This document discusses strategies for achieving word-of-mouth marketing success for mobile apps and games. It identifies the key factors that make content go viral as being simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and having a compelling story or structure. Charts show that 70% of players discover new games through word-of-mouth from friends and family rather than advertisements or reviews. The document advocates designing every aspect of a game and its accompanying media and messaging around these factors to maximize sharing and discovery.

1. Building for
Word of Mouth
Jussi Laakkonen, Applifier

3. VW Passat
Fireballs???

5. VW Passat
Family. Fun.

6. 0.25 50 million
million

8. 1 in a million

9. Fluke, so
just ignore it

10. Fluke, so
just ignore it

11. Study, learn.
Because …

12. Word of Mouth =
#1 discovery

13. Friends/Family
Facebook
Featured Apps
Website for mobile apps
From other apps
Traditional game site
Rankings page
Social media
Advertisements
Mainstream media
Blog
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
EEDAR, http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/178516/Research_How_mobile_players_find_new_games_to_play.php

14. WoM, social 
70% of players

15. Going viral is
impossible

16. Going viral is
possible

18. Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story

20. Simple Get those pigs!
Slingshot birds
Unexpected to smash pigs
Concrete Visuals, physics
Credible Looks like lot of fun!
Revenge to pigs!
Emotional Sounds!
Story Get the stolen
eggs back!

21. Whole game &
every bit of media

22. Simple

23. What’s in
the cube?

25. Die Hard
in a bus

27. One sentence

28. One thing only

29. Find the core

30. Unexpected

31. The core in an
unexpected way

32. Break a pattern

34. Surprise gets
your attention

35. Curiosity keeps
your attention

37. Create a gap in
knowledge

38. Can you guess
how it turns out?

42. Concrete

43. “To reach for new heights
and reveal the unknown so
that what we do and learn
will benefit all humankind.”

44. “We choose to go to the
moon in this decade”

45. Understand
Remember
Co-ordinate

46. Games as media
are perfect

49. Don’t muddle it
in messaging

50. Credible

51. External
credibility

54. Internal
credibility

56. Vivid details
Testable

57. Emotion

58. Makes
people care

59. Imagine
yourself ….

61. Self-interest,
needs

62. Transcendence
Self-actualization
Aesthetic
Learning
Esteem
Belonging
Security
Physical

64. Transcendence
Self-actualization
Aesthetic
Learning
Esteem
Belonging
Security
Physical

65. Story

66. Structure that
binds it together

67. Engaging

68. Inspiring

69. Plot lines

71. Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story

72. S
U
C Whole

C Game
E
S

73. S
U
C Meaningful

C Sharing
E
S

74. text

76. www.everyplay.com
jussi@applifier.com
@jussil