Viral Video Marketing Guide

Video Marketing
Viral Video Marketing Guide
Article by Bisera Stankovska
Last Updated: March 24, 2023

You want to make a video for your business. You want it to go viral. You know that if it goes viral, you'll get a lot of traffic, which can drive sales.

With over five billion people using the internet, your product or service has a vast potential market.

But how do you make a video that stands out from the rest? And how do you ensure it gets seen by the right people?

Look at this guide on marketing your business for success with viral video marketing.

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Viral Video Marketing: What Makes It Valuable

Viral video marketing is a great way to promote your business. 78% of marketing experts attest that videos helped increase their sales.

Compared to texts and photos combined, videos get shared 12 times more.

The best part about viral video marketing is that you don't have to pay. You don't even have to create it yourself— you can hire a marketing agency to do it for you.

Viral videos are typically funny, shocking, or just plain weird—but they make people laugh, gasp, or scratch their heads in amazement.

Virality can happen in any niche. If something is compelling enough about your product or service that people want others to know about, you've got a good chance of making a video that will get passed across social media platforms.

What Does It Take To Make a Viral Marketing Video

There is no magic formula for creating a viral video. Success depends on several factors, which include:

  • Content: A viral video needs compelling content that immediately grabs the viewers’ attention, gets them interested, and hooks them in. It can't just be another boring testimonial or product demonstration— it needs to be engaging and memorable. Your goal is to create something shareable, so your content needs to have the potential for virality.
  • Timing: The best time to release your video is when people are most interested in that content, such as on holidays or special occasions. For example, the Super Bowl may be the perfect time to release a video related to football. If you don't know what works best for your audience, consider testing different times and platforms until you find something that resonates with them.
  • Preparation: Take the time to prepare a video with the best chance of going viral— research what other video production companies have done and how they were successful with their videos.

What Are The Elements of a Viral Video

  • Catchy or attention-grabbing headline. It's the first thing that people see, so make sure it's something that will make them want to watch your video.
  • Exciting concept. People are likelier to watch and share a video if it's entertaining or funny.
  • Eye-catching visuals. Use high-quality graphics and images that are easy to understand.
  • A solid call to action. What do you want people to do after they've watched your video? You could ask them to subscribe, sign up for a giveaway, or purchase from your website. The stronger the call-to-action is, the better chance they'll do it.
  • Strong branding across all platforms. Even though this isn't technically an element of viral video advertising, branding is essential no matter what business model you follow. Without brand recognition, customers won't know who you are.

How To Create a Viral Video

If done right, your video can lead to thousands of views, social media shares, and more. But how do you create a viral video that people will want to watch?

Here are some tips to get you started:

  1. Find your audience – what audience are you trying to reach? Are they youngsters? Boomers? Millennials? You need to know who your target audience is so that the content in your video will resonate with them.
  2. Keep it short and sweet – viewers have short attention spans, so make sure your video is in short form or under two minutes long— a sweet spot that will help ensure they're both fun and easy to digest.
  3. Make it relevant to your audience – People like to see themselves in what they watch, so try to make videos that relate to your audience's interests and experiences.
  4. Be creative – think outside the box to make your video stand out. Come up with the idea that will be more appealing to your target audience.
  5. Use emotion – tap into viewers’ emotions to make them feel something. Remember, you have a story to tell that should resonate with your audience.
  6. Use humor – everyone loves a good laugh, so try to inject some humor into your video. For example, you can use a popular meme in the video to help boost the visibility of your brand and increase engagement.
  7. Create suspense – create excitement and anticipation by creating an air of mystery.
  8. Spice it up – make your video more attractive by adding action, color, and sound effects.
  9. Add your brand – work your brand into your video and make it personal.
  10. Be genuine – people are more likely to trust and engage with real people than with something that seems forced or inauthentic.
  11. Share it everywhere – videos that get shared are more likely to go viral. The more active you are on social media sites, the better your chances of making an impact.
  12. Use hashtags in your posts – use hashtags as keywords that allow users to search for content on specific topics or trends online.
  13. Use influencer marketing – partner with social media influencers who will help promote your video to their audience.
  14. Promote through email newsletters – send an email to subscribers or use Facebook messenger or other social media platforms to remind people about your new video and give them a link.
  15. Test different ads – test different types of ads, such as promoted posts on Facebook or Instagram, which are cost-effective ways to increase the viewership of your video without spending too much money upfront.
  16. Use analytics tools – use analytic tools such as Google Analytics to determine how many views you're getting and what are the most-watched videos. These tools allow you to know what kind of content works best for you to tailor future content accordingly.
  17. Choose your platform wisely – You'll want to consider what kind of content is popular on each platform and how it relates to your business.
  18. Don’t give up – making a viral video takes time and patience, so it’s important not to give up if one video doesn’t immediately take off. With time and effort, you’ll be able to create something extraordinary that people can't wait to share with their friends and family.

Tips on How To Go Viral on Various Social Media Platforms

YouTube

  • Make sure your video has high production value and call-to-action overlays.
  • Use keywords in your title and description to help people find the video when they search for those terms.

Twitter

  • Try using hashtags related to topics that are trending right now.
  • Use a catchy question or statement in your tweet to get people talking about it.
  • Consider using emojis and GIFs.

TikTok

  • Each video has to be entertaining or funny in some way.
  • Use a popular sound or catchy song to increase your chances of going viral on TikTok.
  • Add hashtags in the caption to get more people to see your post.

Facebook and Instagram

  • Create a visually-appealing thumbnail
  • Have a clear description and a CTA overlay in the video.
  • Post a link to the video in your bio or on a post about your business.

The Dangers of Going Viral

Going viral can be a double-edged sword. While many businesses would love nothing more than to have their video go viral, there are some real risks involved if you do not prepare for the consequences that come with it.

When you become popular online, you open yourself up to criticism from people who don't like what you do or say.

If you're not ready for this kind of backlash, it could affect how people perceive your business and even drive away potential customers.

Here are three things you should consider before sharing your content with the world:

  • What happens when your video goes viral, and how will you handle it? - For instance, your website may crash due to high traffic. It can be problematic if it happens immediately and you don't have a backup plan. You don't want to lose potential customers because they can't access your site.
  • What happens if someone makes fun of or criticizes your product or service? - You need to prepare for this possibility and think about how you'll respond if it happens. The key is to take criticism gracefully.
  • What happens if someone steals the idea behind your viral video advertising? - Prevent this by making your content as original and unique as possible. You may also want to have proper legal documentation in place to protect your rights.

Viral Video Marketing: Final Thoughts

If you're trying to market your business through social media, there's no better way to capture the attention of your target audience than with a viral video marketing strategy.

Viral video marketing effectively builds brand awareness, increases traffic and sales, and develops trust with your audience.

However, many businesses make the mistake of thinking about all it takes to have the best product or service on the market. While this is the priority, unfortunately, that's not enough anymore.

To get your target audience talking about you, you have to tell an exciting story and show off how innovative, and unique your product or service is, compared to others in the same field.

Professional video marketing companies can also help you with this process, so we advise looking for the right agency to partner with for your project.

We’ll find qualified video marketing agencies for your project, for free.
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