The Unpredictable Nature of Virality: Why a Video Can’t Always Go Viral
As marketers, we are constantly seeking ways to create content that will capture the attention of our target audience and spread like wildfire.
The idea of creating a viral video is the ultimate goal, as it promises widespread exposure, brand recognition, and a significant increase in engagement. However, despite our best efforts, the truth is that making a video go viral is more complex than just creating a fantastic piece of content.
The first thing to understand is that virality is an unpredictable phenomenon. It cannot be forced or manufactured. Rather, it results from a perfect storm of elements that come together to create a viral sensation. This includes the right timing, the right audience, and the right content. While you can control the quality of the content you produce, the other factors contributing to virality are largely outside your control.
Moreover, the competition for attention online is fierce. There is an overwhelming amount of content being produced and shared every day, making it harder than ever to capture the attention of your target audience.
In order to stand out, you need to create content that is not only high-quality and engaging but also highly shareable. This requires a deep understanding of what resonates with your audience and what will inspire them to share your content with their network.
While the idea of creating a viral video is appealing, it is important to understand that virality is not something that can be controlled or predicted. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that is engaging, shareable, and relevant to your target audience. This will help to increase your chances of success and ensure that your content reaches the right people.
Here are several key elements that can contribute to making a video go viral:
- Emotional appeal: Videos that evoke strong emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, or surprise, tend to be more likely to be shared and spread quickly.
- Timing: The timing of a video’s release can greatly impact its virality. Releasing a video at the right moment, aligning with current events or trending topics, can help it gain traction and spread quickly.
- Shareability: The design and format of the video should make it easy to share and shareable on various social media platforms.
- Unique content: Videos that are innovative, entertaining, or educational and offer something new and unique to the viewer tend to be more likely to go viral.
- Relevance: The video should be relevant to a large audience, touching on universal themes and topics that people can relate to.
- Influencer endorsement: Collaborating with influencers or popular figures who have a large following can help to increase exposure and reach a wider audience.
- Viral triggers: Certain elements such as humour, shock value, or a call to action can trigger users to share and spread the video.
It is important to note that while these elements can increase the likelihood of a video going viral, it is not a guarantee. Virality is largely influenced by external factors and is an unpredictable phenomenon.
I interviewed Viral content expert Lee Kennedy-Washington in a recent Simon Says Video podcast. Here is a clip where we discuss whether you can make a video go viral.
