Believe it or not, viral marketing did not originate from the web. Named after microscopic organisms that reproduce at a very fast rate, viral marketing traces its beginnings from offline marketing. More popularly called as word-of-mouth advertising, this method has been one of the most powerful yet cost-efficient ways of promoting a business.

Viral marketing involves the exponential spread of a business message. After an initial distribution, the business message can potentially reach many people in a short span of time.

As an example, if you deliver your business message to ten people and give them enough incentive to pass it on to ten more people in their respective network, youll immediately have garnered the attention of a thousand potential customers. But it doesnt stop there, because the new tiers could spread the word to even more individuals, and this same cycle would go on and on while you concentrate on other matters of your business.

Studies show on the average that a person has 12 people in his network. This statistic can be deceiving. Ten persons can have 2 people in their respective network, while one person can have 140 people in his. We would then arrive at the same median.

Here are some of the things that Internet marketers use to encourage people to distribute the business message. Bear in mind, please, that these are all offered for free. Free is still the most powerful word in marketing, after all.

1. E-BOOKS. An e-book is the most popular method of delivering the business message. An informative one would cater to the needs of many people, which is already enough incentive for its self-propagation. You strategically place links within the pages o the e-book to promote your business or your affiliate products.

2. SPECIAL REPORTS. Special reports are just like e-books, only shorter. Special reports have also taken an aura of reverence in recent years as they are excellent vehicles for communicating a novel idea.

3. SOFTWARE. Perhaps you have a program or a script which you would want to share. This software can be designed to provide for a link to your site every time its features are used.

4. SERVICE. You could provide for a hosting service or an e-mail accounts to entice visitors to spread your business message.

5. MEMBERSHIP. You could also establish a membership site and give away access to the same. The membership site could contain a lot of free or discounted goods to its members.

6. NEWSLETTER. A newsletter or an eZine is also a popular way to kick start the exponential distribution of the business message. By constantly providing your subscriber base with informative pieces on a variety of topics, they would feel inclined to tell their friends about your business.

7. DISCOUNTS. Offer discounts to the products youre offering, and you would encourage people to spread the word about the bargain you are providing.

8. TRIAL VERSION OF YOUR PRODUCTS. If youre trying to sell a software program, you could also try offering such for a trial period, which is usually 30 days. This would allow people to try your product before they would decide to buy it. Even if theyre too thrifty to spend on the full version of your product, they would still inform others of your business at some point.

9. ARTICLE MARKETING. Submit an informative article with a resource box containing a link of your sales page to the many article directories on the net. Encourage your readers to republish your article provided that they keep the resource box.

10. OTHER PRODUCTS like screensavers, themes, fonts, images and the likes.

Now that you know what value propositions to offer, the remaining consideration is how to distribute them.

E-mail is the primary mode of online transference. Mailing lists contain loads of e-mail addresses of people with similar interests. If you could broadcast your business message in this channel, the rewards would be tremendous, as someone is bound to take notice. Additionally, you only have to send it once, and youll touch base with every single person in that group.

Discussion boards or online forums also host a gathering of people who share the same passion. These online communities hold discussions on various matters everyday, often, many times within 24 hours at that. There are forums for the many niches out there. Target one that is related to your market. But make it a point to first establish your presence as a worthy part of the community. Remember, it is a community, and you have to win their trust first before you could sway them to your side. Begin by answering threads which post a question. Be helpful. In this way, you could subtly manipulate them to check out your business message.

Online chat rooms can also be a fertile source of hosts that would persistently distribute your marketing offers. Join a channel that pertains to your business. Spend some time building up personal connections, and then gradually introduce your business message. People have more confidence with someone they have actually talked to, albeit, through online means.