Going viral? 4 must-haves

What got me going on this topic was a fellow member’s post in our Social Media Monitoring group’s conversation on Cebit and going viral that included a link to a salesforce.com video.

This suggests that all it takes is to reach and infect as many people as you can with the bug, in this case to watch the video and share it with friends. But is it really that easy?

Below are four points you need to consider to ensure you have a chance at going viral with your video.

By the way, most people stop watching your YouTube video within 5 seconds. Accordingly, do not waste precious seconds, but cut to the chase – NOW.

1. The cause: Accentuate the positive

A cause is a powerful motivator that can get people to rally, such as helping refugees, the homeless, child vaccinations and so forth.

Cause marketing refers to campaigns that combine efforts of both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Social media cause campaigns are similar ways to inform, raise awareness and funds for the cause (e.g., fighting cancer, eradicating malaria).

Popularity, reach and affordability make social media an attractive vehicle for non-profits, charities, schools, hospitals and other organizations with a cause.

Non-profits have access to the story and the constituents that care. The latter represent the passion behind the cause and can bring a program to life. To find out more about how you can succeed with social media cause marketing, follow over 5,000 people who have already subscribed to this blog:

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2. Human angle: Empathy and cool-factor are it

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s 45-second Born HIV Free Campaign video is simple, short, and powerful, with a call to action no one can refuse.

Videos such as, Why Red Bull does not need Facebook to go viral, illustate that your message can be for a commercial product. As long as it is interesting and exciting to your target audience, it could go viral.

Article source – Strategizing: Remember your building blocks?

3. Freebies = Success

There are always people who love getting another discount or freebie. This has long worked with timeshares, where you listen to a sales pitch to get a gift. Of course, the seller hopes they can rope you into purchasing another timeshare week.

Does this work in social media? Of course it does, as Starbucks and others have demonstrated over and over.

4. Story it well

This two-minute commercial features the 81-year-old Clint Eastwood (a movie hero revered by both conservatives and liberals) as the face of this new spirit of American industry. It tells a story about Detroit with his voice and moody shots of everyday American life. Aired during SuperBowl 2012, this 2:01 half-time commercial has a superficial purpose of selling cars, but the story also tries to encapsulate rising optimism about US industry. Not until the last six seconds do Chrysler’s brands appear on screen.

By the way, no matter what, even the above superb video cannot beat people’s interest in watching the funniest Superbowl ads online instead And the winner is?

Bottom line: Beware diminishing returns

In the EU, 99 percent of all companies have 250 or fewer employees, while 96 percent of US companies have 100 or fewer employees. For them, the point where we reach diminishing marginal returns with viral marketing is sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, for large businesses and non-profits such as charities, I continue to believe there is value in trying to go viral with a video – if you follow these four points.

Of course, having the budget to do any of the above or getting your famous ambassador to promote your product for a fee or free does make things a bit easier…

Finally, if you have cult status like Apple, your product – Siri – is part of a sketch comedian Robin Williams does on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Are you with me on these trends? Please share your thoughts below (click to write)!

TL:DR
@ComMetrics Going viral? 4 must-haves | Tweet This

Tip: Search for more ComMetrics and CyTRAP sources on viral marketing and branding (click to query).

More information about viral marketing

– I wish our product videos would go viral like this one from Cebu Air
– ComMetrics social media cost classification model (see also 2011 trends: The social media cost-benefit pyramid)
– The social business maturity model
– Achieving better cost management
– Peter Kim – Is social media free?
– Going viral or selling product: ROI anyone?

Tagged as: 'sin free' seduction, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, cause marketing, Cebit, Chrysler, Clint Eastwood, Gillette, McDonalds, Red Bull, Roger Federer, SalesForce, social media cause campaign, Super Bowl