I’ve sat in many a client meeting to be asked:
“Can you make our video go viral?”
On the surface it seems like a legitimate question. But really, having a video go viral is an unwise goal to have for a project.
There are many reasons for this – one of the main ones we see if that having a million views on a video doesn’t necessarily mean the video is performing in a way that will get you a return on your investment.
The best return on investments that we have seen for clients comes from the content being laser targeted at a particular audience and delivering an experience and/or great value. Then, having the audience take some specific action after having watched the video. In that sense the video plays a part in a wider plan. It’s strategic.
To put it another way, it’s more important for a video to be seen by the right people, for the right reasons.
If you have this, you have a greater chance of making an impact and persuading the viewer to take some desired action (making an enquiry/buying a product/opting in to an email list, etc.).
More to the point, videos don’t just go viral. Or at least, it’s such a small proportion that we can discount them.
Normally, when we see a ‘viral’ video, a ton of work, and often lots of cash (even into the 6 figures) are spent on seeding the video on high traffic blogs in the hope that they catch on and take a life of their own.
So remember, it’s not the view count that matters. So don’t focus on viral. Focus on specific content, for a specific audience — and invest efforts into getting it seen by them.
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