Posted 11.07.08

In today's hyper-competitive media landscape, advertisers want more than a good creative or a well-thought-out marketing campaign: they want to hit that holy grail of contemporary advertising -- the truly viral ad.

So how can GeniusRocket community members "bake in" virality to their RFB submissions? Last year, Dan Ackerman Greenberg of the The Comotion Group listed a few of his tips for marketers and creators on the "secret strategies" behind viral videos at TechCrunch:

If you want a truly viral video that will get millions of people to watch and share it, then yes, content is key. But good content is not necessary to get 100,000 views if you follow these strategies.

Don’t get me wrong: the content is what will drive visitors back to a site. So a video must have a decent concept, but one shouldn’t agonize over determining the best “viral” video possible. Generally, a concept should not be forced because it fits a brand. Rather, a brand should be fit into a great concept. Here are some guidelines we follow:

• Make it short: 15-30 seconds is ideal; break down long stories into bite-sized clips
• Design for remixing: create a video that is simple enough to be remixed over and over again by others. Ex: “Dramatic Hamster”
• Don’t make an outright ad: if a video feels like an ad, viewers won’t share it unless it’s really amazing. Ex: Sony Bravia
• Make it shocking: give a viewer no choice but to investigate further. Ex: “UFO Haiti”
• Use fake headlines: make the viewer say, “Holy shit, did that actually happen?!” Ex: “Stolen Nascar”
• Appeal to sex: if all else fails, hire the most attractive women available to be in the video. Ex: “Yoga 4 Dudes”

What do you think of Dan's recommendations? What tips have you learned that contribute to a video truly going viral?

Post your thoughts in the comment thread, and we'll share your tips with the rest of the GeniusRocket creative community.

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