Call it self-fulfilling prophecy but it’s safe to say the word ‘viral’ has gone, well, viral.
These days it seems, everyone wants one, but not everyone seems to know what exactly one is. So with that in mind, here’s the top 5 misconceptions about virals that should help you get to grips with them and decide whether they’re the right marketing stategy for you.
Myth no.1 I’ve made a video, it’s on YouTube, it’s a viral!
The most common myth about virals is that they are simply a video clip on the internet. Whereas it’s true that many virals are indeed in video form, and that more often than not you find them on the internet, simply making a video and putting on the web doesn’t make it a viral. It’s a web video. It sounds obvious, but it’s a common mistake. To pass the viral test, a video must contain something that will make someone want to pass it on to their friends, who in turn pass it onto their friends and so on, until it spreads across the internet, like, well, a virus. And to stand out from the crowd, whatever ingredient it is that makes a video go viral has got to be something pretty special.
Myth no.2 Virals propagate themselves
Well, yes and no. To go truly viral, yes they need to have that special quality that makes millions of people go, wow! but most of the time, even the best virals have need a little help getting seen. The sheer volume of content out there on the internet means that your viral will need a seeding campaign – and you must factor that in to your budget. In fact, it’s quite possible to spend more on seeding your viral than on producing it. There are companies out there who specialise in seeding. Essentially, this refers to a strategy of increasing visibility by leaving comments, links, or other entries in blogs, forums and other online venues thus making sure your video appears in all the right places. Depending on your seeding budget, Ossian Productions can guarantee a minimum number of views of your viral, (typically 100,000+).
Myth no.3 Virals are cheap to produce
Some of the most memorable videos to have gone viral were shot by someone on their cameraphone. And yes, it costs nothing to point your camera at your baby or cat at the moment they happen to be doing something amusing. But there’s a big difference between capturing a random moment on camera and setting out to produce a viral video. Even if the video is shot to have the look and feel of a home video, a great deal of work has to be put in behind the scenes to create it. From conception through to delivery, a viral requires the input, time and labour of many skilled and talented people.
Myth no.4 This is going to be big. I better cram as many messages into my viral as possible
Virals work best when they are short and communicate a single, simple idea effectively. On a number of occasions we have been given briefs with entire pages devoted to the various primary and secondary messages the client wanted the viral to contain. But really, that method is more suited to something like a television advertising campaign where you are attempting to ‘pull’ your audience towards your product by outlining its virtues and features. Virals are all about ‘push’ marketing. Create a moment, inspire a response and ‘push’ your audience towards your brand.
Myth no.5: Virals must be funny
We all like a good laugh and it’s no surprise that many of the most successful virals deliver them in spades. But what if your message doesn’t really lend itself to humour – does that mean you can’t go down the viral route? Not at all. The important thing is that your viral provokes an emotional response in your audience. They can be shocking, controversial, outrageous, or they can be inspiring, endearing or just plain cute. However they are delivered, the important thing is they’ve got to pack a punch.
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