging from the shooting in Ferguson to Middle East violence, and raising awareness for a good cause was a appreciated distraction. In addition, longer daylight hours meant people had time after work to have fun with the challenge. Timing is also crucial for local business advertising. For instance, traffic on Facebook spikes midweek between 1pm and 3pm. Posting during these hours is great timing to really get your marketing message seen.
Get Big-Name Faces Taking part
The Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in part due to celebrities. Everyone from Bill Gates to WWE superstars participated. While these names may be hard for you to pull, it is a beneficial rule to get industry thought leaders concerned. Interact with trusted sources in your industry and share great content with them. If it is deserving of a retweet or share, the interest you will get from this celebrity shout out can be priceless.
Many viral social networking lessons can be taken from the Ice Bucket Challenge. Don’t make the blunder of believing a viral campaign is out of a small business’s reach.
