The Viral Dollar

Marketers often talk about ideas or things that are viral. But what does that actually mean? In my experience as a website producer, creator, and marketer, it simply means that the popularity and success of something is dependant upon the uniqueness of the idea and the desire of those to pass that idea on.

We've seen the success of Youtube and Myspace in this regards. Ebaumsworld was popular for awhile too because the crazy pictures and videos that Ebaum collected over the course of years. So what is the next craze? Video? Picture?

No one really knows. But it'll definitely have to be unique. All it takes is an idea and a desire to see it succeed at the cost of everything else. I didn't really have that great of an idea but I knew what I wanted to see it all work. Whether it will be a success is a different story. You see, there are a ton of people everyday trying to think of that next viral idea that not only brings in more people into the fold, but allows those same people to keep spreading the news. My idea of the Viral Dollar is simply an exercise in exploring the viral concept.

Some questions I'm curious about are:

Is this an idea that people would want to pass on?
Is this unique enough to be interesting?
Is this just a colossal waste of time?

These are questions that will take time to be answered. Nothing is set in stone in the beginning. Who knows, it may just take right off and bring in a ton of visitors. Or it may completely flop. What I do know is that I, and others who follow the site, will learn a great deal on what it takes to make an idea viral, and what it takes to be successful.

If not, then we'll learn what NOT to do next time. You see, many great ideas come after the failures of a bunch of smaller ideas. If you've got the drive to see through your ideas then your next idea might be the big one. I took the idea of passing around a dollar and having people sign it and then tracking it on a map and making that all viral. My hopes are that people will sign up (for free) and then advertise their dollar to be signed on Myspace, in message forums, and in emails. Those mediums provide for the start of something viral. Or so I hope!

If this idea doesn't work, maybe a viral soda can or viral sheep skin will work. Like I said, sometimes it just takes an idea and then everything takes off!