Viral video is all the rage today. Be it funny cat videos or parody videos of the Prime Minister, they never cease to entertain the audience. They spread like wildfire, reaching 5-10 million views in a week. However, with so many creative concepts floating around social media, how should your business pitch it’s idea to the changing tastes of the social audience? Marketing experts believe that since face-to-face interaction has experienced a downfall, the value and potential that videos hold today should not be underestimated. Today, they are a link that binds people into a one-way communication.
While creating a marketing video, your objective should never be to make it go viral. Videos become viral when you least expect them to. So what do you do? Here are the top secrets to make a viral video.
-
Don’t post every video that you capture/create:
Social media is not a posting ground for everything that you create. Some brands are of the opinion that more the content they post, more are they likely to come into the public eye. But this may not be a positive public eye. Social media audiences have a refined taste and them back away from pages and subsequent videos of a company that did not appeal them the first time. So don’t go on posting your employee’s videos, old videos, company picnics, Q&A videos etc. There is no cohesive strategy in these videos and it reflects how little you care for your audiences.
-
Engage the audience:
This is the key to making a video go viral. While on one hand, you are creating hard-core marketing videos for your company, on the other hand, people are enjoying funny baby videos and sharing them rapidly. Why not then incorporate those funny baby videos in your brand? This will either help you to reach a million views overnight or you will end up getting one like and a couple of dislikes. It all depends on how well you have related the video to your brand. Connect the audiences, give them something to laugh at. Use animation, use cartoons, use 3D techniques. The results are likely to be far more charming than using traditional methods of video creation.
-
Build a story
Unless there isn’t a story involved, your audience will not connect with it. Social media audience wants to see something that they can feel. Strike an emotional chord with your videos. People are much likely to share videos that they connect with. But emotional does not always mean sad and depressing. You can create videos around love, compassion, pity, humanity etc. You can create videos that make you cry yet are uplifting.
-
Target a niche audience
You should not aim to capture the attention of every individual that comes across your video. Create a niche market first. Target those who are more likely to use your product/service. Once they are intrigued by your video, they will share it with their colleagues and click on the links that lead them to your website or purchase page, thereby increasing your sales. Know the purpose of your video. Is it to get more subscribers or is it to increase sales? Different Call-To-Action has different marketing strategies.
-
Keep your brand message for the END
After the story has been captured in your video, it is time to reveal the brand message. If you boast about your brand from the beginning, no one, except your employees, will watch it till the end. Don’t be overly overt with your branding. It should be subtle and reflect all along the video. Of course, different videos have different appeals but this does not mean that you end up creating a boring video.
-
Keep in mind the length and quality of your video
If unsure of the output your video will provide, have your video created by a professional. If it’s a good human interest emotional story, the length of the video can vary anywhere from between 3-7 minutes. But if it’s a single punchline or full of your brand message, then it should end within 3 minutes. However, the video is, never compromise on quality. Shaky videos, poor pixels, bad actors will create a bad impression.
A viral video generates brand awareness, reaches huge audiences and increases sales. Every reason suggests viral videos are a great marketing tool for your business if done effectively.