How is Viral Marketing different from the "Pyramid Schemes" of the past?

Answer 1

They are different yet can coexist together. Viral Marketing is a way to market your products and services in a way that can result in a huge awareness campaign. Pyramid is the infrastructure to do marketing via multiple level of people.

Answer 2

Viral marketing is a kind of promotion (just as what the above statement says). This strategy is used in marketing one's business. Pyramid schemes, on the other hand, is not about marketing but more on earning money through a number of people. There is a big difference between the two. The goal of viral marketing is to let known one's company, product or service. It focuses on both the immediate and long term goals. Pyramid schemes on the other hand is focused on multiplying its members to make more money. It does not have concrete goals in hand.


Mary
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Answer 3

Viral Marketing is a form of promoting through word of mouth....it could be anything as simple as a joke or a video that gets passed along over and over. When a business goes "Viral" its a very good thing because you get the benefit of Free advertising...unless its some bad news thats getting spread. One example of Viral techniques is just to have a simple form to add the email addresses of 5 friends at the bottom of your message. They tell 5 and they tell 5 and so on....A pyramid Scheme on the other hand would love to go Viral but its not viral unless it is passed along. So dont confuse the technique of going viral with a business that utilizes it.