Digital marketing has opened new doors, allowing creative marketers to decrease their paid media spend through effective earned media. What’s one of the most exciting tools available to them? The viral video. Effective branded viral videos are a blend of both science and art, and allow consumers to engage with the brand in new ways. But what makes a video “viral-worthy” anyways, and how can your brand tip the odds better in your favour?
#1. TASTEMAKERS
Tastemakers introduce us to new things. They take a point of view and create a community around the content that they share. This allows for viral videos to spread throughout their communities, almost like an inside joke. Take for instance, how Jimmy Kimmel helped shoot "Double Rainbow" to fame or even his own prank, "Girl Catches on Fire While Twerking."
#2. PARTICIPATION
Digital allows for the consumer to become a part of the phenomenon through active participation. That means that viral videos should inspire creativity in order to spur a “remix community” that will create new versions and parodies of the video, thus increasing its reach. How many "Nyan Cat" versions have you seen?
#3. UNEXPECTEDNESS
With over 48 hours of video being posted to YouTube every minute, only the truly unexpected will break through. Take Ylvis’ "What does the fox say?" Though not a branded video, it is the perfect example of a viral video – the content was completely unexpected and original, provoking a huge reaction from the online community. From Sep 4 2013 – Oct 12 2013, it has already garnered 9,145,779 Facebook shares and 247,764 Twitter shares, along with 115 Million Youtube views.
#4. OPTIMIZING FOR SHAREABILITY
Once your video is created, it’s important to optimize the distribution network that will enable your video to go viral. According to Mashable, Facebook is the optimal seeding ground for videos as 75% of online shares of videos originate from that platform. However, don’t miss the boat on other useful platforms. Though YouTube and Facebook are the obvious choices, it’s useful to look into states of which other sites are generating the most sharing. Investigating what time of day content is most shared will also allow you to optimize what time to post your content.
#5. MINIMAL BRANDING
People watch and share videos because they are funny and authentic. They don’t want to share videos that feel like an advertisement is being thrown on them. Low-key branding leads to optimal virality. Take Toyota’s Swagger Wagon video, for example. Though it features the Toyota Sienna throughout the video and displays the Toyota Logo, the brand is never forced on to you. This, paired with funny, unexpected content, earned "Swagger Wagon" over 12 Million Youtube views and consumer contents such as “too funny.. i may just reconsider buying a van especially with gas prices the way they are..”
Overall, there are 5 key ingredients that will help land your brand a viral video: Tastemakers, Participation, Unexpectedness, Optimizing for Shareability, & Minimal Branding. Though viral videos are still part art and there’s no telling what might break through on the Viral Video Chart tomorrow, these tips will help get your brand on its way to increasing earned media through video.
Interested in seeing more? Tips #1 - 3 were adapted from this great TED Talk by the Trend Master at Youtube. Check it out here: http://simplytalkmedia.com/2012/04/science-viral-videos/
Interested in seeing more? Tips #1 - 3 were adapted from this great TED Talk by the Trend Master at Youtube. Check it out here: http://simplytalkmedia.com/2012/04/science-viral-videos/
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