With all the online chatter about the movie Snakes on a Plane, it came as a surprise to a lot of people that it didn't perform anywhere near what was expected of it.
It's a good lesson for all of us to learn from.
One of the main reasons that it didn't do as well as thought was because there was a small core group doing the great majority of chatter, and once the movie was released, it was that group only that went to see it.
In other words, the movie was a cult classic before it was even shown in the theaters, and only the faithful followers spent the money to watch.
Now the one thing about the Internet to keep in mind is that there can be a lot of talk about a topic, over and over again, by the same people, but it never really leaves the confines of the true fans. In other words, it doesn't appeal to the mainstream. The result is that it really isn't viral, it only gives an illusion of being viral because of all the noise being made.
The other thing is that online talk is difficult to measure when a small group of fans attempt to make something popular. They repeat it everywhere they can, but as with "Snakes," it is only 'preaching to the choir' - not expanding beyond the core.
This isn't necessarily bad when it comes to certain products or services offered, but it can deceive us if we don't keep it in mind.
The other component of this is that just because the Internet buzzes about something, doesn't mean that it will have an impact on millions of people who casually use it, or don't use it at all. This is why so many of us that read and interact online can make the mistake of thinking these same things are happening in the offline world. Many times they're not.
We haven't yet bridged the gap between online and offline worlds. For millions, even in the U.S., they aren't even connected. Viral campaigns that go across platforms, will have a difficult time going viral outside the Internet. That's one of the main reasons that "Snakes" was such a disappointment, in spite of all the online buzz.
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