Viral marketing, which is most often through online video marketing, is a great way to get a massive amount of traffic, backlinks and money. While the art of viral marketing is sometimes a game of hit-and-miss, there are several types of content that have proven to go viral more than anything else.
First to Tell
Has something new happened? If you are the first to tell everyone, then you will almost always beat out the competition, even if you are relatively unknown.
Cute Videos
Is there anything cuter than a baby tea cut Pomeranian sneezing? Probably not, and millions of people are going to agree. Go for the cute approach, but only do so if you are willing to be associated with cute marketing.
Play to Social Marketing
Social marketing has proven one thing: people love being social online. Use this to your advantage. Ask people to share your video on social networks, make your video as Web 2.0 as possible and stream it as much as you can to every social network. Not only that, but ask people to talk. Commenting can help your video become viral, and you can get comments just by asking for them.
Do Something Unexpected
Most viral marketing doesn’t come from the expected. There are only so many tea cup Pomeranians someone can see before they become sick. Don’t do the same thing everyone else is doing, do something completely your own and you will start your marketing virus.
Heartfelt and Emotional
Give people something to cry about, or make the marketing so full of emotion that people can’t help but feel something from your video. Emotions have always help spread marketing, and getting people to feel something will make them want to share your marketing.
Make Them Laugh
Instead of emotional tears, make them cry from laughter. If you can do something that is really funny, then everyone is going to want their friends to laugh too, and the virus begins.
Informational
While emotions and laughter help, sometimes a video that is incredibly informative can become viral. Don’t think that informative means boring, because it doesn’t and it shouldn’t. A boring video will never be shared (unless it is so “awesomely bad” boring that it deserves sharing, but this could backfire). Also, don’t reiterate what everyone knows, say something new.
Controversial
Go against the grain and light a fire under someone. While being overly controversial can backfire by making people too angry to share your video, but being controversial enough will get people interested in commenting and sharing your content.