A new video seems to go viral every day, from comedy sketches and dance challenges to heartwarming pet videos and celebrity pranks. Once in a while, a brand’s marketing efforts will go viral, catapulting them into public consciousness on a massive scale.
Viral videos are the dream of many brands and marketers as they instantly garner widespread reach and engagement. However, while some videos do become popular by accident, others require a lot of research, planning and funding for video marketing production and publication to get that coveted virality. In short, making a viral video is not easy. But is it worth the investment?
The short answer is a resounding: Yes.
Read on to learn more about viral video marketing and why investing in this approach can boost your online presence and extend your reach.
Giving the People What They Want: More Videos
The consumer demand for videos, especially short-form, is growing at a rapid pace. Evidence of this can be seen in the success of TikTok. Even older social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are getting into the short-form video action through Reels.
According to Statista, American adults spend about 149 minutes a day watching digital videos. That number is projected to rise to 184 minutes by 2026. Meanwhile, the average person spends just 15 or so minutes reading. If you need further proof of how much people love video content, consider the following facts:
• TikTok videos get more than one billion views daily.
• TikTok had the most app downloads worldwide on both Android and IOS in 2022.
• In 2020, 244.4 million people in the U.S. watched digital videos.
• 54% of U.S. consumers want to see more video content from a business or brand they like.
The jury is out: People love videos and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It’s easy to see why. Videos are fun, engaging and easy to share, and they allow passive viewers to become active participants, as in the case of many viral TikTok videos and Reels video challenges.
Defining Viral Videos and Viral Video Marketing
The “viral” in the phrase “viral video” refers to the speed at which a clip spreads through the Internet, specifically on social media websites like Facebook and TikTok.
The qualifications for virality have changed through the years. According to YouTuber and marketer Kevin Nalty, in 2011, a video with 1 million views would have been considered viral. Nowadays, you typically need much more views, and you also need more comments and shares. Generally, most viral Youtube videos today have at least 5 million views.
However, it also depends on the platform. For instance, most viral Tiktok videos have views ranging from 250,000 to 1 million.
Meanwhile, “viral video marketing” refers to a digital marketing approach that involves conceptualizing, producing and distributing videos with the intent of making them go viral.
Why Do Some Videos Go Viral Anyway?
Research by Unruly, a video advertising platform, showed that the drivers of virality in videos are psychological response (how a video makes the viewer feel) and social motivation (the reason the viewer wants to share it). The best viral videos evoke both.
Videos that make viewers feel intense emotions have a higher chance of being shared. Take, for instance, the ASPCA ad on animal cruelty awareness featuring Sarah McLachlan. As of writing, the original video, which featured harrowing footage of abused animals, has over 3 million views and has been shared countless times on other social platforms.
Positive emotions also help boost a video’s viral potential. Funny ads, challenges and parodies are incredibly shareable and have the ability to reach a wide range of audiences.
Meanwhile, according to Unruly, there are several types of social motivations for sharing viral videos. These include:
• Opinion-seeking: Viewers want to know what their peers think about a video.
• Conversation-starting: Viewers want to start a discussion about a video.
• Social utility: Viewers share a video because they think their friends will benefit from it in some way.
When crafting a video marketing strategy or coming up with video production ideas, it’s essential to keep these motivators in mind.
Viral Videos Today: A New Approach for Businesses
In the past, conditions had to be exactly right for a video to go viral. Viral videos were a result of a perfect storm of creativity, excellent timing and, often, humor. One famous example is the “Double Rainbow” video.
Posted to YouTube in 2020, the video featured footage of a “double rainbow” above Yosemite Valley along with the uploader’s intense emotional reaction. The clip quickly went viral and was even written about on CNN as well as other major publications.
Viral videos today, and the process of making them, are different. This is good news for businesses and brands.
While some videos go viral for inexplicable reasons, many of the viral videos today are not the result of a happy accident. The best viral videos are actually the product of a well-researched video marketing strategy, a skilled video production team and the guidance of an in-house or outsourced social media marketing expert or even a full service marketing agency.
This means that, with the right approach and access to video marketing services, any branded video has the potential to go viral.
Some examples of successful viral video marketing campaigns are:
• “Princess Machine” (GoldieBlox)
• “This is a Generic Brand Video” (Dissolve)
• #ClearlyTransform hashtag campaign (Clearly)
• “Fireman Saves a Kitten” (GoPro)
• “Ultra Ever Dry” (UltraTech International)
• “T-Shirt War” (Rush T-Shirts)
Viral Video Marketing Benefits: Why Brands Should Get In on the Action
The popularity of online video as well as the massive success many brands have had with viral video marketing, have led many businesses to try and follow.
The following are some viral video marketing benefits.
Low-Cost With Potentially High ROI
Many of the videos that went viral in the past immediately put unknown brands in the national spotlight. For instance, Blendtec was a mostly unknown small company before it posted its first “Will It Blend” infomercial on YouTube. Made on a $50 budget, the video went instantly viral. A year later, Blendtec reported a fivefold increase in sales.
With viral video marketing, businesses won’t have to spend a fortune on getting their message across to their audiences. This is because viewers of viral videos will happily share them for free. Viral video marketing helps businesses boost brand awareness and social engagement while cutting down on ad spend.
Communicates Brand Identity
Consumers value authenticity. They want to get to know businesses before they pay for their products or services. Viral videos on YouTube and elsewhere allow companies to showcase their brand, what they stand for and how their offerings differ from competitors in an entertaining and shareable way.
Supply of User-Generated Content (UGC)
Videos with a “challenge” element, such as the dance clips popular on TikTok and Reels, encourage social engagement and strengthen brand presence. At the same time, these videos provide business owners with a supply of user-generated content (UGC).
UGC helps build a brand’s credibility and speaks to its authenticity. It shows that the business engages with its customers and values their support. Before resharing UGC, however, be sure to ask for permission first. Otherwise, brand trust may erode.
More Likes, Views, Shares and Follows
Looking for more video marketing benefits? Consider these numbers:
• Video posts on Instagram generated an average of 150 comments, while image posts garnered an average of 65 (Source: Mention.com)
• Instagram Reels posted by accounts with under 5,000 followers have a reach rate of 39.46%, while those posted by accounts with more than 100K followers have a reach rate of 26.19%. (Source: Socialinsider.io)
• TikTok is popular among people across the income spectrum, but a large share of its users make $50k to $75k a year. (Source: Pew Research)
In terms of engagement and reach, videos that have gone viral take it to the next level. The most viewed reel on Instagram has over 280 million views, while one of the most popular clips on Tiktok has an incredible 2.2 billion views, 15.5k comments and 24.4k shares. (as of writing)
What’s more, social media users often cross-post viral content. This explains why most viral YouTube videos end up on Facebook feeds, and viral TikTok videos are often reposted to Reels.
Viral Video Marketing Tips: A Quick Guide to Breaking the Internet
There is no guarantee that a video will go viral, and the chances one will “break the Internet ” reduce further due to a number of both predictable and unpredictable factors. These include poor video marketing production, unfunny storylines and the simple fickleness of modern consumers. However, there are ways to improve a video’s chances of going viral.
To help boost your video’s viral potential, try the following video marketing tips:
Research
Before you start filming, take time to research your target audience. Find out:
• What they like.
• What kind of video content they share.
• Which social networks they use.
• What time they’re usually online.
You can find the answers to all these questions and more by using audience insights tools, such as those offered by Meta and Tiktok. Creating a “viewer” persona will also help you learn more about your audience. This way, you can make a video that is more likely to appeal to them.
Come Up With Creative Video Production Ideas
If you watch some of the videos that went viral this year, you’ll find a common denominator: They were creative and unexpected.
Internet users are always on the lookout for content that’s out-of-the-box and compelling. Take, for example, the stock footage company Dissolve. Instead of posting a typical ad extolling the virtues of their service, Dissolve created a clip that parodied corporate brand videos. “This Is a Generic Brand Video” went viral and earned them the 2015 Shorty Award for Best in B2B.
Focus on Short-Form
Of all social media marketing strategies, short-form video has the highest return on investment (ROI) of all social media marketing, according to a 2022 HubSpot survey. The same report found that short-form videos generated the most leads and engagement.
Further proof of this can be found in the popularity of TikTok and Reels. A survey by Instagram for Business found that nine out of 10 users watch videos at least once a week. At the same time, Tiktok has a 50.3% reach in the U.S. So, when coming up with video production ideas, focus on creating short yet compelling videos that immediately capture viewers’ attention and save long-form videos for your website or blog.
Improve Production Quality
While once in a while, a poorly made, grainy clip will strike Internet gold, most of the videos that go viral today are made by a video marketing services provider. Even as far back as 2012, most viral YouTube videos were made by professionals.
For this reason, businesses that aim for viral status should consider hiring a full service marketing agency that offers video production services. An expert can provide video production insights, video marketing tips as well as guidance on the best way to portray your brand and story authentically yet professionally.
“We can help our clients’ videos go viral by being able to take an idea that isn’t necessarily the most professional or polished and not be afraid to push it,” said Chris Clements, video producer and photographer at Thrive.
“A viral video cannot be halfway done or super corporate. It is an out-of-the-box idea that gets run with.”
Follow Up
Keep in mind that the results of even the best viral videos don’t always last. Many brands that have gone viral in the past have disappeared back into obscurity, often because they had no video marketing strategy in place to capitalize on their instant fame.
Clements explains: “You have to be able to follow it up with more marketing efforts and be able to handle the extra business that it brings. It’s the old saying, ‘strike while the iron is hot.’ If you don’t, it will fizzle out.”
Cut Through The Noise With Thrive’s SEO Video Marketing Services
If your video does go viral, it’s crucial to continue delivering consistently equally engaging content. You can prepare for this by hiring an SEO video marketing professional or social media marketing expert who can help you come up with video production ideas and develop a “post-viral” marketing strategy.
Thrive helps businesses make their videos go viral through our comprehensive video production services. Our team can transform an idea into an engaging, entertaining video that elicits emotions while providing value.
Our video production services are part of our full suite of digital marketing services designed to help our clients stand out in the highly competitive online space. We can craft a strategy to help sustain the momentum created by your videos.
To learn more about Thrive and how we can help your business, call us at 866-908-4748.
Leave a Reply