Rebelling

If you think creating a viral video is all luck or it takes a big entertainment house to make a good video, think again! The below video was a public safety announcement called ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ which gathered over 659K views. Produced for Metro Trains Melbourne, this video is simply an animation song spreading the message of safety by humorously bringing to life the dumb ways people can die. So basically, it takes a great idea, some careful planning and good promotion afterwards to hit the bull’s eye. Let’s explore what else it takes to help you create viral videos even with a small budget:

Relatable and Practical

Videos should give viewers value for their time invested. The below mentioned video is a clever advertisement for code.org. In this video, highly successful founders tell us how they wrote their first line of code or designed something amazing. This video went viral for 2 reasons- people love hearing about personal experiences especially the experiences of famous people as it makes them and their success more relatable and motivating. The second reason is that the video gave people something to talk about, to share and to learn from.

Develop a story ( Less focus on your agenda)

Like in written content marketing, even in video marketing – concentrate on the emotional value you evoke in the customer instead of focusing solely on selling. Make the most of the emotive power of video by understanding the consumer’s need and mind-set. A good video portrays a brand’s vision and agenda without being overly promotional. Avoid being overly promotional since viewers may not watch till the end. The key is to connect with viewers by delving deep into their emotions and bring out something true and relevant to them.

Authenticity keeps the connection alive

When a video is authentic, viewers don’t feel cheated and thus the first association of the product in their brain is trustworthy. This ensures that viewers feel connected to the product and therefore increases the chances of them actually buying the product. The GoPro video works because it does a great job of showing the audience how a simple camera can capture simple yet heroic events in everyday life. The key here is everyday life because it is something the masses can connect to.

Find the Right Platform to Promote the Video

It goes without saying that YouTube is the best platform for videos to go viral. Posting it on YouTube is great, but sharing it across channels is what does the trick. In the initial few days, you can email your video to various content channels like Buzzfeed, Business Insider with catchy headlines. For example, if a video is about a beauty brand and Vogue finds it interesting enough to showcase it on its website, your job is done. The idea is to find the right partners to promote your video for free.

Show more than just the product and make the viewer think about a problem

If your product/service solves a relatable, genuine problem, use the video format to solve it for customers. Ensure that the voice and communication style resonates with the target audience, and you have a potential viral video in your hands. The below ‘Dollar Shave Club’ video tries to sell on a problem. The company was trying to attract a new segment of users who casually purchase big-brand razors at local stores. They highlight the uselessness of buying absurdly high costing, store-bought razor cartridges and razors through a fun, short video.

Boost it

You can boost the engagement a video generates by being smart about when you air it. The right time and right season is critical when it comes to making a video go viral. The below video for an organic dog-food brand ‘Dogsee Chew’ called ‘Say No to Crackers’ went viral during Diwali season because it was highly relevant to pet parents. It also generated general awareness amongst those who do not have their own pets. The key was the timing- just before Diwali. In a nutshell, you don’t need a big budget to generate 10 million views with a 49-second video clip; but you do need to hit the right chord to connect with the audience. A good video with the potential to go viral is all about the story and execution- two things an insightful and nimble team will be able to take care of. That being said, creating video content consistently, helps increase the odds of being able to have a piece of memorable media break through. Thinking of creating a video for your brand? Drop us a message and we’ll share our ideas and work with you.