10 Things You Can Learn From the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Everybody and their mother knows what the ALS Ice Bucket challenge. Most people also probably know that it raised a over $100 million for the cause within a two-month’s span – a truly remarkable feat. This just goes to show you the sheer power of viral loop marketing, and the results it can drive.

While it’s hard to relate this level of success to any B2B viral marketing campaign in the history of time, I think there are indeed some lessons to be learned for us B2B marketers.

• What is it that made this campaign so successful?
• Are there any, actionable items I can learn from this campaign and implement in my own strategies?

Here’s a list of 10 things I’ve learned from watching my friends douse & donate:

1) Appeal to people’s emotions

The success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge can be partially attributed to its appeal to people’s core emotions. A sense of purpose, belonging, excitement and even guilt are what really drove this phenomenon home.

Many people feel it’s difficult to appeal to emotions in B2B marketing, but everything in marketing is driven off of emotions – and B2B is no exception. Check out this awesome graphic about how emotion influences B2B buying, brought to you by Kapost:

2) Make something serious into something funny

ALS is a debilitative disease and is no laughing matter. But raising money for research doesn’t have to be somber and depressing. Everybody loves some comedic relief, so try and incorporate humor in your marketing materials whenever possible.

A funny comicstrip, meme, or GIF could go along way to supplement that infographic you’ve worked so hard on. Here’s HubSpot’s unique take on how to get customers to reduce their unsubscribe rates:

3) Keep it Short & Simple (KISS)

Never over-complicate things…especially in marketing. Your emails, your ad copy, your tweets and your articles shouldn’t include fluff that will confuse your audience. The easier it is to digest, the more your audience will get out of it, and there more you’ll get out of it.

4) Have a clear call-to-action

Always be clear with your intentions – never mislead. The Ice Bucket Challenge had about the most clear directions possible: donate $100 or dump a bucket of ice on your head, then pass the gauntlet.

While you may not want to promote your product by getting your customers to do ice-dumping testimonials, having clear objectives can transcend all aspects of marketing. Whether it be your landing page copy, your call-to-actions on your banner ads, or the limited time special offers you’re giving your customers, always be as clear as you can be.

5) People love a challenge

Everybody loves some spirited competition. Come up with an innovative idea where your customers can compete for a prize, share it on your social media pages, and watch the word spread.

6) Don’t stifle creativity

If you look at the videos your friends posted on Facebook, you’ll notice that no two videos were the same. In your marketing campaigns, you should always be looking to spice things up … even if you’re using material that’s been said time and time again. Spin it in a cool way, and you’ll really make people think.

7) Make your materials readily share-able on every platform

Harness the power of viral loop marketing. Make your marketing materials so easy to share, that to not share them would be the harder option.

8) Build a sense of urgency

People respond to time constraints because they make them anxious. In marketing, this means promoting limited time offers that people cannot refuse. Give your customer’s a special, “back-to-school” price that ends on a set date. Let them know that if they don’t capitalize on the opportunity, they’ll be missing out big time.

9) Zero barriers to entry

In the developed world, everyone has an internet connection and a smartphone. The barriers to entry for the Ice Bucket Challenge were nearly nonexistent, and that’s why it spread around the globe so fast.

10) The power of rich content

With the proliferation of smart devices, the internet has come alive with videos. The ease with which you can create a video and post it online for the world to see is astounding. Let’s face it, everybody loves watching a video – no matter how simple it is. It puts a face to a name.
While dunking a bucket of ice over your head and videotaping yourself doing it may not be the best move for your company, perhaps an interview is, or a light-hearted testimonial from one of your customers. Get creative and don’t think too much, overtime you’ll find out what works.

Take Action

B2B marketing is tough – and that’s an understatement. Producing viral content seems like something that’s only fit for big names with big followings. But something that’s hard isn’t impossible. Try something, track the effectiveness, and try it again. Leverage the tools you’ve got, play to your strengths, and set your ideas free.

Thought of anything I missed? Had any luck with implementing any of the above strategies into your campaigns? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.