I’m glad that the fad for requesting a ‘viral’ video is passing. In theory, all you have to do is create a good video, put it online, and then people will spread it for you. It would be like free marketing, and who doesn’t want that?
It isn’t quite that easy. The number one thing to know about viral videos is that what people will find amusing enough to spread virally is very random. Take a look at any three current high traffic ‘viral’ videos and you’ll find that if you wrote the idea down on paper you wouldn’t see whatever it is that the millions of viewers found worth spreading.
What doesn’t work is a little more clear. Sale pitches don’t work. If it says anything explicit about your company, it probably won’t go viral. People are very wary of anything that looks like free advertising unless you have a really spectacular gimmick. There have been some very successful videos sponsored by big powerful companies, but the sponsorship is something you don’t even see until the end. If your sponsorship is an afterthought at the end, how effective will it be for your marketing? (more…)
