During the past month alone, I have received eight client requests to produce "viral videos."
While it can be tempting to just say yes, it is important for anyone contemplating a viral
video to honestly assess five questions to determine if they really want to proceed with the chase:
Are you being realistic? If you think posting a very entertaining video on
YouTube and watching it take off with millions of views is a given, think again. You are up against a ton of content, and it is possible you will barely even get noticed.
Consider that
if the three major US networks were broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the last 60 years, they still wouldn't have broadcast as much content as is uploaded to YouTube
every 30 days -- this according to Hunter Walk of YouTube.
How edgy are you willing to be? Most agree that some of the key elements to helping a video go viral are: hot
chicks or hunky dudes; sexual innuendo; shock and surprise; violence; partial nudity; the unexpected; and minimal branding. Do any of these subjects make you (and your brand) cringe?
Edgy videos are the ones you receive, laugh about, but then worry about who's appropriate to receive it in a "pass along." Are you ready for a mass distribution of something edgy that has your
brand featured, even minimally? How will all of your customer segments react to the work? Will they all be pleased to see this spot?
Will your video ever really see the
light of day? Well, you've taken the risk, and you've got that edgy, shocking, unique video that you'd like to get out to the masses. Congratulations.
Now, will be
approved by senior management, and let's not forget the ever-popular legal department? Many companies have wonderful "viral videos" sitting on the shelf because someone in the approval pipeline said
"no way". The elements of viral most likely will not sit well with more conservative senior leadership teams, and you already know that lawyers may go ballistic.
Do you have a
real plan? You can assume that virtually nobody will see your video without a real distribution plan in place, but developing one can be very helpful.
Robin
Neifield, CEO of Netplus Marketing, recently posted some distribution strategies, which she has allowed me to paraphrase:
· Make sharing features
prominent and accessible throughout the content.
Plan on a paid media advertising component to generate awareness. Give your distribution plan time to
unfold. Distribute to your own customers first ... they'll start the sharing process. Don't forget about focused SEO and video SEO (lots of search engine indexing opportunities).
Submit to all the video sharing sites and content channels (there's a ton of them). Consider submitting to bookmarking sites like Digg, etc.
Engage relevant bloggers, discussion boards and review sites. Post on your Twitter, Facebook, and other social
networking sites. Track your buzz using platforms like Radian6.Contrary to popular belief, great viral videos usually don't happen by accident, but through
a combination of great planning and yes, some good fortune. As Duncan Southgate from Millward Brown noted: "Cross fingers!...Anyone planning a viral
campaign needs to acknowledge there is always an element of luck."
Speaking of which, I wish you the best if you've determined that viral video is for you.