Attributes of a viral video

We’re entertained by online videos daily, whether via social media platforms or by choosing what videos we want to watch on YouTube and other online sites.  But what makes a video go viral online?  What distinguishes a much-watched video from a video that get’s hardly any views and drops off the radar?

A lot of creativity, work and money go into creating a video to share online.   So, it’s absolutely the dream of every video maker that their creative videos are a success and go viral.  Creating and marketing a video successfully means that it does go viral and this is no easy task.  There are literally thousands and thousands of videos being posted online daily around the world.  So, what attributes does a video need to go viral?

It’s worthwhile mentioning that fully understanding the many aspects and intricacies of digital marketing is important to know even before your first video is made.  To safeguard the chances of your video landing up in the wasteland of unseen videos it’s a great idea to complete a digital marketing course.

What are the benefits of your video going viral?

Being online is all about being ‘seen’ and this objective is no different when it comes to your digital marketing videos.  To get a good return on investment it’s important to understand the benefits of your video going viral.

Video marketing is all the rage online nowadays.  There are many popular platforms on which videos can be shared, such as social media sites, websites and video platforms.  The importance of your video marketing is a success cannot be underestimated as a lot of hard work, creativity and money go into creating videos to share online.  The most important measure of the success of your video is how well it’s received, liked and shared.

Everything is visual these days and it’s been proven that video via social media platforms receives the most interaction.   Modern online users are pushed for time and have an overload of content to scroll through, including static and video content.

There are many benefits of posting an interesting, captivating video and video marketing must be a part of any digital marketing strategy.

Here are a few of the most popular benefits of having your video go viral

• Cost-effective – The great news is that video creation is affordable. With the advance of smartphones, creating and capturing an entertaining video is an extremely cost-effective form of advertising.
• Easy to share – A video has become extremely easy to share across the many social media platforms and in turn, it can be shared by your viewers with the easy click of a button.
• Brand boost – Customised video content is great for boosting your brand. A video is an effective way to stay constant with your brand’s message.  Videos are so effective at entertaining your audience as well as enabling them to instantly recognise your brand.
• Entertainment value – With the digitalisation of everything, it’s refreshing to be visually entertained online. The enjoyment levels of videos are rated as the quickest way to attract and retain an audience.

 Attributes of a viral video

The success of a video that goes viral is far-reaching and long-lasting.  In fact, videos that go viral are not only shared over and over again, but they also get people talking about it.  But, it’s difficult to hit on a video that is destined to go viral but if you do, your marketing efforts will reap the many rewards.

Here are some attributes of a viral video:

• Top-quality – The overall quality of a video that goes viral has to be of the highest quality, both in content and video quality. Above all make sure your video has a high resolution.
• Video length – Shorter videos tend to not only be viewed more but also are shared more. Online users are pushed for time and video competition is high, so keep videos short and to the point.  Trim off any excess or uninteresting content.
• Humorous – We’ve all seen the unrivalled success of memes. It’s a fact that most videos that go viral contain some elements of humour.  Humorous videos are shared way more often.
• Creativity – Video marketing is all about building a brand’s story and this must be done creatively. Even your video headline has to capture a viewer’s attention.  Viral videos have to be unique and creative.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Want to learn more about digital marketing? If so, then you need to check out our Digital Marketing Course. Follow this link to find out more.