For those about to make Facebook Applications! (FIRE!)

TechCrunch is reported yesterday on a Stanford class on building Facebook apps, and how one, KissMe, has reached 1 million installs. Think about this line from the story, though: "It’s pretty amazing considering a lot of professional apps barely register." THAT is today's lesson on viral marketing. Can I give you my biased, self-important opinion of why this is the case? Students making fun applications are only thinking about making fun applications. This is what results in 1 million installs. A marketer hoping to get 1 million potential customers ignores fun - the emphasis is more on "buy something" than "enjoy this." And it sinks into nothingness. Of course, you are a business, and viral marketing interests you not because it's fun, but because you want to sell things. Your best (if not only) solution is to forget selling things when you are putting together your Facebook App, YouTube video, Flash game, etc. Let the content not sell anything. Don't include a call to action. Be sure and brand it, and make it possible for people to find the site of the person that made it, (ie, you,) and leave it at that. If you have 1 million downloads of your Facebook App, that's at least 1 million potential clients who may find their way to your site. And while I hate suggesting anything with both the words "potential" AND "may," how many clients will anyone get from a Facebook App that gets two downloads? No matter how good that thing's call to action is, I'd put my money on the first one that is so fun 1 million people want in on it.

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)