Fidget Spinners & The Power Of Viral Marketing?

If you haven’t heard of fidget spinners we have one question for you: have you been living under a rock? These little gadgets have taken the internet by storm! A fidget spinner is a small metal or plastic product which rotate around a small bearing in the centre to create a satisfying spin that can go on for minutes at a time. They were originally designed for children who had difficulty controlling their movements or nerves, such as those with ADHD, however they have gone viral and it seems that every other person has one to play with now. As business owners, however, we cannot ignore these crazy trends as silly as they may seem. In fact, we can learn a lot about viral marketing with the main question of how can you get your products to go viral as well?

Social Media

Surprise, surprise – social media plays a huge role in viral marketing. All by enticing a reaction, the growth of the fidget spinner happened exponentially such that once it had a following behind it, behaviour from other social media users is encouraged to pass on the craze. For instance, spreading fidget spinner memes and tagging friends in comments of Facebook post. Furthermore, discussing fidget spinners offline also passed the trend on through powerful word of mouth.

Sell The Product

If you cannot create your own viral product, why not sell one which already exists? It is unlikely that these trends will continue to grow exponentially – there will eventually be a plateau and then a gradual if not sudden decline in demand – however while the trend is hot, there is most definitely an intense demand you can serve. You could also put a spin on it, for example, you could have promotional branded fidget spinners, or create luxury fidget spinners costing a lot more money, or glow in the dark fidget spinners, or even fidget spinners with Bluetooth speakers built in. The possibilities are endless for you to jump on a viral craze.

Capitalise with Content

One of the easiest ways to capitalise from a viral trend is to create content centred around it. Create graphics, use the hashtag, make and share videos. Just let your followers know that you are current and on trend.

Understand Why They Go Viral

There are a few things in common that these viral products seem to have, including the fidget spinner:
1) They are priced reasonably. More often than not, these products cost under £10 which means that most major retailers can feature the product by the tills where they are unavoidable for parents with children with them.
2) They are catchy. These products are often collectable and tradable with friends, meaning that children at school can exchange, negotiate, and collect the fidget spinners with their peers. They are often portable, too.
3) They are simple. This is a rather important point. If you want your product to go viral it needs to be easy to use and enjoyable for any age.

Viral trends come and go, but if you can jump on board the craze when it’s still hot it is a great way to show your followers that your brand is current and fun as well as potentially capitalising from the trend, too.