Four Tips to Going Viral with Your Video (Part One)

These powerful viral video techniques that will help you kick-start your campaign, ramp up word-of-mouth and put your video center in the spotlight.

By incorporating key viral qualities into your video, your target audience will be more likely to spread it online via email, social media and bookmarking sites like Stumbleupon, digg, and delicious, and on personal blogs and company websites.

Video Length

One of the most important key qualities that your viral video will have is a digestable length. The Net is a great platform for bite-sized content that leaves the visitor hungry for more. Your viral video is there to get the word out, but not necessarily to disseminate all of the information associated with your organization, service or product.

A viral video creates awareness of your brand. Use links to your website or blog to get to the informational —where the viewer can then follow up. By keeping your video on point and under three minutes, you'll greatly increase your chances of hooking an endless stream of viewers.

Tone of Your Video

Tone is another key factor that can push your video over the friends-and-family threshhold. Consider spoofing already familiar content, and you'll give your video a built-in audience and the viewer a common experience to share with their contacts.

If you don't have the means to create original music, then be sure to add pre-cleared, uptempo music made available through online music websites that offer usage licenses. If you're going for a retro fit, you can also use any music that is considered public domain. (Do your online verification and remember that if the music is Mozart but it's performed by a top-ten pop artist, the recording is not in the public domain.) Music keeps fast-surfing video viewers satisfied and more inclined to spread the word.

In general videos that keep it light, entertaining and fun, packing in a quick laugh, makes the viewer more likely to pass it along to somebody else. The broader the humor and the less it relates to unknown people, places or events, the more likely it is to have a wide appeal.

Next week we’ll look at how the lead-in and content help your video viewers make the decision to share your video, making it go viral.