It’s no secret that the most effective marketing campaigns are the ones that are viral in nature. Viral campaigns, viral marketing, these trigger immediate interaction from the consumer in the way of purchases. With the cost of direct mail and the over-crowding on the Internet, what is the best way to trigger interest in your brand? By using mobile marketing to be aggressive.

While the method of delivery has changed over the years, one thing has remained constant: everyone loves to get something for nothing. From the drop-ins at a client where you deliver the nice pens with your name on it to the sleek black laptop bag with the four-color logo at a tradeshow, we love free things. So why not leverage this feel-good tactic using mobile?

Mobile marketing is a quick way to generate the buzz needed for something to go viral. Mobile couponing via SMS is a way in which you can get people talking about your brand and you can differentiate yourself from competitors in your space. Regardless of whether or not you are the established player or the upstart, being aggressive with a mobile marketing campaign can offer you a way to acquire new customers and to retain those customers.

So where does the free component come in? If you are a retailer, it can be a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) with a coupon only obtainable via SMS or a GWP (Gift-With-Purchase) or even PWP (Purchase-With-Purchase) text offer. It can even be a free item in the case of a restaurant – one free soda with purchase, or even just one free soda, no strings attached (other than a consumer opt-in). The free element is what will help take the mobile marketing campaign viral: since the motto, “If it’s free, it’s for me” is universal, people are certain to forward these texts to their friends and family, who will then share it with their friends and family.

You can use the database you generate in order to reach out to those opt-in consumers with daily or weekly offers, deals that, in turn, the consumer will forward to their contacts. With the recession, consumers have limited dollars to spend and they are more likely to spend their money where the deals are. Aggressively using mobile to make such consumers brand aware and deal conscious is a way to offer value, go viral, and to build your mobile database all in one campaign.