There’s been a flurry of listbuilding courses released recently but I don’t think I have seen any mention of using viral reports as a way to get new email subscribers.

In my last post I wrote about some strategies for content marketing and creating a free report from your content was one of them but you can take it one step further and make it go viral and get more email subscribers.

What is a viral report?

A viral report is  a free report that spreads across your niche like a virus because it contains such good information that your readers want to share it with others.

Have you ever downloaded a free report that doesn’t  have a website link inside? I have and I can’t imagine why any marketer would want to miss a trick like this.

Even if the report does not go viral he’s missed a vital oportunity to entice the reader to his or her website or affiliate site.

What makes a report go viral?

#1 Unique Content

• Unusual or even controversial ideas. Try to find something that no one else is talking about and it will get shared.

• Entertaining and engaging content. Even if your content is unusual it won’t get shared if it’s boring to read. Get a ghost writer to write it for you if your writing style sucks.

• Exceptionally useful content. Give away what others are charging big money for. Check out the latest high selling products on Clickbank or JVZoo for ideas.

Some marketers make the mistake of thinking that, just because they are not directly making money from these reports, it is okay to be cheap with the value.

This is not the way to get email subscribers with viral reports! The report you use for list building has to be so good that people would otherwise pay a good amount of money for it. Only when it is at this level of quality does it have the potential of truly becoming viral and building the number of your subscribers.

#2 Attention Grabbing

No matter how great the content might be if your report is not presented right, it is not going to do your campaign any good. This is one area where those trying to use viral reports to get email subscribers make the majority of their mistakes. The presentation has to be right on target.

This means having a curiosity generating title for the report and an attractive cover.

#3 Incentive to share it

A report that contains the above characteristics will get shared round your niche but you can give readers and incentive to share it by allowing them to change links in the report to their affiliate links before sharing it.

You can do this with Easy Viral Pdf Brander.

Or, if you want some ready made reports to rebrand with your affiliate links take a look here.

# 4. Give rights to share it ( Call to Action)

How many times have you recommended a book to your friends as soon as you finished reading it? You’ve probably added a few personal comments about why you are sharing the book with them, what impacted you most and why you think they will benefit from it, etc. This is a call to action.

Do the same inside your report report. Give your reader the right to give away your report. Ask him to share it with his friends.

# 5. Make Use of Social Media

Even if you are getting great traffic volume to your website or blog, using social media to promote your viral report is essential. After all, the power of social media is the source of truly viral traffic.

Create a YouTube Video about it or get someone on Fiverr to create on for you.  The more people who see your report initially the more likely your report will go viral.

How to get email subcribers from your viral report

Okay, I know what you are thinking now. That’s all very well but if your report gets shared around how do you get people on to your email  list?

Simple! You include a link to an optin page (also known as a landing page or squeeze page)  for another free, related report or offer. If the content of your viral report is good enough your reader is bound to want another report from you.

Have you ever created a report that went viral?  Let me and my readers know in the comment box.

And don’t forget to share this post if you like it and think others will benefit from it. Thanks. 🙂