• by Eric Hoffert , October 31, 2014

Everybody wants to make a viral video. Some content publishers have their eyes on the marketing dollars a viral video promises, which can rise into the hundreds of thousands. Others are looking for a little name recognition in their quest to gain Gangnam Style-esque notoriety. Still others, it seems, unwittingly become Internet heroes overnight after a friend posts a video of them jumping a tricycle over a pool (and failing hilariously).

But what really makes a viral video so valuable? What does it look like on the backend? What all these drivers have in common — among publishers of all shapes and sizes — is the data behind the videos and the incredible value that data holds.

When a video scales to high viewership levels, brands — personal or otherwise — have the opportunity to profit immensely. The data gleaned from a single user can inform the entire platform strategy, and in the end compel the user to interact with additional content on the site. This happens in three ways:

• Monetization—brands can use data based on users’ preferences to deliver highly targeted ads.
• Recommendations—additional content can be recommended based a user’s browsing history and interactions.
• Brand recognition—branding video content in a player boosts traffic to site and brand awareness.

Show me the money

All that data is great, but until publishers can turn it into revenue, what does it matter? The answer is: monetization. According to a recent study done by Business Insider, the average click-through rate (CTR) for video ads is 1.84%, the highest CTR of all digital ad formats. In 2013, video advertising exploded, topping over 35 billion views in December alone, averaging over 100% year-over-year monthly growth.

Depending on the platform a publisher uses, that ad revenue is theirs to keep.

When content publishers, brand managers, or everyday DIY-ers set out to distribute video content and maximize viewership, the first thing they need to consider is how data-friendly the content is. With opportunities to monetize, brand and control where and how content is viewed and interacted with, publishers find great value in the data insights delivered by their viral video content, not just the video itself.

Money in your pocket

No matter how great the concept and content, a video is only as successful as the platform that hosts it. For publishers looking to achieve massive scale in a short amount of time, their best bet is to use a platform that delivers the three key ingredients to a viral video:

1)     Footprint

2)     Data-driven platform

3)     Monetization and branding controls

For publishers who keep these three key ingredients in mind and select a player accordingly, their likelihood for achieving viral success grows. But no matter what, the data is gold, and every video view gives publishers the opportunity to build their brand and engage viewers. It’s these aspects that take a viral video from just a video to a revenue-driving data machine.