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Viral loop coverage in Fast Company

Recent article on viral loops just came out from Fast Company: Ning’s Infinite Ambition.

I chatted with the writer, Adam Penenberg, when he was writing the article – we talked extensively about the history of viral marketing, starting from:

  • chain letters

  • style and fashion fads

  • Tupperware

… and then how those techniques have now evolved on the web. The main differentiation, of course, being that you can really productize your distirbution strategy and incorporate it inside your user experience.

I’ve written much more about viral loops in a blog from last year.

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Written by Andrew Chen
April 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
  • http://blog.boxbe.com Randy Stewart

    I was reading the latest issue last night and saw your quote. “Holy crap, Andrew’s in FC” I think I said to my wife.

    We’re recently drinking from the viral hose at Boxbe and it seems to be working well. A lot of the folks out there are going viral while offering no value to the customers they are emailing. It’s pretty clear that social networks offer some value to people, but often beyond “friending” one finds themselves lacking in things to do.

    You nailed it in your last post regarding focus on the product bringing value to your customers (and ultimately to you). Boxbe users directly benefit by adding and inviting new people to the service. By adding their friends (and subsequently those friends address books) to the service, they broaden the network of possible good senders that can easily reach them.

    Anyhow, I hope you are doing well. I’ll be in SF next week, if you have time for lunch or coffee.

    Cheers,
    Randy

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