How to Make a Viral Video

I’m often asked what’s the formula to make a viral video for social platforms? If you find yourself asking the same question, ironically, you’ll never go viral because you’re no longer thinking about your audience. You’re only thinking about your needs and what value you can gain, rather than your audience’s needs and what value you can give to them.

So the better question you should be asking is: how can we effectively connect with our audience so that they feel compelled to share our video? It’s really important to put your audience first and create content that resonates with them if you want to produce scroll stopping, likeable and sharable content.

While there’s no guarantee for making a viral video I share some tips on how to make your video go viral on any social media platform by putting your audience first.

Mr Beast is the most popular YouTuber of 2022.
He has been the top creator for the last 3 years.
Source: YouTube Top 10 2022 Report

There are two common elements that viral videos have:

1. They show an enviable position or situation, that people want and can’t have
2. And/or they have a universal theme, that demonstrates a truth that everyone gets.

When it comes to an enviable situation, people love to watch what they can’t have or wouldn’t dare do themselves, like showing off an expensive “toy” in an exotic location or performing a wild and crazy stunt.

Mr Beast does this well with his videos like in his 2022 viral hit: Making Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Or something that’s beyond most people’s capabilities as seen in Shangerdanger’s viral video: Cracking an Egg at the Bottom of the Ocean.

And the best universal theme is helping convey an emotion that everyone feels.

Like something funny and light hearted as seen in this video from the 2nd most popular YouTuber NichLmao’s Catch It & Keep It.

Or something universally heartfelt like when Mr Beast attempts to cure 1,000 People’s Blindness.

Or universally creepy like the Backrooms video.

Your video should have an enviable situation that people can’t do or have and/or demonstrate a universal truth/emotion.

Different social media platforms have different video requirements and algorithms, so it’s important to optimise your video for the platform you’re using. On Instagram, you should use square or vertical videos while on YouTube, longer-form content performs best.

Use platform-specific features, like hashtags, standout thumbnails on YouTube and on TikTok open with your key info at the very beginning and then unpack your video from there.

Above all else you should cater to your audience’s desires and not your own which comes back to my very first point in my intro – put your audience first.

Make your video specifically for each social media platform and put your audience first.

TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform.
Source: eMarketer April 2022

Airrack is the third most popular YouTuber of 2022.
Source: YouTube Top 10 2022 Report

Partnering with influencers in your niche can help increase the visibility of your video. Influencers have their own loyal followers, who may be more likely to share your video if it’s recommended by someone they trust.

Reach out to influencers who align with your brand and see if they would be interested in collaborating.

The 3rd highest ranked YouTuber, Airrack, makes a showdown video with YouTube’s most famous magician, Dan Rhodes, in this YouTube short video.

Collaborate with similar creators who have large followings to grow your audience.

Creating content that is timely and relevant can increase your video’s chances of going viral. Keep an eye on current events or trends and see if you can create content that taps into those conversations. This can help your video get noticed by a wider audience that reinforces their opinions and beliefs. It also helps stimulate conversation which is the core premise of social media.

Like sharing this South Park episode mocking Prince Harry and his wife.

Capture the mood of the moment and harness it to evoke similar opinions and beliefs in your audience.

South Park’s Ep 26.02 The Worldwide Privacy Tour went viral with social media shares in 2023.

In conclusion, making a video go viral on social media is never guaranteed, but by creating compelling content, optimising it for the platform, collaborating with influencers, and being timely, you can increase your chances of success.

Of course if you need help creating scroll stopping, viral content that connects with your audience, then get in touch with the team at Ai Digital.

For more information feel free to contact us today.