We highly advocate firing any person that suggests you create “a viral video.” We equate that recommendation to asking someone to “just make ‘Star Wars’” or “please produce an Oscar-winning movie.” Asking for the production of a viral video is simply announcing “I’m out of ideas, and I don’t want to pay for distribution.”
Instead, to juice the potential for virality, we highly recommend adding viral “hooks” into your content. Include elements that all but guarantee certain people will want to share the content, thus getting the ball rolling for a potential “viral” piece of content.
For example, include people, ideally influencers, in your content and then let them know they’re in the content. To promote themselves, they will inevitably share the content.
Interview or hire celebrities or well-known influencers to be in your content. The mere fact that they’re starring in your content, will drive industry interest and virality. This doesn’t necessarily require deep pockets. You could simply show up at a red carpet event and try to catch them for a quick interview. Think about all the likes, comments, and shares people get when they post photos of themselves with celebrities. That could be your business.
For more, read, 12 Techniques We Use to Architect Virality into Content.
Creative Commons photo attributions to Internet Archive Book Images (1, 2).
