I have been getting a lot of positive responses from friends and strangers about a video I put together regarding a serious issue, the attacks of 9/11 on the twin towers.
You can see the video in one of my earlier posts, you can also view it on youtube just type in 9/11 a story about the twin towers and you'll find it.
That said, I thought to myself, perhaps this is a video I might want to put forth the effort in making it viral. So I had to ask myself, "are there any real “strategic” part of making a video viral these days...first thing I thought was Subject Matter and Conent.
However , many video’s (and posts) do go viral with content that totally weak...dare I say sh*t.
However , many video’s (and posts) do go viral with content that totally weak...dare I say sh*t.
So obviously there is something else to it. So I did some reading, and some secondary research (yes that means I browsed the net;) and here is what I came up with:
Part 1: Content/Subject Matter.
Part 1: Content/Subject Matter.
What do you want to say and how can it be said creatively...but like I said, sometimes the Gods surprise us and some of the worst videos go viral.
Part 2: Outreach
Here are some best practice techniques:
1) Multiple names
Try uploading it with different names – use a different headline to make it more appealing for the surfer who goes by the title
2) Get onto the most viewed page
Blogs: reach out to individuals who run relevant blogs – be clear who you are – state what you are doing, tell them about why you are did the video and ask them to post our embedded videos.
Forums: Start new threads and embed your videos. Be clear who you are and start conversations about the subject – sometimes, this means kickstarting the conversations by setting up a new account on each forum. Yes, it’s tedious and time-consuming, but if done well, it can have a tremendous effect.
MySpace: Plenty of users allow you to embed YouTube videos right in the comments section of their MySpace pages. Take advantage of this. As above – remember to be clear who you are
Facebook: Share, share, share. Be part of relevant groups on Facebook and share the video with the entire friends list – this can have a real impact. Other ideas include creating an event that announces the video launch and inviting friends, writing a note and tagging friends, or posting the video on Facebook Video with a link back to the original YouTube video. Needless to say (and I am being repetitive – but don’t spam anyone and be clear who you are).
Email lists: Send the video to an email list – making sure this list knows who you are and are happy to receive mails from you. Depending on the size of the list (and the recipients’ willingness to receive links to YouTube videos), this can be a very effective strategy.
Friends: Make sure everyone we know watches the video and try to get them to email it out to their friends, or at least share it on Facebook. Again, be clear as to who you are when doing this.
3) Thumbnail Optimization
Change the picture – pick the most interesting bit from the video and make this the photo on the thumbnail
4) Comments
Make comments – be clear who you are – do not have comments with yourself.
5) Tagging
Make this video easy to find. Ask yourself what would you type into Google to find this and then ensure these tags are used.
Here are some best practice techniques:
1) Multiple names
Try uploading it with different names – use a different headline to make it more appealing for the surfer who goes by the title
2) Get onto the most viewed page
Blogs: reach out to individuals who run relevant blogs – be clear who you are – state what you are doing, tell them about why you are did the video and ask them to post our embedded videos.
Forums: Start new threads and embed your videos. Be clear who you are and start conversations about the subject – sometimes, this means kickstarting the conversations by setting up a new account on each forum. Yes, it’s tedious and time-consuming, but if done well, it can have a tremendous effect.
MySpace: Plenty of users allow you to embed YouTube videos right in the comments section of their MySpace pages. Take advantage of this. As above – remember to be clear who you are
Facebook: Share, share, share. Be part of relevant groups on Facebook and share the video with the entire friends list – this can have a real impact. Other ideas include creating an event that announces the video launch and inviting friends, writing a note and tagging friends, or posting the video on Facebook Video with a link back to the original YouTube video. Needless to say (and I am being repetitive – but don’t spam anyone and be clear who you are).
Email lists: Send the video to an email list – making sure this list knows who you are and are happy to receive mails from you. Depending on the size of the list (and the recipients’ willingness to receive links to YouTube videos), this can be a very effective strategy.
Friends: Make sure everyone we know watches the video and try to get them to email it out to their friends, or at least share it on Facebook. Again, be clear as to who you are when doing this.
3) Thumbnail Optimization
Change the picture – pick the most interesting bit from the video and make this the photo on the thumbnail
4) Comments
Make comments – be clear who you are – do not have comments with yourself.
5) Tagging
Make this video easy to find. Ask yourself what would you type into Google to find this and then ensure these tags are used.
I AM GOING TO PUT ALL OF THE ABOVE TO THE TEST WITH THE VIDEO I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THIS ARTICLE....I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON MY PROGRESS!!
Recommended reading for other good ways to make a video go viral:
Marketing Pilgrim – How to Make A Blog Post Go Viral with Social Media
Web Ink Now – 8 tips to make your YouTube video go viral
Social Networking – Tips for Viral Success For The Online Social Networker
Technorati Tags: video, viral, social media, tagging, youtube
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