When Felix Baumgartner performed a space jump in October 2012, he broke three world records and set one particular video streaming service alight like never before. To date, his highlights video on YouTube has clocked up over 40 million views. And, as you’re reading this, we’re guessing you want some video viral success, too.
Good news – videos can go viral. Bad news – it isn’t guaranteed and it takes an awful lot more than good fortune.
We’re going to assume you haven’t got the funds Red Bull have to attempt something as galactic as a space jump, but that’s not to say your own video effort can’t make its own dent in the Internet.
In this post, we’re going to provide some pointers on the preparation, planning and production work you’ll need to perform in order to give your video the best chance of going viral.
Before you even begin filming, read on…
1. Work out who the audience is
Let’s say you get everything right and create a killer video that makes its way onto everyone’s Facebook newsfeed. Who, within that generic ‘everyone’ is going to be interested enough in your video to react positively and share your hard work?
In the world of viral videos, the audience becomes the marketing department, so it is essential that you understand who they are, their values, beliefs and what makes them tick.
2. Focus on creating a short video
The arguments about ideal video length are as endless as they are misleading. In truth, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for every video; they should be as long as they need to be.
However, when it comes to viral videos, shorter is generally better. A short, sharp shock or near-instant punchline will wow people enough to encourage them to click ‘share’.
3. Write a marketing plan
Yep, you heard it right – this little video needs its own marketing plan. We told you there were no easy answers when it comes to viral videos, and without a plan, you’ve got little to no chance of succeeding.
It doesn’t have to be War and Peace, but the time you spend mapping out the process by which you will distribute and encourage shares is absolutely vital and, in many ways, is more important than the time you spend filming.
4. Develop a story
Your viral video needs a beginning, middle and end. It’s a formula that has worked for centuries and for one very good reason: we all love stories.
People will need to relate to your video and gain some emotional investment in it if they are to share. Even if the video is just a 10 seconds long motion graphic, it needs to be treated like Romeo and Juliet.
Sit down and write the story before picking up a camera.
5. Follow Hollywood and create a trailer
Sometimes a blockbuster will appear seemingly out of nowhere and achieve spectacular box office figures despite having no pedigree or prequel. How? It’s all in the build up and, principally, the trailer.
Trailers are brilliant vehicles for building anticipation and momentum. Create a trailer for your viral video (or two, if you have the material), and begin pushing it out well before the eventual launch date of the full version.
But how do you attract people to the trailer, I hear you ask. Onto the next point…
6. Create a blog
You may already have a blog for your company, but in this instance, we’re talking about creating a blog specifically for your viral video. Because you’ll have devised a marketing plan (ahem – tip 3), you’ll have a defined timeline for the release of the video. On the
Share every post via social media and tune each post for SEO. If you’ve developed a compelling story (see tip 4), word will spread and visitors will arrive.
7. Spend significant time on the title
In email marketing, marketers apply the 80/20 rule by devoting 80% of their time to the subject line. You should do the same with your viral video. Consider this element a beacon for the video itself.
An example of a poor title would be ‘Watch me learn how to play the piano’. A great title would be ‘Man learns piano in 10 days (time-lapse)’.
8. Ask people to share
Viral videos only work if they travel far, and that can only happen if viewers share it themselves. The usual line of social network sharing buttons on the video itself isn’t enough – you need to be a bit more explicit than that.
Don’t be afraid to outright ask for people to share the video; include a prominent note to do so at the end of the video itself.
9. Consider the hosting platform carefully
You can host your video either on your own servers or on a public streaming service such as Vimeo or YouTube.
Our advice when it comes to viral videos is to lean on the grunt and ready-made audience of public streaming services. ‘Going viral’ means thousands – if not millions – of people watching your video and if your own hosting is unable to serve that many people, you may as well give up now.
10. Be ready to act when your video goes viral
So, what happens when momentum begins and your video starts to go viral? How to you react? What do you do? Well, one thing you shouldn’t do is sit back and expect it to play out perfectly before your eyes. It won’t.
There’s still work to be done at this stage. You’ll need to respond to as many incoming emails and social media mentions as possible and be ready for contact from the mass media by keeping a clear diary. Don’t be shy – accept every call for an interview.
You’ll also need a strong stomach. People will criticise your work, lambast you on social media and say some rather unpleasant things. But put it this way – such online chatter will be absolutely key to your video going viral, so embrace it (as counter-intuitive as that may sound).
Summary
A word of warning: the tips above aren’t guaranteed to make your video go viral. They’ll help you establish a foundation for a video that is ready to go viral.
To achieve full viral success, there is one element that stands heads and shoulders above everything we’ve considered in this post: the idea. A video without a brilliant, unique and engaging idea simply won’t work.
Intuition is a great thing; if you have a gut feeling that your idea could travel far and wide, the chances are it will. Use the tips above and you’ll have a great chance to reach an audience you never thought possible.