Have you seen the viral video that’s taking the internet by storm? ‘What if Man of Steel was IN COLOR?’ has garnered over 2 million views in just a few weeks, and it’s not hard to see why. But what can we learn from its success?
Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room – there’s no recipe for true viral video success. As VideoLab, the creators of the video, pointed out, viral videos only happen by accident. There’s no formula, or everyone would be doing it. So, be careful what you post online, because you never know where it might end up.
That being said, part of the video’s viral success comes down to the fact that it hit a nerve with a large enough audience. It spoke to something that people care about, and tapping into a zeitgeist could help your video achieve viral success.
Another aspect to the video’s success was the fact that it was picked up by so many fansites, daily news sites, and other forms of aggregation. There needs to be a mechanism for transmission of the viral message, which in this case is obviously the internet, but it’s more about the community of people who will transmit it from one to the other.
Finally, having an opinion matters. Taking a stance on a subject gives your audience something to chew on, interact with, and dialogue about. But having an ‘informed opinion’ matters more. You can have a lot of words without knowledge, and if you don’t know what you’re talking about, someone who does will probably point it out – which may attract the kind of attention you’re not necessarily seeking.
So, there you have it. While there’s no surefire way to make a video go viral, keeping these factors in mind could help increase your chances. Have you had any of your work go viral? What did you learn from it? Let’s discuss in the comments below.