We get this question a lot.  There are agencies out there that that’ll tell you they’ll make your video viral in an attempt to get your business, but it’s not that easy.  In fact, it’s VERY hard to get your company video to go viral.  People tend to share things they are funny (like The Evolution of Dance), weird (like Gangam Style), cute (like Charlie Bit My Finger), and unique (like The Battle at Kruger) — and share them with people that will think the same of those videos.

 

And these videos don’t just contain a hint of those elements, the whole video keeps people interested because it continues to offer those things.  So a more relevant question is ‘Should my video be viral?’  Unless you’re willing to take a risk to make your corporate video go viral, it never will.  There’s nothing wrong with a video that doesn’t go viral; a good explainer video can tell your target audience how you solve their pain, the benefits you provide, how you’re unique, and a variety of other things — but these don’t naturally lead people to the tendency to share it with everyone they know.  If you do decide to want to make a viral corporate video, read on.

 

The first thing you want to do is decide why people would want to share your corporate video; it has to entertain — as mentioned, humour, weird, cute and unique are the most natural ways to achieve this.  Don’t try to cram everything into your video — pick one.  And pick it based on your brand.  If you’re company is naturally fun, go with humor.  If you’re importing a Japanese product into the U.S., Japan is known for being quirky so consider that route.  But don’t force your company to be something it’s not.  Make it natural.

 

Next, make the video about your users.  This means that you need to focus on benefits (your users), not your features (you).  The Dollar Shave Club video did a great job of this.

 

“High-quality razors right to your door”… “It’s so gentle, a toddler can use it”… “Do you like spending $20 a month on brand name razors?”… “Do you think your razor needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a back-scratcher, and 10 blades?”… “Stop forgetting to buy your blades every month”… these are all benefits that a user can relate to.  Real benefits — not ones you impose on them.

 

And to top it all off, the video is edgy.  “Are the blades any good?  No, they’re f**king great.”  The video has 9 million views to date.

 

Consider whether a viral video is really right for you.  Lots of people think a viral video is their ticket to get rich quick, but it’s much harder than that.  People are naturally apprehensive to share company material, so you need to give them a real good reason to overcome that.  But if you do it, and do it right, you’ve reached the holy grail.