From funny beer commercials on YouTube to psa video postings on facebook, viral video marketing, the practice of consumer-to-consumer sharing as a way to distribute a marketing message, is successful through creating unlimited growth potential in the message’s exposure and influence. So how do we create video’s that people want to share?
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your video:
- Identify with your audience- tell a story that your target market can relate to- i.e. Heineken’s Men with Talent (over 1.5 million views)
- Make content evoke emotion (funny)- i.e. Evian Roller Babies International (over 45 million views)
- People like to share good news, like a motivational message or teach viewers how to do something cool-i.e. Nike: The Human Chain (over 400,000 views in a month)
- Include a “wow” factor by making it unpredictable- i.e. Toyota’s Swagger Wagon(over 2 million views)
- Include an interactive element, like starting a discussion or posting comments
- Make it easy for your viewers to share and post
Viral videos are generally created for two main purposes, namely branding and awareness about specific products/services. Unlike traditional media, viral videos are much more cost effective in the long run, due to free distribution through blogs and social media networks such as YouTube and facebook. Along with free distribution, the message has more influence on viewers as they are passed on, or recommended by friends within their network. It is important to note that although the number of views on a video are important, the video must be viral to your target market in order to be effective.
