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, you