The Ingredients That Will Help Your Next Marketing Video To Go Viral

by Liz Seyi Digital marketing manager

In many ways, putting together a video that attracts not just hundreds or thousands, but millions of views - with all of the associated 'likes', shares and other engagement - is akin to composing a chart-topping pop smash. Quite frankly, if it was as easy as just ticking a series of boxes, everyone would be doing it.

Viral Video Marketing, then, is definitely an art - an art that those who are well-practised tend to be better at than those who aren't. It's not entirely about luck, although luck - as well as brilliant timing - certainly goes into it. That's because skilful and savvy execution has to come into it, too.

So, those caveats aside, what are the elements that will probably make your next marketing videos more, rather than less likely to go viral? Here are some of the ones we would pick out.

Shortness and sweetness

One only needs to perform a Google search for 'attention span statistics' to see there is some debate as to whether human attention spans really are now 'shorter than a goldfish'.

Nonetheless, with such immense volumes of media now competing for a share of our finite attention, few viral video marketing professionals disagree that short, sweet and punchy videos can help brands to 'cut through' the intensifying noise.

Be genuinely useful to the viewer

This might seem like fairly obvious advice - but how many of your brand's current conversations around viral video marketing actually focus on what your videos will be giving to those who view them? What 'pain points' will your videos be answering, to such an extent that those watching 'like', share and genuinely take something intrinsically useful from your videos?

Tempt meaningful engagement from viewers

It's easy to forget sometimes that the whole process of successful viral video marketing isn't merely about your brand or product basking in glory - it's also about getting your viewers to respond to you in a significant way. This, in turn, helps to cultivate longer-lasting interest and loyalty.

Might your own brand invite such engagement by answering followers' questions in short YouTube videos, for instance? Or maybe your next video could open a grand debate on a topic of relevance to your industry? Be careful, however, about your handling of more potentially controversial subjects, not least in the context of how this may align with your brand values.

Make sure the headline, thumbnail and supporting copy are right

This isn't the stage at which we tell you to become 'clickbaity' with your video titles, especially if this isn't a good match to the brand values to which you aspire. Nonetheless, the headlines of your videos should be clickworthy, provoking one's curiosity while also not revealing everything of significance in the title. Each headline should appropriately reflect the actual content of the video, too.

The thumbnail image that you use, as well, should capture something of the essence of the video. Meanwhile, the supporting video description text, or copy, should be playing its own role in teasing out an emotive reaction from the viewer, at the same time as - again - not stating too much, too soon.

In much the same way as not every pop song can be a number hit, so not every video that is intended to go viral, actually will. Regardless, we have a strong track record in effective viral video marketing here at TMC. So, why not enquire now about the steps we could take together to assist your organisation in getting the very best out of its Video Production efforts in 2020?