Viral Videos: Should Your Company Be Making Them?

Carrie Hinkel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:08:42 +0000

Each day, there are tens of thousands of videos being posted on sites like YouTube. Some become notorious and are so shocking / hilarious that the links make it on email lists, blogs, Myspace pages and more – racking up a million or more hits. Now that’s viral, baby! Most of these videos may look like they were taken with a phone cam or filmed with a simple camcorder, and while for some that may be the case, for others…they were only made to look that way. Yep, companies like Sony, Frito-Lay, Red Bull, Nike and a slew more are all getting in on the viral video craze. Unlike the majority of YouTube videos, these corporate viral videos are strategically developed by a team of crafty marketers, actors and filmmakers. They cost tens, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, with the hopes of engaging a wider audience, and getting viewers to talk about the videos to friends, on their blogs and on their Myspace and Facebook pages.

But, hey, it’s not just the big companies that are benefiting from creating viral videos. Scores of startups and low-budget companies are successfully filming and posting their own videos – hoping to see 100,000 or more hits. So, don’t let a small budget get in the way of striking gold with a viral video. Here’s how you can do it all on your own:

Step 1: The idea – This may well take the most time of the entire process. A viral video is meant to stand out and evoke some sort of emotion – that may be fear, shock, anger, laughter, etc. If you want your video to go viral, you can’t settle for mediocre or average, it needs to be over the top.

Step 2: The filming – Depending on the idea, you may be able to do the filming in-house; however if you are looking for special effects or editing services, you would be wise to hire a professional. Here are the keys to a successful viral video:

* Make it short, ideally only 15-30 seconds in length.
* The video itself shouldn’t be an advertisement; but it should relate in some way to your company.
* Make it believable; don’t expect something that was scrapped together in two hours to go viral. Practice the skit until it’s done right and reshoot until it’s exactly what you’re going for. Remember, your company’s reputation is on the line.

Step 3: The marketing – Posting it on YouTube and then sitting back and waiting for everyone to find your ingenious video is not the way to turn a video viral. It takes hard work, and lots of it. Here are some of the best ways to get your video seen:

* Ask or pay bloggers to post your videos.
* Post your video on as many forums as you can.
* Email your video to as many people as possible, asking them to pass it on too.
* Add your video to Myspace users’ web pages in the comments section.
* Share your video with your Facebook friends.
* Bookmark your video on Stumbleupon and tag it with popular relevant keywords.

Sure, filming a video and hoping it goes viral is a bit like gambling, but making one doesn’t have to cost a bundle and if you use the above strategies, you’ll be increasing your chances of success. Good luck!

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Viral Videos: Should Your Company Be Making Them?