Everyone dreams of creating the next big viral video, but only a proud few have had the opportunity to experience it. Every minute approximately 72 hours of YouTube footage is uploaded onto the streaming site, so if you haven't been discovered, don't give up your dream just yet. With enough persistence and determination, you're bound to come up with something viral-worthy eventually. To assist you in you in reaching your goals, here are the top 5 tips to help your chances for creating a viral video:
1. Capture Their Attention & Keep It
Human beings have an insanely short attention span and lack of self-control when it comes to curiosity. If you can't capture an audience's attention with the first few seconds of the video, your video is doomed to fail. Create a video that provides a burst of energy or creativity toward your main plot or purpose for the video so that people have a reason to stay on the video. Otherwise, they'll see something enticing on their 'suggested' sidebar and will end up clicking out of your video. Be careful not to give off to much energy or you might just scare them away.
2. Perform Test Runs
Don't just throw a video on the Internet without doing some tests runs first. This can help you to determine whether or not your video has a shot at success and if you should go forward with your quest for Internet fame. This can save you a lot of time and embarrassment later on-what's posted online tends to stay online.
Sit down with some of your friends and family and give them a chance to watch your video and give their honest opinions. If they all enjoyed it, go forth and put your work to the real test. If they weren't feeling it, gather up your disappointment and invest all your energy in giving it another shot.
3. Research Keywords
Research popular or trending keywords that people will use to search for and find your video. Stay on topic and select keywords that are relevant to your subject matter. If you just throw up any keyword to get likes, you might end up attracting potential viewers who have arrived on a video they did not want and will give your video a big thumbs down. The more negative reviews that you have, the less likely it will be for people to watch your video.
4. Share it Far and Wide
You are your own marketing agent for your video and personally responsible for whether or not your video is a success. Share it online with all of your friends on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and whatever else you can come up with. Try not to produce too much spam, but the more people that come across the links to your video online, the more people and viewers you will receive.
5. Track the Data
The last and most important tip to help you create a viral video is to carefully watch and track the data from your video. YouTube offers a number of analytical tools to track view numbers and demographics that you can use to plan your marketing approach. Look to other viral videos on the Internet to find the best day to post your video and figure out some tips and strategies when it comes to targeting your video to a specific audience.
So now it's up to you to go and make the videos. Here's to your business success!
Pamela Wigglesworth, CSP, is an entrepreneurship and marketing consultant, international speaker and the author of three business books. A resident of Asia for over 20 years, she is the CEO of Experiential Hands-on Learning. She works with organizations across multiple industries to help them increase brand awareness, increase leads and ultimately increase sales.
To learn more about Pamela, visit the Experiential website at www.experiential.sg or email her at courses@experiential.sg