Viral video marketing can take your business to newer heights. In a matter of days and nights.
Quite literally.
Moriarty’s Gem Art invested 10 – 20 hours in creating this educational video about a stone that resembles the very famous Kryptonite.
The video went viral on Reddit and acquired 3,000,00 views within the first few weeks of release. It brought 10,000 new YouTube subscribers. And it helped them generate sales worth $15,000.
Magic. Isn’t it?
Moriarty’s Gem Art thinks the same. They had bare minimum exposure prior to this video.
And after it went viral, the family-owned business has been swamped up with massive curious traffic and promising leads.
Now, imagine if you manage one successful viral video, where would your business be?
Possibilities are endless and alluring, we know.
But we don’t mean to have you read this post for dreams only. We’re here to help convert your dreams into reality.
Allow us to introduce you to this magic and its perfect recipe.
Table of Contents
What is a Viral Video?
Let us first familiarize ourselves with the basics. What is a viral video in the first place?
Well, a viral video refers to a clip of film or animation that spreads rapidly across the internet via social media, blogs, emails, and all communication platforms. It is a piece of moving or filmed content that intrigues the masses and incites a massively-shared feeling. The feeling could be fascination, anger, curiosity, sympathy, and whatnot.
For example, consider Dave Chappelle’s 2020 video 8:46. The video happens to be packed with raw emotions, which of course, several people will find relatable.
Or perhaps, consider RedBull’s fascinating upload from 2017. It brought them 5.7 million engagements almost instantly. (Just btw – RedBull creates at least two viral videos every week!)
As per the examples given above, there are three types of viral videos:
- Unintentional viral videos
- Promotional viral videos
- Entertaining viral videos
The name signifies the nature of all three types of videos. Dave’s viral video is an example of unintentional viral videos. He certainly did not expect people to react the way they did.
Along the same lines, RedBull’s videos are both entertaining and promotional. Trending TikTok videos, however, are purely entertaining viral videos (here’s an example from 2021).
Creating Viral Videos: Step by Step Guide
Now that you’re well aware of viral videos, you can begin structuring, framing, and creating your first-ever viral video.
Step One: Set a Specific Goal
As per the definition above, the prime goal when creating a viral video is to target a human feeling. If you hit the sweet spot, you will have your audience’s attention. And while you have their attention, you have to deliver your message.
So, summing it up, the core objective of a viral video should be a balanced combination of:
- Your benefit
- Viewer’s benefit
Too generic – we know.
Now, let us help you figure out what these benefits could be and what exactly you have to target.
According to Google’s survey of most-watched videos, the reasons people watched a video include:
- It helped them relax or laugh.
- It helped them gain a newer perspective.
- It helped them learn a new skill.
- It was easy to watch & didn’t require much attention.
- It had high-production quality.
- It immersed them fully.
- It was relatable.
- It was trending on their preferred social media platform.
- It featured famous actors.
- It made them feel a part of the community.
- It addressed social issues that matter to them.
- It made them feel more passionate.
You have to pick your viewer’s benefit from the list above.
As for your benefit, you could aim for:
- Introducing yourself
- Introducing a new product/service
- Informing about an ongoing discount
- Branding your uniqueness
- Driving them to stage two of your sales funnel
Know that your audience may not bother to search for the video maker or the business behind the video. You only have their attention for as long as the clip lasts. So, make sure you introduce yourself and address your benefit during this span.
Step Two: Draft an Impactful Script
Writing down the video script is tougher than shooting the video. That’s because you have to balance precision and value.
Note that videos without sound or dialogues will still need a script. A video script refers to the sequential rundown of the scenes. Or simply put, it narrates what will happen in each frame or scene.
To begin writing, first, decide the length of your video. Ideally, it’s best to go with 30-60 seconds. But depending on your specific objectives, you can opt for longer durations too.
Once decided, visualize your video and divide it into sections. For example, if it’s 60 second long video, you can divide it into six sections (10 seconds each). Plan every 10 seconds. Determine what you will do or say and why?
For the first section of your video, focus on creating a hook. You can do so by adding a:
- Teaser
- Eye-catching visual
- Attention-grabbing line
- Quick video summary
For example, RedBull’s video that we referred to above begins with a quick overview of what the audience is about to see. And begin with an attention-grabbing line:
Target – A Door in Sky (1.58 m x 1.25 m)
Next, present your main content. Ensure that when you write and plan this section, you keep quality and engagement in check. Also, check this section against your objectives.
The script should you powerful and direct words.
Lastly, include CTAs, i.e., a call-to-action statement. If it’s an educational or promotional video, you could have the viewers like, subscribe, comment, make a purchase, or visit your website. In fact, you ought to direct them to stage two of their relationship with you.
But if it’s an entertaining video, you can quit the CTA part. Your main content will do the job, i.e., generate engagement.
Step Three: Shoot with Breaks
Next, when you begin shooting, ensure that you have reasonable gear. It’s not necessary to have professional equipment, but you should have a decent lens in hand. You could use a mobile phone too.
Just make sure that whatever equipment you have, it offers:
- Best Possible Resolution (some common ones are 1080 and 4K)
- Frame Rate (the higher the frame rate, the smoother the video will be)
- Stable and steady captures
Also, ensure that your frame has a good composition. If possible, use manual focus and professional photography lights, or perhaps, broad daylight.
If your video is more than two minutes long, we recommend filming with ample breaks. Shooting in one go can mess up lengthy videos. It increases the efficiency of your filming time and brings about flawless results.
For videos shorter than one minute, you should shoot them in one go. But if it still has a storyline, you might want to change frames.
Step Four: Edit with Professionals
Here comes the cherry on your cake, i.e., editing. This crucial step determines whether your video goes viral or not.
Video editing is the process of compiling short clips, images, and sounds to compose a smooth-running video. It may include color correction and enhancements of visual effects.
The definition makes it look easy. But in actuality, video editing is a complete science. On average, it takes 30 minutes for a professional to edit a video of one minute. It could take you twice and thrice as much time. And the results might not even be worth it!
So, the best course of action is to collaborate with professionals when editing your business videos. You can entrust your raw video material to reliable names like editvideo.io and receive a ready-to-post file within 48 hours. Editvideo.io’s video editors will work closely with you to ensure that the video turns out exactly how you visualised it.
It will save you time, money, and stress. We bet.
Now, remember, the final looks of your video determine whether people will watch it or not. And how many people will watch it? So, this is the domain that demands most of your input. Do not hesitate to give it the attention and investments it needs.
Tips on Increasing Video Visibility
Well – you’re not done yet.
If you were creating a regular video, your video-making work would’ve been marked complete as soon as you receive the polished file from professionals and upload it on your socials.
But you’re into viral video marketing right now. So, you need to go an extra mile and take these measures to increase video visibility:
Keep the length Short.
Nowadays, people have a shorter attention span. We used to have an attention span of 12 seconds. But a recent study discovered that humans linger on a certain piece of content for only as long as 8 seconds.
Our dwell time has become shorter than that of a goldfish. It has an attention span of 9 seconds.
So, that’s it. You have 8 seconds to turn the tables and grab your audience’s attention. It’s difficult to stay focused for long, so keep your video as concise as possible.
If you’re wondering how’s that possible, consider viral TikToks that last only 30-60 seconds. It is very much possible! Get to the point.
Use Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags are an excellent way of pushing your content forth in an algorithm. Be it Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or any other social media platform.
If you use relevant and trending hashtags, your video will receive greater exposure and attention. It will generate more engagement and achieve its purpose: it will get viral.
Publish at the Right Time
Before you publish your video, study your target audience. Learn about their schedules and their preferred browsing times.
Once you have this data in your hands, choose a high-traffic time to release your video.
Use Custom Thumbnails
A video thumbnail sets the first impression of your video. It either invites them to click play or run away.
It’s basically the small preview image of your video that appears when your audience browses through a list of relevant videos. So, you have to opt for a thumbnail that stands out and is inviting enough.
It should be captivating, authentic, and promising. Avoid Clickbait
Otherwise, your video may be indexed at the top and still get no views at all.
But don’t you fret about how and where you’ll get this job done. This converting video element is already in making editvideo.io’s labs. If you’re entrusting your raw footage with editvideo.io, you’ll receive a thumbnail with your complete edited file. You can discuss your specific requirements with your project manager at editvideo.io
Share on All Your Socials
A video won’t go viral if you upload it only on your Facebook page. To initiate the viral chain reaction, you have to take the first steps.
Hype the video content by sharing it on all your social channels. Use video optimization techniques given above to push it forth in the algorithms. And spread the word within your circle. The greater the shares within the first hours of release, the higher the chances of the video going viral.
Wrap Up
By now, we hope you have a clear idea of what is viral video marketing and how to go about it. Just follow the steps above, create a killer video, equip it with the video marketing techniques given above, cross your fingers, and hit publish!
We bet the results will leave you amazed and wanting more.
Feel free to reach out during any stage of your video development and publication, we’d be happy to help you through and through.
