Guidelines for Viral Video Success

THOUGHTS ON VIRAL VIDEOS …

Videos (especially viral videos) are HARD.

Like most things it’s a good idea to really take a hard look at what has worked with a detached eye and an engaged brain.

You can find models that have worked and adapt them to your personal message.

That said, here are a few …

Guidelines for Viral Video Success …

1. Short and Simple

A viral video should typically last no longer than three (to five, if you must) minutes. Since you’ll lose almost half of your audience by the end of minute one, put your most interesting, fascinating, funny, or surprising information first and foremost in your video.

2. Emotional Content (But preferably upbeat.)

Emotions are crucial.  If we aren’t moved, we won’t act. But, it’s much more effective to create POSITIVE emotions. The most highly sharable content tends to evoke strong emotions in the reader or viewer. And of those emotions, the most sharable content tends to be that which had a positive or upbeat note. Happy emotions tend to outperform sad emotions in the realm of sharability.

3. Clear, Repeatable Message

We can only remember three things when we are YOUNG.  After that we are lucky to remember one.  If people can’t remember your message, they can’t spread it.

4. Clear Brand

We are all now media trained. All those thousands of hours watching media have an effect. We are REALLY good at detecting stock videos and cliché.  If it’s not personal it’s not felt. That’s why you on video makes it better than a spokesperson.

5. Clear Reason Why

Nobody is going to do anything if we don’t give them a reason why they need to do it and a compelling reason to do it right now.

5. Actionable

You have to give them something very SPECIFIC to do and an easy way to do it, otherwise the default is to do nothing.

Bonus Points …

Timely

Tie your video into something that’s happening right now that already has people talking.  Stuff happens all the time, and we KNOW it’s going to happen in advance.  Someone will die, someone will live, someone will be brave, someone will be a coward.  We already know it’s going to happen, so why not prepare your thoughts and materials now and when SOMETHING happens, you are ready to show people what to do about it in a timely way.

Engagement

Get people to comment and then respond to those comments and share what they have to say.

All the best,