You know I’m just saying what many of you are thinking…

Or am I?

At the end of the day, is that what we really want?

Do you want your growth to happen virally?

OR

Do you want your growth to happen organically?

Let’s look at the difference between viral growth and organic growth.

Viral Growth

• The unpredictable nature of viral growth makes the long term outcome uncontrollable and perhaps a bit unwieldy.

• The sudden rise to stardom in the online world may leave you feeling unprepared and unable to respond with an intelligent and strategic plan.

• The positive response to the sudden stardom may feel great but, the negative responses (and there will be negative responses) may leave you shaken and not sure where to turn next.

• The freneticism of viral growth can illicit knee-jerk responses that you would otherwise never have shared.

Organic Growth

• While slower, the results of growth are done, for the most part, in a controlled and predictable manner

• Organic growth allows for genuine engagement and the nurturing of community.

• Positive and negative responses can be monitored closely and answered thoughtfully and intelligently.

• The loyalty and long-term relationships achieved with organic growth are authentic and reliable.

As exciting as going viral may be initially, I think the controlled aspect of organic growth is much more appealing in the big picture.  There is something very rewarding about plugging away at a business you are passionate about and watching it grow because of your efforts.

What do you think?  Viral or organic?  Which would you prefer?

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