How Videos Go Viral

I'm not saying it's gonna go viral, or stimulate a revival in the band's records, but it certainly is niche-y: I posted a 1979 version of Starland Vocal Band singing "Afternoon Delight" on my Facebook page yesterday. Why? Because the production values are hilariously bad but the song and the singing still hold up 30 years later. A video like that is like a little nostalgia jolt for, um, people my age. And it touched a chord with a number of my friends for whatever reason. So a video like that--UNcurrent, UNcool and UNforgettable--becomes another thing to "paste" into my Facebook scrapbook. The ability to dredge up a piece of footage like that and have others respond has its own kind of 1-to-1 marketing value, even if it may not be readily apparent how to tap it.

I don't watch much YouTube, except I do subscribe to subjects of interest to me at the moment, which is anything about 3D webcams the last few weeks. Yes, a pretty narrow subject!

So, I can't be considered, even remotely to know much about what it takes to make a video that goes viral, or even catches a cold.

I don't even bother to look at videos recommended by friends. I have posted dozens of videos to Youtube and am surprised which ones seem to be more popular. The video of my college marching band has had many thousands of views, other videos only a dozen or so.

Popularity does seem to have something to do with being 'popular' at the getgo. Show something that people already know about: famous people, famous events, anything with sex and attractive girls, kids, or pets and you have a shot at more than normal viewing numbers.

But a blockbuster video..I don't think anyone can guarantee anything approaching that status. It's all a matter of luck, possibly a big PR campaign behind it, or being at the right place at the right time.

I'll just have a bit of fun posting odds and ends on YouTube and if anyone is entertained...all the better. Don't quit your day job to make YouTube videos though.

The sociology of viral awareness captured on on film (okay, video). The clip itself is amusing, but the analogy the blogger makes between a lone dancer and the ways ideas, products, and services catch on/catch fire, I think, is quite insightful and a gret depiction the dynamics that Sandeep Amar is trying to get at in his post.

HI Mary,

I agree to most of what you are saying, that the yuppy crowd will create the virals. But other than the audience will contribute as well, which may be older and mature as well, see the Susan boyle video, is a hit among the older crowd rather than the yuppy generation.

Regards,

Sandeep Amar

Mr. Kassner,

I am glad my post was able to inspire the interesting discussion between you and your son. 

I consider video publishing and sharing, and social networking as two different concepts, which may come together in a multilayer app kind of site like funnyordie.com, still as of now, I think youtube is video sharing and facebook is social networking. Social media, as you are pointing out, is the key to the future of marketing.

Regards,

Sandeep Amar

Hi David, 

Very interesting comment on sociology and psychology.

Regards,

Sandeep

Sandeep: I also don't watch many videos online, but your post got me looking more closely at what I'm missing. I think the videos you cite represent yet another timewasting but intriguing way to relax online.

Advertizers can only make video work for them with audiences who have access to the media delivering the viral messages (social sites) and are willing to take the time out to watch the videos on other video-publishing sites. That's the MTV crowd, in my view -- a young upwardly  mobile market.

Boomers and others may not be suitable targets for viral video advertizing.

I typically do not pay much attention to videos. So your comments were very much appreciated. I was wondering if on-line videos and social networking may be a case of which came first "the egg or the chicken". If anything, videos and social networking certainly have a symbiotic relationship.

I do pay a great deal of attention to viral marketing and advertising though. So, I found your comments about what makes a video "go viral" very interesting. My son, a marketing major, and I had a discussion about this very subject, coming to the conclusion your reasons are insightful, but not new. The element that is new is social networking and it's ability to transform marketing into a real-time venue.

We both feel that the consumer/sales-marketing relationship is on the cusp of some pretty exciting and life-altering changes.

Creativity teamed with controversy provides a bigger bang I think. check these out. Yes they don't  play enough on TV but they sure do spread fast :-)

Today various experts try and read the tea leaves to learn from ancient cultures and civilizations.  Centuries from now I imagine a sociologist studying the videos you mentioned to learn about us. Actually, there are probably studies going on at universities today.  If a business could tap into that "special something" that makes a video go viral it would go a long way towards building name recognition and even revenue for their business.