We’ve licensed more videos than we can count that were considered to be “viral.” Think back... Pizza Rat, David at the Dentist, Charlie Bit My Finger are just a few that quickly come to mind. America’s Funniest Home Videos was one of the first viral user generated content video shows out there back when VHS was still a thing. Viral videos are any video that blow up quickly and are considered to have gone “viral” when they hit between 5-8 million views or more. But what is it about certain video content that makes them go viral? Well, there isn’t a one size fits all recipe for this and you can’t know whether a video will go viral or not. That being said, there are some key components to viral videos that make them stand out from the rest.
1. They connect emotionally
2. They do the unexpected
3. They tell a story
4. They don’t try to sell anything
5. They’re typically bite sized
Some types of videos tend to go viral more than others. Fail videos, pranks, funny videos and hashtag challenges tend to skyrocket in views. Most viral videos are merely moments caught on camera that are purely organic. They’re unscripted and unexpected yet, catch a really good moment that emotionally connects. According to Harvard Business Review, there are a few reasons why videos go viral. These include timing, social motivations, emotional responses they evoke and super sharing. Super sharers are something we had never heard of, but apparently, this group of people comprised of 9%, share daily, whereas most people only share videos once a week or so. On top of this, timing is everything and Wednesday tends to be the optimal day but Thursday/Friday are also good. So, making sure that your video goes up at the right time will play a part in whether it goes viral or not. We can’t give you a playbook on how to create viral videos but we can look back at the history and give you tidbits on what makes a viral video. The rest is up to you.
