- Be emotive
A viral video heavily contains the element of emotion. But it doesn’t always mean that the audience will receive the video positively. Sometimes, a video can gain infamy and receive immense backlash. As a marketer, that’s obviously not what you want. So, when you plan to make a viral video, aim for humor and joy. Try to make people feel good and you’ll have a winner. Here’s one we can’t stop thinking about from Blue’s Clues’ very own Steve.
2. Share it multiple times
People generally assume that when a video goes viral, it happens organically. Many times, it can be the case. But sometimes, a video goes viral when it is boosted through advertising or promoted by various media platforms or prominent celebrities. So, don’t forget to share your video on multiple channels. Visibility is important to make something gain momentum.
3. Create shorter content
On social media, it is difficult to keep new viewers hooked for a long time. To get around limited attention spans, keep your video short and sweet. Generally, a cold audience is not interested in watching a 15-minute video, so limit yours to a few seconds or a minute.
4. Try to stay relevant
Make sure that you stay up to date with the latest trending topics, hashtags, memes, and other current events. After this, try to create content that aligns with things that are relevant. It’ll help you ride the trending wave and more people will be able to discover you and your brand. For example, when Taylor Swift released “I Bet You Think About Me” from the vault, Duolingo came out with this hilarious TikTok stanning the singer:
5. Interact more
Posting a video and then waiting for it to blow up does not always work. So, after you upload your video, stay engaged on social media, try to get it shared, monitor the engagement, and interact with the audience. When the video goes viral, you will also have to interact with different media outlets so that your content reaches more people.
6. Give more than you get
This is a general attitude that you should have while creating viral video content. Apart from staying relevant, it’s also important you make valuable videos. When you create inspiring, educational, or informative content, the audience will be more willing to like, share, and comment. This will help you build an authentic fan following. Here’s a really great video from fashion designer and YouTuber Justine Leconte that’s value-packed.
7. Keep the video format in mind
You have to make a video that is optimized to be shared on social media. This means that you have to consider the device on which the audience is viewing your content which, most of the time, is mobile phones. Another thing to consider is that most of the videos watched on social media; specifically Facebook and LinkedIn, autoplay on mute, so optimize your video accordingly and make the first few seconds enticing.
8. Add a catchy title to your video
Before you share your video on social media, do some research and find keywords relevant to your video’s content. See which ones get the most clicks per month and add them to the title of your video. For keyword research you could use Keywords.io, Ahrefs, or TubeBuddy (a tool for YouTube). This is a vital part of search engine optimization (SEO). It will optimize your title and allow the various social media platforms where you upload your video to recognize and recommend it to people. This will make the video rank well.
9. Create an appealing thumbnail
Another thing that is equally as important as the title is the thumbnail. It’s the first thing a social media user will see when they spot your video, especially if that platform has no autoplay. So, create a custom thumbnail that both suits your video and demands a click from the viewers.