One of the most probing questions and points of interest surrounding video production is if viral videos can really be manufactured as opposed to being caught on the fly. The short answer: yes.

But the success of your video (and most viral videos) spreading like wild fire still boils down to some unique factors that are out of your hands after production, primarily the ability of your piece to evoke an emotional response in your audience and getting featured on heavily trafficked blogs. Naturally, those elements will go hand-in-hand if you’ve captivated your audience enough where they begin to share it with their immediate network. Hence going “viral”. When we talk about evoking an emotional response, that means being able to express spontaneity, life, humor, spirit and serendipity in your production; qualities that can only be expressed honestly, when we’re not over-thinking or “trying”.

One of the big mistakes that most businesses make is that they try too hard. The fact of the matter is that most viral videos are done by accident. They capture a moment in time that is candid or “real”, which has wide appeal to consumers in a world of competing marketing messages. However, the exception to the “candid” rule is that it IS possible to create viral videos in partnership with a clever marketing campaign to help drive sales and leads for your business. The effort requires a detailed plan and marketing strategy, combined with top-notch production (filming and editing) and a solid budget. The more successful approach is to focus on creating videos that show off your core services, products and team. Ultimately your customers want to know more about what you can do to solve their problems, and one of the best ways to show them is by sharing a video about it.

Here are some general rules to work by:

• Keep your videos under 2 minutes

• Make it funny or outrageous

• Send it to blogs

Just some food for thought. Don’t fret about being behind in the game, the good news is that we’re here to help you generate a clever viral video campaign.