Viral Video Marketing 101: Creating Content That Gets People Talking

Apr 28, 2023 2:44:53 AM


In today's digital age, businesses are constantly searching for new ways to capture their audience's attention and engage with them on a deeper level. 

Viral video marketing has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for achieving these goals. 

When a video goes viral, it spreads rapidly and organically across the internet, generating massive buzz and engagement for the brand. 

From humorous commercials to emotional stories, viral videos come in many forms. 

But they all have one thing in common: the power to create a connection with viewers and inspire them to share the message with others. 

In this blog, we'll explore all about viral video marketing campaigns and share tips on how to create videos like animated social media marketing videos that resonate with your audience and generate the kind of buzz that drives business success.

In this blog, you will discover

What is viral marketing?
What is viral video marketing?
What are the benefits of viral videos?
How do you make a marketing video viral?
Best viral video marketing examples

What is viral marketing?

Viral marketing is a highly effective promotional technique that leverages the power of social networks and word-of-mouth referrals to create a massive buzz around a product or service. 

It involves crafting a message that is so compelling, humorous, or thought-provoking that it inspires people to share it with their friends, family, and colleagues.

The ultimate goal of viral marketing is to generate a self-perpetuating cycle of buzz and excitement that rapidly spreads throughout the internet, creating a wave of organic publicity that can significantly boost brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales. 

This technique is particularly effective in the age of social media, where information can spread rapidly and reach an incredibly large audience in a matter of days or even hours.

What is viral video marketing?

Viral video marketing is a specific type of viral marketing that utilizes video content to create buzz and generate interest in a product or service. 

The main goal of viral video marketing is to create a video that is so entertaining, informative, or emotionally impactful, that people simply can’t resist sharing it with their social networks.

These videos often leverage popular cultural references, humor, and heartwarming stories to create an emotional connection with viewers. 

When a video goes viral, it can quickly reach millions of people, creating a ripple effect of organic publicity that can significantly boost brand recognition and sales.

Thanks to the rise of social media and video-sharing platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok, viral video marketing has become an increasingly popular and effective technique for businesses of all sizes. 


One added bonus is that as a video starts getting lots of views in a short period of time, the social media algorithms will further ‘boost’ the video by suggesting it on feeds, thereby adding to the viral acceleration in views, likes and shares. 

By creating engaging and shareable video content , brands can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing to reach a wider audience and drive greater engagement with their target market.

Take a look at our blog, which reveals the secret ingredients for making social media videos go viral.

What are the benefits of viral videos?

Increased brand recognition:

When a video goes viral, it can reach millions of people, giving the brand massive exposure and recognition. This can be particularly valuable for smaller or newer brands looking to establish themselves in an already crowded market. 

Enhanced engagement:

Viral videos can create a powerful emotional connection with viewers, leading to increased engagement and interest in a brand's products or services. 

Cost-effective marketing:

Creating a viral video can be much more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods, such as TV commercials or print ads. With the right video and a well-executed social media strategy, a brand can generate significant buzz and publicity at a fraction of the cost.

Increased website traffic:

Viral videos can drive a significant amount of traffic to a brand's website, leading to higher levels of engagement and potential sales.

Greater social media presence:

Viral videos are often shared widely on social media, helping to increase a brand's visibility and social media presence. 

Greater audience reach:

A viral video can be seen by people all over the world, giving a brand access to a wider audience than traditional advertising methods.

Overall, viral videos can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool for brands looking to increase their visibility, engagement, and sales– when done right. Learn how animated commercials can help increase brand awareness.

How do you make a marketing video viral?

Almost all video creation is more art than science, and there’s no safe “template” of rules to follow. This is especially true of viral videos, which by their nature are out-of-the-box, irreverent, funny and don’t follow established formats in order to really stand out from the crowd. 

That said, we can share some valuable guidelines you can go by:

Viral videos aren’t typical adverts:

It’s important to understand that a viral video isn’t a typical advert and doesn’t follow those rules or formats. There’s a valuable entertainment factor that must be realized in order for your video to have any hope of going viral in the first place. 

Identify your target audience:

Understand who you're trying to reach and what motivates them.

Craft a compelling story:

Develop a message that resonates emotionally with your audience and has a clear call to action.

Keep it short:

Aim for a video length of under two minutes to keep viewers engaged and increase the chances of it being shared.

Use humor or surprise:

Use humor, surprise, or other creative elements to capture people's attention and make your video memorable.

Optimize for social media:

Ensure your video is optimized for sharing on social media platforms with clear CTAs, social sharing buttons, and appropriate hashtags.

Leverage influencers and paid social media advertising:

Work with influencers or use paid social media advertising to help get your video in front of a larger audience.

Encourage sharing:

Make it easy for people to share your video by including social sharing buttons and CTAs.


Analyze and adjust:

Use data and analytics to track the performance of your video and make adjustments as needed to optimize for maximum reach and engagement.

By following these steps, you can increase your chances of creating a viral marketing video that resonates with your audience and generates significant buzz and engagement.

Best viral video marketing examples

Dumb Ways to Die



Metro Trains Melbourne wanted a video that warned the public to be careful at railway crossings. 

So they partnered with ad agency McAnn Melbourne with the challenge of coming up with a safety PSA that wouldn’t be boring. 

What they got was a runaway viral hit that surpassed all their expectations. 

The animated video is darkly hilarious and paired with an infectious earworm song that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head. 

It went viral instantly. 

Today, eleven years later, its view count on YouTube stands at a quarter of a billion views!

You can include these tips to improve social media engagement.

The Ocean is Way Deeper Than You Think 


It’s hard to grasp the reality behind big numbers– like the height of Mount Everest or the depth of the oceans, for example.

That’s where the power of animation comes in. 

This lovely animated video does an amazing job of really putting things into perspective by showing the depth of the ocean by scale.

No wonder then that this video went viral quickly.

Phonebloks



E-Waste is a serious and ongoing problem. 

Several decades ago it was common to repair and upgrade your computer several times before it was too old. 

But today it’s common for our electronic devices to not be repairable or upgradeable, which increases waste. 

Consumers also tend to discard perfectly functional devices when a new one comes out with a new feature their old one lacks. 

Phonebloks was a noble attempt to solve this problem by making phones modular. 

If you wanted a bigger battery or a new camera, you could swap them out and not need to buy a whole new phone. 

This also meant that you could customize your phone for your own unique lifestyle and needs. 

This simple animated video explained it all, and did it so well that it went viral. 

People loved the idea and forwarded it to their friends and family, sharing it online, quickly racking up millions of views.

While the idea never saw the light of day, it clearly struck a chord with the public. 

For more ideas, you can also check out the best animated commercial video examples

Conclusion

In conclusion, viral video marketing can be a game-changer for businesses looking to increase their reach and engagement with their audience. 

By following the tips and strategies outlined in this blog, you can create a video that resonates emotionally with your audience, is optimized for social media, and inspires people to share it with others.

If you're ready to take your video marketing to the next level, but don’t quite know how, we can help! 

Sign up for our free video plan by filling out the form below and receive expert advice and support to create a viral video campaign that drives results for your business. 

With the right strategy and a little bit of luck, your next viral video could be just around the corner. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Sign up today and start creating video content that your audience can't resist sharing!

 

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