Viral videos are essential for marketing in the modern world. They do wonders for increasing the popularity and commercial viability of a business, product, or brand. More than almost anything else, viral videos can propel niche, small-time brands into the public consciousness.
But at the end of the day, what is a viral video? Tons of online videos have attained a lot of views, but does that make them viral? If so, how many views does it take for something to become viral?
If you want to understand what viral videos are, how they go viral, what numbers you need to look for and how to make your own viral video, we have done the research. We will provide you those answers throughout the rest of this article.
What Is a Viral Video?
Viral videos seem like a ubiquitous part of life now, but they are a fairly new concept. In fact, the term only entered popular use in 2009, following the video “David After Dentist.”
A viral video was virtually impossible before the widespread use of the internet. It can turn someone into a celebrity overnight, create a passionate following instantaneously, or change millions of people’s opinions on something — for better or for worse. That’s why so many companies and people are trying to take control of this internet phenomenon.
When it comes to the content of a viral video, it varies wildly. Some videos are funny, some heartfelt, and some are just straight-up embarrassing. That’s what infuriates and confuses marketing professionals trying to make viral videos — nothing is guaranteed to work. You can set your content up for success, but you can’t ensure it will catch fire.
How Many Views Make a Viral Video?
What makes a video viral? How many people are watching them, of course. A video can’t go viral without high viewership. But can we identify the specific number of views that will make the count as video “viral?”
Due to the ever-changing nature of the internet, the definition of viral has shifted over the past few decades. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, any video with over a million views would qualify as a viral video. However, as more people started posting videos, that bar has risen — videos with a million views are no longer a rarity amongst established creators.
Today, a viral video achieves over five million views in less than a week. However, as our newsfeeds and timelines become increasingly saturated with media, this number will likely steadily increase, making viral status harder and harder to achieve. Some content creators are already making videos that achieve that level of viewership at a steady rate, which means that viral videos need to become even more popular.
Is Viewership All That Matters in a Viral Video?
Pure numerical representation is not the only thing that counts for a viral video. In fact, some videos with smaller view counts can be more impactful for a creator than videos with millions of views.
How? Often, the reception of a video has more to do with the target audience and how they respond than reaching the widest audience. Creating a video that overtakes a specific niche or subgroup can result in a more powerful effect for a company than a video that targets a large number of viewers but doesn’t leave a lasting impression on most of them. If you want to create a viral video, focus on your target audience.
If you can create a viral video that impacts one specific community, you’ll be more likely to see the results. Creating a 15% conversion rate for 100,000 people is a larger impact than a 1% conversion rate for a million people.
Focusing on quality over quantity can help you achieve the goals you are trying to reach and create lasting impressions on the people who most need to see your videos!
How To Make a Video Go Viral
Almost all viral videos are unique and original. Try making something that stands out, and be different from anything viewers have ever seen. This might take some trial and error, but it'll all be worth it if you get the results you want.
Viral videos are also generally best when they’re short. That’s why so many ubiquitous parts of online culture come from the now-defunct platform Vine — almost every video on the site was six seconds long or shorter. Nearly twenty percent of people will click out of a video within ten seconds, so your odds of success will be higher if you can hook people in that short period.
Finally, make sure that your video is genuine. It’s easy to tell if a video, reaction, or situation is a set-up or if it looks fake. If you are going to fake it, at least put in a lot of effort to make sure it looks real. But the best-case scenario is to make an authentic video. That real emotional impact is more likely to leave a lasting impression.
How 7 Wonders Can Help
If you’re looking to create a video that will boost your position in the public consciousness, 7 Wonders is here for you. Our teams of professional video and content experts have spent years working on creating impactful videos for a variety of businesses.
We’re able to do everything from social videos, photography, corporate videos, testimonials, and more to make sure that your company can interact with its audience in the most effective way possible. If you want to work with people who can elevate your business’s online presence in new ways, 7 Wonders is what you are looking for!
Feel free to check out our website today, and reach out to us with any questions!
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