Why it’s a good idea to invest in Viral Video Marketing

You might’ve come across one of these.

Remember Old Spice’s funny one-shot videos? How about Google Android’s “Friends Furever” video? It really made us go “AWWW” the first time we saw it!

Well, if you often visit social media sites and browse the internet, you might have come across a LOT of visual content recently, especially in video.

That’s because video is truly king as 92% of marketers consider it on top of their strategy,   mostly because it provides a high level of ROI.

But it shouldn’t be any other old video. Anyone can whip up their smartphone and start shooting nowadays. The video that marketers are looking for should be viral in nature.

What is a viral video?

Viral marketing videos are content that can transform brands into celebrities overnight.

These videos are designed to hook viewers, engaging them naturally, and are emotional in nature (whether happy, sad, or a combination of both!) and are SHARABLE. This last value is most important, as it allows the content to be contagious, spreading around the internet. Ever heard the term “broke the internet”? Yep… that’s one of the goals you’re looking to do.

These videos spread like a “virus”, across digital and even offline channels – kind of like that time you showed a video to your friends while you were all having coffee.
Viral videos often spread thanks to word-of-mouth marketing, allowing YOUR customers to spread your brand and advertise FOR YOU.

So, how do you get into this viral action?

The answer is in the title: you must INVEST in it.

Think about this: because 98% of marketers think that video is king, you’re going to have A LOT of competition trying to penetrate the market with ONE SINGLE VIDEO.

So, your content must stand out. It must be genuinely sensational and extremely sharable for it to become viral. Doing so oftentimes requires owners to partner with advertising or digital marketing agencies who know the market and have an expertise in content creation.

But the good news is that investing in this can be more affordable than other content marketing strategies – and they potentially can become a lot effective, too!

What makes videos go viral?

If you’re looking for a specific formula to make your video go viral, you’re out of luck. There’s a lot of videos out there right now trying to go viral, but to no avail. There’s really no specific recipe to create a successful marketing campaign, but, we can always learn from what out’s there.

A lot of viral content has the following:

1. They’re funny

One of the easiest ways to get your customers sharing is to make them laugh. You can get a lot of traction by tickling your viewers’ funny bones. Often times, you can design your video to hit a specific type of humor for a specific type of audience.

Case in point: check this video from Dollar Shave Club, a company that sells razors for a dollar subscription.

2. They’re topical

Keep your content “current”. This is an important aspect of viral marketing, as what’s being talked about or in the news at the moment automatically has a lot of followers.

You can track down the news and check the latest trending hashtags to see what you can design your content around.

Reese’s had a great marketing run in Halloween 2019 with Neil Patrick Harris, where they launched “It’s A Live”, for the first-ever, crowed-sourced, trick-or-treat house.

For more of this, try and look up what agile marketing is.

3. They’re provocative

When a video makes you feel something, you’re more and more compelled to share that content. Some may do shocking content, while others do videos that are targeted to make their audiences cry.

Other times, they remind us of some of the most important things in life, such as taking care of our children.

In 2017 for instance, Volvo created this video to remind us on road safety. They deliberately did not show us the newest features of their top-of-the-line model – rather, they chose to tell an engaging story with their video – while subtly demonstrating the stability and precision of the vehicle altogether.

Now it’s YOUR turn to go viral

We know that this may be A LOT to take in… but remember that viral video content nowadays can be designed when you read, research, and master your brand and your audience.

Just set your mind to the fact that content development for viral marketing should be SUBTLE, in that it goes for the content first and the promotion of the brand later.

Viral marketing can go a LONG way to create a brand that your customers want to associate themselves with. Whether that’s for the way you approach humor or the values that your brand encapsulates, a viral video can help you promote not only your products and services, but also your identity as well.

Focus on delivering great content – and your efforts should pay off eventually.

###