Funnily enough, or perhaps it’s inevitable, of all the articles (156 at this writing) I’ve published on Suite 101, the one that is getting the most number of hits on the day of its launch isn’t about hiking or music, where I have lots of readers, but, funnily enough, marketing. Viral marketing, to be precise.
Well, yes, as a 20-plus year veteran of self-employment, I know a thing or two about marketing. But for this article, I relied not on my experience, but on the example of an unlikely mentor: one Ludwig van Beethoven who may be responsible for the longest-running viral marketing campaign in history (unless, I guess, you count the Bible. But let’s not go there…).
Beethoven is the composer of Fur Elise, a piece of music that every piano teacher views with equal parts dread and, well, dread. For some reason, this student swan song, appeals to children who aren’t quite old enough to play it. It occurred to me that this was the epitome of viral marketing. What is it about this piece of music? What did Beethoven know that would keep this song chugging for 200 years? ‘Cause believe me, it isn’t piano teachers. Most of us would heave a sigh of relief if we never heard it again. And don’t even start me on those bastardized ‘easy’ versions.
Anyway, it was fun to work on an article that drew two totally different subjects together. My sister would point out that using Beethoven to write about viral marketing makes me a nerd, but I think it’s kind of cool. She’d say that makes me a nerd, too.
So what DOES Beethoven know about viral marketing? Whatever it is, it’s also helping to make my little article chug to the top of my stats page… even the BBC has linked to it (my sister would not find that cool, either.)
Read it here: Viral Marketing Lessons from Beethoven. And feel free to add your own theories.
I played Fur Elise as a not very proficient child piano student. And my theory is that its popularity rests on the fact that it’s the only piece of “real music” you get to play at that level, since it’s the only one that’s easy enough. You can feel all the gratification of playing *Beethoven* instead of being stuck in those kid pieces. I remember a Mozart minuet, but I think that was simplified.
How funny! I’m at Suite101 too, and similarly, one of my top page-view getters isn’t in my main topic either. It’s something about music! http://musicappreciation.suite101.com/article.cfm/piano_lessons_for_children to be exact.
During the school year, it’s usually in my “top 20,” despite that I have around 300 articles there. Funny world, huh?
hey thanks – now I have the bloody tune in my head
but yes good points. Love the “dodgy personal life” crack.
I had not heard Für Elise until my piano teacher decided I should learn it. The first time, therefore, was while seated on a piano bench beside him, hearing the song played just for me.
Ditto Gymnopédie No. 1, Moonlight Sonata, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, etc., etc.
What does this say about viral marketing?
Perhaps this, which applies to marketing generally: quality matters, especially in the long run.