GOING VIRAL
Two words set the heart of every marketer racing: Going Viral.
Going Viral: When a piece of content becomes a must-see for tens of thousands or even millions of people.
Let’s be honest, it is a rare occurrence for most brands, but some common factors make it more likely. Most of the time, viral content is video.
So, what’s the secret to making a video go viral? If there were a magic recipe, it would look something like this:
1 part perfect timing
1 part quality content
1 part out-of-the-box creativity
20 parts sheer luck / X-factor
Even perfectly timed, quality creative content may never go viral and, for no apparent reason. On the flip side, those that do take the internet by storm often don’t have a clearly defining factor that made them successful – they just have that allusive X-Factor.
A great example is the guy on TikTok skateboarding along to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams while drinking Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice after his old car broke down on the way to work at the potato factory.
Going Viral: Nathan Apodaca aka Dogg Face out here vibing to Fleetwood Mac, 1977 hit "Dreams" while enjoying his Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.
This clip just happened to be what many people wanted to see at that exact moment, mid-pandemic, and quickly racked up millions of views.
For its creator @420doggface208, it led to overnight fame and sponsorship, including a new car packed with cranberry juice drinks from Ocean Spray. At the same time, the 1970s song Dreams enjoyed a re-surge in popularity amongst a new generation.
Of course, expensive advertising campaigns that have been carefully crafted and released can achieve mass popularity and sharing can sometimes also be a viral success – take this QANTAS ad, for example. In an easily shared and relatable video, it captured the emotions that many people were feeling at the time – and did it well, achieving a million online views within its first week, with the QANTAS brand front and centre.
Going Viral: 'Fly Away' nominated for ARIA Song of the Year!!
As these examples clearly show, one thing that DOES make content sharable is understanding and connecting with how audiences feel. Tapping into this and meeting an emotional need (whether playing on the heartstrings or offering some timely comic relief) is key to great content.
However, the most sensible thing to do is NOT put all your eggs in one basket and hang marketing success on viral content. If it happens and you do get some brand exposure from it, fantastic… it could happen, and the fame could last more than 15 minutes… but realistically, the long road involving a sustainable and strategic program of targeted marketing content and activity is the most effective way to go.
After all, keep in mind that even a video seen by more than a million people won’t necessarily guarantee sales or new customers.
Original article written by Tara Mulholland
For more insights and ramblings on strategic business communications and marketing from JLCA Director John Le Cras, visit the JLCA Journal page.