Why You Shouldn’t Aim To “Go Viral”

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What’s the last Web video you watched? Think about it. For me, it was a killer cover of LMFAO, “Sexy And I Know It.” What can I say. I do love discovering and watching pure raw talent on Youtube.

Now, think harder. Are you going to remember this video you just watched a week from now. It’s likely a one-hit wonder, clustered in the mind field of dozens upon dozens of videos that we watch every week.

There are billions of videos uploaded to Youtube every single day. That’s just on Youtube. Factor in all the videos uploaded to news sites, Daily Motion, Vimeo, CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, Ebaumsworld, etc. You have way more videos uploaded in a single day than one can watch in their entire lifetime.

So, how is your brand’s video going to stand out from the other billion or so videos created that day? Contrary to what many brand marketers will tell you. The answer isn’t to “go viral.” For starters, you can’t make a video go viral. A viral video is a byproduct of creating an awesome video. You can’t control it. There’s no secret formula. Or magic algorithm. Anybody who tells you that they can make your video go viral is full of crap. Don’t buy what they are selling. (Sidenote: What they are selling is just called paid advertising. Effective in some cases, but not viral in any meaning.)

Perhaps you are still uncertain. Let’s analyze a few viral videos. Oh for this post, let’s examine the David After The Dentist and the Evolution of Dance videos from several years back. What do these videos have in common. They both have millions of views. They are both humorous. They are made by real people in their element- just doing their thing. Oh, they are funny without trying too hard.

Now, that last point is key. A lot of times when brands want to “go viral,” they try really hard to be witty or funny. Way, way way too hard to be funny. That’s where they can fall flat. 9/10 times they miss the boat. You can’t predict or force funny. It just sort of happens. That’s why brands should think longer term.

Brands need to create value, and seek a longer term POV. Whether its a series of how-to videos, educational videos into how the brand operates, interviews or even funny videos, that’s entirely up to the content marketing strategy you create. For the love of God, posting all your TV commercials on Youtube is NOT a content strategy in itself. Also praying to all that is holy, that posting just one video a year on Youtube and hoping that it sticks isn’t a solid content strategy either.

For instance, the most successful brands on Youtube are the ones that have created a unique POV on their channel and have invested in building a community there. The key word being invested. Even though it’s cheaper than ever to create a video, it still requires a lot of time and hard work to get it right and build an audience. Two companies that come to mind are The Home Depot and IKEA. Their videos are more informational “how-to based”  videos. They fulfill a specific need with each video, like how to install a kitchen sink or unclog a toilet. Now, each of these videos may only get a few thousand views. But over time, you create a wealth of how-to videos and become a go-to resource to your target consumers. They remember it and come back to you because of your expertise.

Now, how many people come back to a channel a month after their one-hit wonder? Likely not many. That cat video may be so hilarious. You may share it with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter and the latest social media darling, Pinterest. But, it’s just LOL funny. It doesn’t entice you to take any call to action. Or learn more about the company or video producers behind it. Plus, you are likely going to forget about it in a few days.

That’s the problem that many brands run into with these viral videos. They realize they attracted all this attention in the short term. But, it all just drops off. Nothing happens. There’s no ROI from it. . . . other than awareness of that one video.

In order to create a lasting staying power and a definite ROI, brands need to invest in a long term content marketing strategy. Marketers should think beyond the one hit wonder, and move into how they can create lasting value.

About the author

Jessica Malnik

6 comments

  • This was a fantastic article. I completely agree with you that a brand needs to go beyond the one hit wonder viral and move to creating real content people can use. The same can be said of posts as well. It is great that you have one fabulous post that you designed to get a billion views, but what if the rest of your content is junk. People will not trust in you and there is no ROI. Build a brand through useful content.

  • Great post Jessica-
     
    I’ve seen this time and time before – company completely forgets what it does / what it’s values are – and creates an unrelated viral video with the goal of raking in those millions of views. 
     
    If the video does go viral – they end up with a flood of traffic to their site (completely unrelated) 5 seconds later the visitor has gone. ROI? 
     
    I’m all for creating content that spreads but value first. Hate the term “edutainment” but making educational content fun and interesting is the way to go.
     
    Is it possible to go viral, being educational and entertaining and generate serious ROI?
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI
     
     

    • @seanmccolgan Great points, Sean! DollarShaveCLub is a great example of a brand that created a funny yet educational video with millions of views. Arguably It’s better for brands to have 5,000 targeted views than 500,000 unrelated and fleeting ones. Add value and appeal to your target audience first.