Video Can’t Be Viral Video at Launch

As enthusiastic as I am about web video marketing, nothing bothers me more than the concept of viral video campaigns.  Online video content has a tremendous capacity to “go viral” but web video marketing campaigns really can’t be viral campaigns at launch.  Nonetheless, so many marketers will tout an online video effort as a viral video campaign.
Last week, a number of articles published in key marketing publications capitalized on how a specific organization was using the NCAA Basketball “Big Dance” as a way to launch a viral video campaign.  How is video viral at launch?
From a marketing perspective, I understand why everyone wants their web video marketing effort to be a viral video campaign.  Viral is Word of Mouth marketing at its best – enthusiasts share your content with other people.  This is viewed as a “Holy Grail”.  Yes – viral campaigns can generate jaw-dropping worthy metrics and stats, but many viral campaigns do not necessarily generate direct engagement that can lead to more business, increased donations or new customers.
Case in point, a study recently released by Millward Brown found that less than 15 percent of television ads repurposed for online video content were viral hits.  For every one successful viral sensation, there are five videos that won’t even start a commotion.
It does seem counter-intuitive that viral video can get people buzzing about your organization yet not directly increase the bottom line.  This is often because online video on its own puts the onus on the viewer to engage with an organization.  Instead of the content guiding the viewer, the content ends and the viewer is left on their own.
My rules regarding viral video are as follows:

1. Video can’t go viral at launch.  Video can go viral if the message resonates with your target viewers.  They will then share the content.
2. Don’t just send out video.  Take the extra step and integrate the video into a video landing page.  This way, when your video goes viral, secondary and tertiary viewers are able to engage with your organization.  Surround the video with branding, messaging and key calls to action.
3. Make it easy to share the video.  Some viewers will want to email it, while others may want to post the video to social networking sites.

In the end, your web video marketing campaign should focus on effectively reaching your audience.  You may choose to communicate via a direct approach, such as video email or through a social media capacity.  Make sure your message resonates with your targets.  If the message is effective, your audience will engage with you.  Plus, who knows, they may even help you go viral.