Viral marketing is an extremely effective form of marketing which has gained a great deal of popularity thanks in large part to the internet. Like nearly any form of marketing certain types of viral marketing can cost a great deal of money. On the other hand free viral marketing can lead to great returns without any money out of pocket.

The most successful viral marketing campaigns are almost never free. Some great examples of these costly viral marketing methods simply visit most viral you-tube videos. These get a lot of exposure and in many cases a lot of clicks for the companies that funded their production.

Unfortunately, for most small businesses these viral you-tube videos are just too costly to produce. One of the great things about viral marketing is that free viral marketing is a true option for those who are able and willing to invest a little more time into making it happen.

The most effective and popular form of free viral marketing is the blog. The concept of a blog is a somewhat new one online but the basis of it has been around for a very long time. A blog works a lot like an online journal which you share with others.

The beauty of a blog is that you can put almost anything in it that you wish. From the free viral marketing standpoint this can be a gold mine. Well written articles can garnish a lot of attention. This attention can spread around quite rapidly. The key to using a blog as an effective form of viral marketing is to contain a lot of useful content and information which others will not only want to read but want to share.

Email marketing is another very effective form of free viral marketing. Creating a mailing list is as simple as getting people to sign up for your newsletter. This can be done quite well by giving something away. The key to turning your newsletter into a form of viral advertising is to write a newsletter which people will want to read but one which will encourage them to visit your site for more details.

Make it entertaining, concise and easy to read. Make sure the title is catchy so when people get the email in their inbox they are encouraged to open and read it.

Forum posting is a very unique form of free viral marketing. It can achieve two things for a company or person. The first and most important thing is that you can usually include a link to your website in your signature. This signature will be included in every single posting you make.

Beyond that good use of a forum can improve your image as an expert. Beyond creating more clicks to your site and more potential link backs to your site this will help people to recognize that you know what you're talking about when it comes to your area of expertise.

Free viral marketing truly is an excellent option for companies or individuals who just don't have the money to drop down on an expensive marketing video or program. The key is to learn how to get your name out there the right way.