Here's a good example of bad social media marketing

A lot of companies are trying to make videos that turn viral. More videos have gone viral than I can mention but one of the first and most notable was the flash mob at Liverpool Street Station for T-Mobile. 33 million views and counting; not too bad. Other than producing the video there aren’t really any other costs associated with it. What could go wrong right?

Well, you could cross the line.

A co-worker sent me the following video. The video is of President Barack Obama addressing the nation regarding an apocalypse. Only he wasn’t actually addressing that. Some cutting and transitioning makes it sound like Armageddon is fast approaching. Lucky for you, Vivos, a company that has built underground shelters, will allow you to board for just under $10,000!

The dramatization of the Presidential address was a little too dramatic. While I’m not angry at their attempt for a viral video, I do think it’s a little tacky to fear people into buying your product. Not to mention they posted this video about 2 months after the movie 2012 came out.

I’m not the only one who thought this video was a bad idea. 86% of people who rated the video gave it a thumbs down. The creators of the video disabled the comments section. The only reason people usually do this is because they are receiving a lot of negative feedback. Moral of the story: If you’re trying to make a video that can go viral, think it through.