The Power Of Viral Marketing

by John R. SedivycloseAuthor: John R. Sedivy Name: John R. Sedivy
Email: john@capecodbranding.com
Site: http://www.capecodbranding.com
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Introduction
In past articles I had discussed viral marketing and specifically how it is transforming marketing and business in general. Viral marketing has been around for some time, however mainstream adoption of social media has enabled viral marketing to grow new legs and has dramatically increased the power of word of mouth, viral marketing through use of social media, specifically such tools as Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. This article looks at one entrepreneur, Lisa Genova and how she used viral marketing to promote her new novel “Still Alice” from non-existence to New York Times Best Seller List virtually overnight. In addition I provide a basic overview of the book and my overall opinion of the work.

Grassroots Marketing
I accidentally came across “Still Alice” in a webinar for David Meerman Scott’s new book World Wide Rave. Lisa Genova’s promotion of “Still Alice” was provided as an example of how to use new viral marketing effectively. What inspired me about this example was that the author, Lisa Genova is an entrepreneur and Cape Cod resident, similar to myself. I have always found that people and situations closer to home are most interesting, so this increased my interest in Lisa Genova and “Still Alice”.

Lisa’s story is remarkable in that she originally self-published “Still Alice” and literally began selling the book out of the trunk of her car a little over a year ago. Since then she has marketed her book via social media sites such as Facebook and web video interviews such as Skype and YouTube. Originally she had attempted to sign on with big publishers who had all turned it down which in turn drove her decision to self publish and market the book herself. For a video interview with Lisa describing her marketing of “Still Alice” as well as a general overview of the book click here.

Most recently Lisa has appeared in blogs, magazine articles, and more formal video interviews. This has all culminated in “Still Alice” reaching the New York Times Best Seller List; at the time of this article “Still Alice” occupies the ninth spot on the Paperback Trade Fiction list and has maintained its presence on the list for its ninth week straight. There is no doubt that these are phenomenal results, especially for someone starting out self-publishing and marketing themselves in a little over a year.

Herein lies the power of viral marketing. Up until recently a new author such as Lisa Genova probably would have been stopped by the big publishers – they initially turned it down, so in the past “Still Alice” would likely not have seen the light of day. With the cost of technology significantly lessening and global connectivity increasing dramatically through the Internet and social media, the determined entrepreneur can now bypass the traditional gatekeepers and promote their product themselves. The power is now with the crowds and not with a select few. One must wonder how many phenomenal ideas such as “Still Alice” have been turned down in the past never to realize their potential? How much opportunity or progress has been lost? No longer. Now virtually anyone can create a product, market it, and make a profit, at very little cost. As an entrepreneur, if you have a strong product offering, effectively market it through word of mouth, and continue to do so with passion and persistence you will undoubtedly succeed. One is only limited by their ability, passion, and persistence.

Still Alice Highlights
“Still Alice” is a fictional novel about a fifty year old Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book basically describes the professor’s life before the diagnosis, life leading up to the diagnosis, and how her and her family deal with the ramifications of being diagnosed as well as the symptoms and deterioration that occur over time. Although fictional, the author brings an unique perspective as she holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University. The author’s knowledge is evident in this area and adds credibility to the story, however she conveys this knowledge so it is easy for the layman not versed in the disease or neuroscience to readily understand and appreciate. For this reason I found the book to be educational as my awareness increased about a subject that prior to my reading of this book, I knew very little about. I also found Lisa’s exploration of the human side of the disease to be really intriguing – an aspect that I later found was purposeful as indicated in the previously referenced video interview.

Given the subject matter I expected “Still Alice” to be a tear jerker, however this was not the case. Although there were definitely moments of sadness – an impossibility given the subject matter, the author’s treatment of the subject was handled in such a way as to be educational, positive, interesting and at times uplifting and inspirational. This further reinforces the thought that regardless of the difficulty of the subject, positive treatment makes for the best results.

A final aspect that I found fun about the book were the references to Cape Cod and Boston. Locals of these areas will find it to be an enjoyable read as many key characteristics of the areas are offered with great detail – which is interesting given that I live in the area and frequent many of the referenced places. For those readers who are not in the area or have not been – you can visualize what you are missing

Highly Recommend
Overall I highly recommend “Still Alice” for both fiction and non-fiction readers alike. This is the first fictional book I had read in years and it was a great way of returning. There is more than enough story based on factual information to be of interest to both types of readers. In the beginning I was drawn in due to how the book was marketed and the local interest aspect – however I quickly found myself engrossed in the story and was glad to have read it.

Lisa Genova provides a practical example of how one entrepreneur with a dream can climb their way to success regardless of how many turn down their idea. As an entrepreneur a person must become accustomed to failure – as failures generally result in eventual success – at a much grander scale. One must also become accustomed to hearing no, as every no leads you that much closer to a yes. How easy would it have been for Lisa to drop “Still Alice” when the publishers initially declined her idea? It is the rare person indeed who has enough passion to fuel their determination and run with their idea(s). When one avenue is blocked, find another path to success – life is seldom straightforward and there are many paths to get to where you are going.

I will be interested in continuing to witness Lisa Genova’s success with “Still Alice” and her continued use of social media and other non-traditional methods to promote her work. I also look forward to seeing her future work.

Lisa Genova’s book Still Alice is a great example of effective viral marketing!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

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