Virality is the holy grail of social media marketing. When your content spreads beyond usual, it not only delights the visitors and customers you already have, but also attracts new ones.
You couldn’t ask for a better form of exposure. The payoff is huge.
But it’s not easy to produce content which goes viral. Partly because predicting what kind of content will go viral is a huge task in itself. It requires both sweat and creativity. That’s not to say it can’t be done.
By generating new ideas, analyzing what type of content is more likely to go viral and promoting your content adequately, you can increase the odds that your content will go viral.
That’s why it’s a must to include video in your marketing mix these days. If done well, video content can generate a lot of engagement on social media, get traffic to your website and turn it into leads and sales.
So if you haven’t yet started creating and sharing engaging videos with your prospects on your website, blog, social media and other platforms, you’re missing out on the benefits.
Most of all, you also need to invest in video advertising, through Facebook or Youtube, to expand the reach of your video content and get better ROI from the the time, money and effort you spent in creating your videos.
Here’s why you should start video creating and marketing as soon as possible:
Movement Gets Eyeballs
With so much noise clouding everyone’s social media feeds, it’s important to differentiate your post than others. And video is the best format to achieve that.
Consider any social media channel, from Facebook to Snapchat to Instagram. You’ll see that videos are given more exposure and better placement in organic feeds than any other type of content.
For example, videos shared on Facebook tend to play automatically in the feed, minus the sound of course. As a result, they allow your content to grab attention and stand out better than a static image.
People Love Video
Not everyone likes to read. Most people would rather watch a video than go through piles of text.
Video allows you to tap into a whole subset of your target audience which prefer to watch someone demonstrate or talk about things in a video instead of reading an article on the same topic.
So why not reach these people and expand your influence by giving them what they want?
Videos Are Affordable
There was a time when creating and marketing videos was only something the big brands could do with their big budgets. Making a video was complicated and expensive.
But that’s not the case anymore. With the rise of websites like Fiverr, access to smartphones with cameras, and so many easy to use tools, it’s easier and cheaper than ever to create your own video content.
In fact, websites like Facebook and Youtube have built in tools to create quick and easy videos from your images and clips. Facebook lets you create a slideshow video in the ads manager.
And you tube has a built-in editor for basic editing before you upload a video.
It’ll definitely take some practice and creativity in making the tools work together and getting comfortable in front of the camera, the but in the end it’s all worth it.
Videos Connect Better
It’s no secret that people like to do business and buy from people. People they are familiar with and trust. Connecting with your target audience is faster with video because they can see you and listen to your voice.
With static content like an article, it’s a low process because it’s hard to get a glimpse of your personality just from the words you write.
The faster you can build a human connection with your target audience, the quicker you can advance them through the sales funnel.
Viral Video Ideas
Now, I admit that videos can take more effort and time to create as compared to an article or other content. But by not creating videos, you’re limiting the reach and results you can get for your business.
If you’re struggling with ideas on making videos more likely to go viral, the following tips will help.
Leverage Emotions
You’re more likely to take action when something penetrates you emotionally. That’s why videos which move people are more likely to be shared.
And businesses are familiar with this part of consumer psychology. That’s why so many video ads on TV and the web are purposefully made to ignite a strong emotional reaction.
Take a look at this Sainsbury’s Christmas ad and you’ll know what I mean.
Not only is this video emotional, but also controversial, which only adds to its viral appeal. It caused a lot of people to keep talking about it for days.
When you create a video, not only you should think about touching on an emotional topic, but also presenting it with passion.
Even if it’s a simple video in which you’re talking about your product, you can generate a lot of passion and enthusiasm in your audience if you’re talking with energy and enthusiasm.
Create a video which moves your audience. But be warned that whatever emotion you can make them feel, they’ll end up associating it with your brand. So it’s great if your video is positive and uplifting.
Hijack A Trend
If a news story or upcoming event is currently trending among your target audience, take advantage by making a video which is somehow related to the trend.
When something big happens, people like to learn more and stay updated on it. It can be something important, newsworthy, or even controversial.
Even people surfing their social media feeds are more likely to stop and pay attention if a post mentions a recent happening. So they are more likely to watch your video and engage with it.
So the takeaway is to always be on the lookout for big news stories your audience will be interested in and create videos about them.
In fact, think about how you can make the topic of the video not only relate to the news story, but also your brand. Find some connection between what’s happening in the world and your business.
The advantage is that news stories and trends are more likely to be shared. As since your video is related to a big happening, it’ll be shared more and strengthen your brand wherever it goes.
Inspire & Motivate
When creating a video, it helps to know as much as possible about your audience. What really inspires and motivates them? What makes them tick? Then make sure you incorporate that element in your video.
If you are in real estate business, for example, inspire them with videos featuring luxury houses and apartments. If you work in financial or travel sector, lure them with nice cars and holiday getaways. Clothing line? Capture the glamour associated with the world of fashion. You get the point.
A great example is what Reebok did with there #HonorYourDays campaign. The video inspired people to be tough and go beyond their comfort zones.
As per the video, the average life of a human is 25,915 days, and we should take that time seriously and make it matter. Even though the video didn’t have any spoken words, it gave a powerful message.
The video played an exceptional role in communicating what Reebok’s brand stands for, and for bringing a change in how people think about fitness at every age.
Moreover, they are subtly letting people know that no matter what age group they belong to, Reebok will always be there to meet their needs for athletic gear.
Offer Incentives
No surprise there. Incentives work, whether in form of contests, giveaways, coupons or special deals.
Offers actively engage your audience and encourage them to like, comment and spread the word about your brand.
So if you can create a video that launches a contest and requires people to share the video to participate in the contest, you may have a winner – content that goes viral.
But remember the prize should be something related to your niche that your audience really wants. A generic incentive like an iPad doesn’t stand out or have the same appeal to your market as something directly associated with your business.
Conclusion
Creating video content that goes viral takes a bit of luck of course. But with a solid plan, it’s not impossible. A plan that begins with ideas I have listed above.
You don’t have to follow these ideas as is. The idea is to give you inspiration to get started on your own creative projects. So you’re encouraged to test and customize based on what works best for your target audience.
Think about who you’re selling to. Build personas of people more likely to share your videos. And go from there.
