A successful viral video can serve to set
you apart from the competition and open an entirely new market
to your business.
A viral video is a video clip that gains widespread popularity
through the process of Internet sharing, typically through
email or Instant messaging, blogs and other media sharing
websites. Viral videos are often humorous in nature and
include televised comedy sketches. Some "eyewitness" events
have also been caught on video and have "gone viral".
With the proliferation of camera phones, many videos are being
shot by amateurs on these devices. The availability of cheap
video editing and publishing tools allows video shot on mobile
phones to be edited and distributed virally both on the web by
email or website, and between phones by Bluetooth or MMS.
These consumer-shot videos are typically non-commercial videos
intended for viewing by friends or family.
When producing a viral video, the biggest challenge is to be
both amusing and also articulate the appeal of the product or
message being advertised. Humor can be an essential marketing
tool but the small business owner must also keep the video
content consistent with the overall strategy of the company to
successfully market their product. In other words, ensure the
content is believable and persuasive in the context of the
product and not just arbitrary humor tossed in for sheer
entertainment value. The message of your video can be lost in
the shuffle if the content is too outlandish. Professionalism
is obviously vital, so hiring a company that specializes in
video production to make your video is a much safer bet than
attempting to shoot and edit yourself. |
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If not humor, than something
else must elevate the material above standard internet fare to
catch the attention of impatient web surfers. This can mean
taking a creative approach or having a shock factor to lure in
more viewers. Brevity is also key. a more engaging viral video
will promote its product in a few minutes rather than drag and
lose effectiveness. Many viral videos that fall flat with
consumers are simply trying to hard, whether they are overlong
or too gimmicky in nature. Videos that appear more genuine and
organic are generally better received by web surfers, and
knowing your limits and always keeping focus of your goal are
two keys to avoiding such a backlash.
A successful viral video campaign will be just that; several
effective videos instead of a singular piece increase
exposure, recognition and eventually profit. Though largely
successful on their own accord, if done properly viral videos
still work best in accordance with a variety of marketing
strategies, including a functioning, informative website that
can be easily located and accessed on the web. The key is
being able to convert interest in the viral videos to actual
capital and a website serves said purpose.
The Internet can be a near endless venue for advertising, so
don't limit your marketing to a single website like YouTube,
but rather syndicate as far and as wide as possible to
maximize exposure. In addition to YouTube, AOL Video, Google
Video, Myspace Video, Yahoo Video, Vimeo, Metacafe and Howcast
are just a few possible venues to spread your viral campaign.
Most of these sites also offer specific graphics and data to
track comments and views to your videos, down to the age,
region or sex of the viewer. This can be an essential tool in
evaluating what might improve the effectiveness or likability
of your videos.
Embedding the content on your own company's site is another
proactive method of expanding awareness of your product, even
for those already informed about your product; an effective,
original video will generate interest even further.
We can help you to produce and distribute a viral video for
your company or organization.
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