How to make a viral video without dying in the attempt

Viral videos are an increasingly utilized tool for companies to promote their brands and products.

On the internet, content is king, and within content, viral videos reign supreme. It is estimated that around 100 million internet users consume videos daily, and by 2018, videos are projected to represent almost 80% of web content. Another example is YouTube, currently the second most used search engine by internet users after Google. Every minute, 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube; however, the vast majority of these videos have fewer than 1,000 views. For Mexico, video content is particularly significant, as it is the third country that consumes the most YouTube content after the United States and Brazil. Videos are an increasingly utilized tool for companies to promote their brands and products. However, with so much audiovisual content uploaded to the internet every day, a strategy is needed to ensure that videos stand out in that sea of information. Alexander Debelov, founder of Virool, a company based in Silicon Valley that specializes in spreading videos on some of the internet's highest-traffic websites, recommends 5 steps to achieve viral video success.

1. The first 6 seconds are key: "In an era where the audience is just a click away from leaving, in the first 6 seconds, you must capture their attention so that they want to watch the entire content. Previously, content was imposed on radio or television; today, on the internet, people decide whether to watch that content or not."

2. Create shareable content: "Previously, commercial strategies were based on creating memorable things, but now the key is to create videos that are shareable. This is achieved when people feel part of the story, when the video evokes an emotion in them, and they feel happy to share it because it represents them in some way. People may not always remember a video, but they remember how it made them feel."

3. Understand your audience: "It is crucial to understand your audience, who the main influencers are for that particular niche, and to involve them either in your video or in its dissemination. Additionally, it's important to have someone within your company who represents the demographic you want to reach."

4. Focus on engagement, not views: "When we match the right video with the right audience, that's what can trigger a viral video. It's more than just having views from people who aren't interested in that video; engagement truly tells us that the content was relevant."

5. Content with human value: "We are no longer in an era where all you wanted was for your brand to appear repeatedly. Now, it's important to create content that truly adds value, something human that connects with your audience."

While creating a viral video is not an exact science, it's evident that advertising has changed since the advent of the internet, where consumers can join the conversation, share what they identify with, and also express when they dislike something. We are in an era where videos are created and consumed more than ever, so it's important to know how to highlight our content in the digital world, as achieving viral content can bring enormous benefits to your brand.