Go Viral

1. Go Viral RTV 453 Social Media

2. Many people have a skewed concept that viral videos are random. Occasionally they are (North Dakota anchor) • Virality of a video when done for promotion and marketing is NOT based on luck. • Viral content isn’t random. Intentionally Viral

3. The factors affecting virality have a lot to do with the connection between the content and the respondent, • Source: April 2012 study found in the Journal of Marketing research Vol. XLIX, by the American Marketing Association. Research

4. The biggest factor connected to virality in this study was the level of arousal the content induced. • It also looked at the affect of positive content versus negative content, and how all of these factors link together to create viral content. • There are two types of arousal: high and low. • High arousal can be content that is positive or negative. • Low arousal is characterized by creating sadness or relaxation. Research

5. “Positive and negative emotions characterized by activation or arousal (i.e., awe, anxiety, and anger) are positively linked to virality, while emotions characterized by deactivation (i.e., sadness) are negatively linked to virality,” according to the American Marketing Association. • In other words, content that creates high arousal with a viewer is more likely to be viral than content that creates low arousal. High arousal was the key content virality factor in this study. Arouse Your Viewer

6. In this study, one standard deviation increase in the amount of awe content induced, their chance of being viral increased by 34 percent. Similarly, with one standard deviation increase in the amount of anger content induced, their chance of virality increased by 30 percent. • Focus your video on creating high-arousal emotions with a user. The more viewers feel, the better! Arouse Your Viewer

7. Contrary to popular belief, when content evokes more of the sadness emotion (or low activation), it is less likely to be shared. The more sadness the content induces, the less arousal it activates, and the less likely it is to be viral. • The general thought is usually that evoking more emotion of any kind leads to more engaging content-- this isn’t the case. • Increasing the amount of sadness content evokes is less viral than content geared to increase awe or anxiety (high-arousal emotions). • Stay away from video content formed around low-activation emotions like sadness or relaxation. Sad is Bad

8. Another great aspect of viral content: the more positive and upbeat it is, the more likely it is to become viral. Although more positive and negative extremes in content have a greater chance to become viral, positive content trumps the negative. • What do the results of this study tell us? People shared content more often when it was positive! Positive is more viral than negative, hands down. Don’t Worry, Be Happy

9. Don’t assume that all negative content will give you negative results. Negative content can be viral too! Even though positive content is more viral, negative content is also linked to higher virality. • Videos that induce anxiety or anger are more often shared by users. Something evoking shock, like a high-speed car chase or an intense fight, creates high-arousal or activation. • This research tells us that your negative video can go viral. Negative as Positive

10. Effective Internet Presence • Writing articles, posting comments, etc. • Usability: site design & interactivity • Create a regular process of adding great content: keep people interested • Get the audience to find you: TA issues • Measure that they are there: analytics • Determine ROI: cost vs. return • Make money: paywall or PPC Project Wrap Up

11. Top Viral Videos for Brands Kmart viral