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Youtubers find great satisfaction when they see their video go viral over the internet. It draws a lot of viewers and subscribers, which makes their brand appear legitimate and influential on the site. Even if one or two of your videos take the internet by storm, it doesn’t mean that you’ve understood the pattern behind making it go viral.
Sometimes, it takes a bit of luck to go viral, but mostly you need a good strategy and techniques that you need to include in your videos. Here are 8 tried and tested methods to make your video go viral on Youtube.
What Makes a Video Go Viral?
To kick off, let's understand the characteristics of a viral video. A viral video gets millions of views, shares, likes and comments. It mostly immediately gets the attention of the mass public and a lot of people engage with it. The video doesn’t always have to be positive, though. Sometimes negative content tends to get more attention online. Viral videos trigger a strong emotion in the viewers which compels them to share them with others.
Youtube algorithm monitors how people engage with a video and when it detects viral videos, it starts showing it on top of search results, sometimes even on the Trending section. Viral video content on Youtube can be of any type, including educational, comedy skits, and autobiographical. However, according to a Databox survey, funny videos have the best chance to go viral.
8 Steps on How to Make a Video Go Viral
1. Learn How Youtube’s Algorithm Works
Youtube’s algorithm takes into account many things before ranking your video higher in search results and on its homepage. Most importantly, it looks at how long people watch your video before losing interest. People on social media have a very short attention span, so if you can’t hook them in the first 3 seconds you will lose your chances of going viral.
Secondly, the algorithm looks at likes, comments and shares. Videos with real user engagement are ranked higher. Have these 3 important goals to rank your videos higher:
Be consistent
Your main goal should be to make high-quality videos consistently rather than focusing solely on quantity. Youtube’s algorithm curates your videos for audiences that have interacted or viewed your content before.
If you post consistently and audiences keep returning to your videos, Youtube takes it as a sign that your content is high quality. Other than that, being consistent helps you stay on top of trends and feedback from the market so you can quickly understand what works and what doesn’t.
By relevant
You must also ensure that your content is relevant to the viewer’s search query. It should answer their question or resolve their issue in the video. If you don’t get directly to the point in the beginning of the video, your audience will bounce.
Be clear
Make your video easy to understand for everyone. Break complex concepts into easy to understand vocabulary. Use imagery where necessary. If the content is too hard to process, people will lose patience.
2. Know Your Audiences
Another key point of creating viral content on Youtube is knowing your target audience. How can you find the right audience? You must know about their interests, identity and the type of content they like to consume. Produce videos that your followers can identify with and enjoy enough to share with others. This strategy ensures that your work reaches a wider audience. You should also try to understand their age, gender and location along with engagement measures such as likes, comments, and shares.
Youtube's analytics allows you to identify the reasons for increased viewership in some of your videos. You can use this data to find out why some of your videos are struggling with views, while others are getting loads of viewership. After you know your target audience, you will be able to create relatable content, which aligns with their interests. This way, you’ll also improve your chances of going viral.
3. Mastering the Craft
Never stop learning new ways to make better videos. Take courses and don’t be afraid to try new ideas. Your audio should be crisp and videos should create a pleasant viewing experience. Youtube is a very competitive place and there will always be another creator who produces content in your niche. The only way to stand out and get attention is by being a master of your craft.
This not only applies to video technique. People care more about the content. Even if you don’t have Hollywood level production equipment, your videos need to deliver very high quality content. This requires research, deep thinking and preparation before you even hit the record button.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Controversial
One effective way to increase the chances of going viral is to make videos about controversial or trending topics. What makes a topic controversial? A topic that everyone has been talking about on the internet and something that immediately shocks the majority of people.
Virality can easily be achieved by making videos about trending or controversial topics to encourage sharing across a broader audience. There are plenty of tools that you can use to identify trends and controversial topics in your niche:
- Youtube Trending Page.
- Popular on Youtube Page.
- Google Trends for Youtube.
- Keyword Tool for Youtube.
Also, don’t mindlessly jump on the bandwagon. It is very important for you to choose content that is in line with your brand and principles. This way you’ll keep your audience hooked and loyal.
5. Tag Team With Other Youtubers
Joining forces with other content creators is an effective way to reach more audiences and become viral. Collaborating with another Youtuber opens the gates to their audiences. However, choosing the right collaborators is also a key factor. It’s usually hard to find creators to collaborate with because they are scattered across social networks and there are people constantly vying for their attention through emails and direct messages.
In most cases, you will have to make several attempts before getting in touch with creators. However, you can easily filter through the noise by using a content creator collaboration tool called Paysenger. On Paysenger, you can research creators in your industry by using the search tool. Once you identify those who have similar audiences and brand values as you, you can simply send them a paid request to collaborate.
Contact them using a paid direct message to get an instant response. Then, describe your offer to collaborate. No back and forth communication is required. In addition, Paysenger also secured ownership for any content that you produce in collaboration. For example, if you pay a creator to make a shoutout video, Paysenger will split royalties and ad revenue between you and your collaboration partner.
6. Give Your Youtube Video a Social Media Boost
After you’ve made a video that you think can go viral, it’s time for you to promote it on social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. These platforms are amazing places to share your content since they have billions of users from all around the world. According to Meta, Facebook alone has around 2.99 billion users. Just imagine, what you’re missing out on if you are still not promoting yourself on social media.
YouTube videos can easily be repurposed for other social networks. For example, you can take out clips from your YouTube videos and turn them into short videos for Instagram Reels or TikTok. Each video can be turned into many different types of content for all of your social media pages. You spent a lot of effort to make your video, make sure you maximize your returns by showing it to as many people as possible through social media.
7. Engage and Conquer Your Audience
Interacting with your audience is vital for developing a loyal and dedicated community on Youtube. It will help you during your toughest periods digitally. You must reply to your viewers who comment or share your content on social media. Just a simple heart reaction to their comments can make their day.
You can also ask them to share your videos by using a call-to-action in your content or social media posts. Your video's chances of going viral improve if you have a loyal fanbase. The more people connect with your brand and content, the happier they are to share it with others in their circle.
8. Mapping Your Future Strategy
Having a strategy for the future is very important. By studying how your videos perform on Youtube using the aforementioned tools, you can determine whether or not you’re on the right course. Also, always be open to experimentation because what is effective in one video may not necessarily work in another. Don't hold back in exploring your creativity. Regularly observing and analyzing your approach can help you in creating an effective content strategy, which gives you more opportunities for success in future.
One example of Youtube success stories is Jimmy Donaldson, also called MrBeast, who is a leading US-based Youtuber, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is one of those content creators who wins hearts by doing unreal acts of charity. He has raised $20 million to plant 20 million trees, donated millions of dollars, hundreds of cars, and even given away a private island.
This led to him being recognized as the Youtuber of the Year in the 12th Annual Shorty Awards in 2020. Charity is something that everyone relates to in their life, and MrBeast found a universal trending topic for his Youtube channel, which made him viral.
Final Words
While going viral on Youtube is difficult, you can raise your chances by using these 8 tried-and-tested methods. From understanding Youtube algorithms to producing top-notch content, all of it contributes to making your videos go viral. Start exploring and adapting your strategy to shape yourself for future success.
Be consistent. You never know, your next video might be the one that launches you to stardom! Don't delay your success any longer! Collaborate with creators, monetize your content, create communities and sell subscriptions on Paysenger.