Helping Videos Go Viral

This column from the Wall Street Journal gives several tips for creating successful viral video campaigns.  It's difficult to predict which videos will catch on and go viral, and direct promotion or marketing is not an option - for a viral campaign to work viewers must feel like they have "discovered" something without the help of advertising.  

However, there are a few things that marketers can do to subtly promote their videos and increase their odds for viral success:

• Create great content:  obviously, if you want people to watch it, it has to be interesting.  And with viral campaigns, the rule seems to be that the more off-the-wall the content is, the more people are likely pass it on.  Videos should also be short (under 3 minutes) to keep viewers' attention.  A great example of successful viral content is the "Will it Blend" campaign - a little wacky, but extremely popular.  
• Build a fan base:  through multiple video postings and a subscription option.  This allows fans to be alerted when you post new content and keeps them coming back for more, and helps build word of mouth. 
• Optimize:  many people don't know how much time and effort is required to optimize a video on YouTube.  Giving the video a clear title and description and accurate tags will help the right people find it.  In addition, YouTube offers tools such as Insight to help determine where your viewers are coming from and further optimize your content for search. 

As quoted in the column, "If you just upload to YouTube, it's like dropping a grain of sand on the beach."   By paying attention to the details above marketers can work to bring more attention, viewers, and viral buzz to their online videos.