Viral Videos

So let’s talk about viral videos, wooohooo! A fun and interesting topic in which pretty much everyone (including your grandma) has taken part in at what time or another, and that’s what makes viral videos so fascinating. People enjoy sharing videos with others that they think others will enjoy, and thus we create the viral video. When something goes “viral” the content is “famous” so to speak. People know about it, it’s everywhere and people want other people to see it because they think they'll enjoy it too. There is a ton of research out there that has looked into what makes a video viral. These 8 common traits I found according this article, however seem to be the most universal reasons I could find:

Common traits of viral videos

1.Extremely funny (i.e. Rebecca Black- “Friday”) 

2.Something we can all relate to (i.e. Shiz nobody says)

3.Exposing the truth (i.e. Dove “Real Beauty” Campaign)

 4. Emotional (i.e.Dear 16 year--old me)

 

5. Completely unexpected (i.e. Man with the Golden Voice)

  6. Something you've never seen before (i.e. OK Go- Treadmill music video)

7. Interactive (i.e. Zombie Attack)

8. Right place right time (i.e. David after Dentist)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs

Now the big question is, is it possible to PLAN for a viral video? The majority of the above videos just happened and therefore they became viral spontaneously, however according to this article the author states, “...It can be said that if the product or service is good enough and is relevant for the market, it is possible to plan a successful viral campaign if we as marketers are willing to apply our minds in leveraging the power of online social media.”

I think when a viral video is unplanned or unexpected, that is when the best videos are made. However, a viral campaign can be put together if it has any of the 8 characteristics that makes a viral video viral and as the article states, it’s “good enough” for the targeted market.

And just for fun here is one my favorite viral videos:

 Enjoy!