Viral videos: How to craft the ‘rare’ internet phenomenon

Viral videos are everywhere. They are popping up not just on your computer screen but also mobile phones and tablets, that too with increasing frequency.

While the power of a viral video cannot be overstated — right from drawing new visitors to your site to generating new business leads — creating that winning masterpiece can be a daunting task.

Possibly one of the most viral videos of all-time was ">Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’. If you haven’t seen this, you might just be living under a rock. The emotional video of how women perceive themselves versus how the world sees them garnered a whopping 114 million views within a month of release. In its lifetime, it has seen over 4 billion PR and blogger media impressions with an estimated reach of over 100 countries and 25 languages.

Sounds overwhelming? Now here’s the good news — there is a method to the madness!

We at Pink Lemonade have compiled a step-by-step guide to make your video go ‘viral’:

1. Aim to tell a compelling story: Most videos that get shared frequently have one key thing in common. And that is a great storyline. When you create the right atmosphere and tell an interesting story through your video, your audience is more likely to connect to it. And when they do, the chances of them being hooked (and thus more likely to share) is that much higher.
2. Keep it short and simple: With the social media generation, brought up on a diet of shrinking character limits and attention spans, you’ve got to convey your message succinctly. Nobody really has the time to watch a 15 minute video when there are 20 other things screaming for their attention on other media. Aim to make the maximum impact within the first five to ten seconds, post which people’s attention is sure to wane.
3. Be relevant: Don’t expect your video about an event that took place a decade ago to go viral. Be timely and current and you can surely count on those soaring hits. Make sure your content focuses on stuff that’s hot/ trending right now.
4. Tug on heartstrings: People are more likely to click on and share videos that make them feel If your video evokes strong emotions, either positive or negative, it’ll definitely grab a higher share of eyeballs. If you consciously script your story in a way that engages the viewer’s emotions, voila, you’ll be assured mounting likes and hits!
5. Create content to inspire: Everyone loves an underdog, as the saying goes. If you are able to tell inspirational stories about overcoming trials, you’ll be better placed to see your video go viral that much quicker.
6. Inform and engage: If you teach your viewers something they didn’t already know, there is a higher probability they’ll share your content. Informative ‘how-to’ videos are extremely popular on video hosting sites. Youtubers and vloggers have created dedicated ‘hack’ channels to achieve this. Such videos can be a sure shot way to engage with audiences and get them to spread your video.

7. Make the right noises: Want to be heard above the cacophony of myriad online voices? Get endorsed by the right folks. Often, celebrities and popular bloggers drive virality, so aim to get noticed by the kingmakers.

So there you have it. Here’s everything you needed to know about making your videos go viral. While it certainly is possible to do this yourself, why not leave it to the experts? Sit back and let the right creative agency make your videos hit the jackpot!