The secrets to a vital viral video

We all receive viral videos like this in our Inbox that make us yell, “Holy #$%@*, that’s insane!” Then, like the good Internet soldiers we are, we pass it on to our friends and colleagues, with the subject line “Check this out! It’s crazy!”

Thus enters the “viral” part of viral videos. But what makes us furiously forward one video, and instantly delete another?

In my experience, those that click are over-the-top and unexpected, rather than simply clever. Think about it: You’re more likely to forward a viral video of someone surviving a plane jump after their parachute doesn’t open, than, say, those “Priceless” Mastercard ads.

My point is, people like to see shocking things that leave them in disbelief. And for businesses looking to get their own viral video going, your efforts should be just as bold.

The good news is you don’t have to have a slick Hollywood production to accomplish this. Plenty of videos on YouTube and other video sites are very low-budget, yet pack the shock appeal that makes them go viral.

So it’s unnecessary to hire a huge production company to make the video. Leave that to the big boys who are making “clever” video spots. Instead, go to a local college campus’s film school to find students interested in filming something over a day or weekend.

This approach ensures you get people who want to create a good video for their film school portfolio, while building their name recognition. And film school students are bastions of creativity, just waiting to create that one totally original masterpiece — a hunger many big production companies lack.

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