You clearly know by now that the term "viral marketing" is not just another Dot-Com slogan. Contrarily, it describes the incredible, unequaled power of the Internet to promote your business bycombining e-mail to the traditional principle of "word-of-mouth". Viral marketing, the concept of converting each customer to marketer by encouraging "word-of-mouth" referrals, is undeniably one of the most effective advertising mediums of ongoing self-promotion a site can enjoy. It literally gives Internet companies a cost-efficient, proven tool to build traffic and reduce advertising costs. MSN's, "Hotmail" originally cracked through the mold by proving that companies no longer needed to spend zillions on flashy advertising to become the biggest and best in the business. With a easy viral marketing campaign, they efficiently captured the market with a budget that spent money on original customer acquisition and not necessarily on excessive "SuperBowl" placements. Instead of just standing by and dreaming it happens, you can actually drive viral marketing by creating an effective viral marketing program targeted to your specific audience. This article will provide you with the key steps to potentially create a viral marketing program that will empower your e-business to new levels of success at a fraction of the cost of other promotional endeavors.