Secrets of Viral Video: Three Keys to Launching a Campaign That Resonates

For marketing strategies intent on "going where the masses are," video is not to be overlooked. That's because each month some 75% of US Internet users view well over 13 million videos online, according to comScore's monthly Video Metrix report.

But while video viewing is way up, so are video postings (some estimate that over 200,000 videos are uploaded daily to YouTube alone), and these days it takes more than a dancing baby to attract eyeballs and gather viral momentum.

Celebrity Apprentice fans likely gained a little perspective on what not to do, thanks to a recent episode involving a viral-video competition to promote All Small & Mighty laundry detergent from Sun Products Corporation. One team's video was overrun with sexual innuendos related to "doing the laundry," while the opposing team's featured little people decked in All-themed spandex and scrubbing a grubby Jesse James clean before storming off in a fit of bleeped profanities.

Though blogger Perez Hilton said the Jesse James video, however off-target, certainly held viral potential, executives at Sun Products opted to nix both videos because, they said, neither was a strong representation for their brand. As a result, The Donald doubled his layoff quota for the week, dismissing one member from each team. Apparently, even the stars of traditional entertainment have a thing or two to learn when it comes to viral video.

Nonetheless, hidden among the moments of drama were a few best-practices. To provide you with a straightforward guide for netting your audience's attention, we've combined those best-practices with learnings from organizations that are working video to their advantage.

1. The Hook

Read the Full Article

Kimberly Smith is a staff writer for MarketingProfs. Reach her via kims@marketingprofs.com.