MAKING YOUR VIRAL VIDEO VIRAL
by Tom Leonard

The good news is that there are an incredible number of potential viewers on the major video sites. The bad news? There’s a lot of competition out there. What will make your video stand out?

• Original Content – the videos that receive the most attention are usually the most original, something that hasn’t been done before, breaking new ground. Don’t just copy someone else’s success.

• High Production Quality – so many videos on user-generated sites have low production values. You don’t need a big budget, but use your creativity to produce a video that will stand out and look as professional as possible. And make sure the audio and the video are high quality.

• Think of Your Audience – Most producers want to create something that they would enjoy watching. But think of the audience you would like to attract and produce something to get their attention.

• Interact With the Video Site – Rate other videos, make comments, make friends and have favorites and you will generate interest in your content. Interact with the site developers as well. Send them an email asking a good question about something related to the site, and they will start to take notice of you.

Once you have a video that you think will be viral, unleash it! In addition to YouTube.com, there’s Veoh.com, Grouper.com, Metacafe.com, Break.com, Google Video and others. Each site tends to have a slightly different audience. Learn the differences.

Posting a video just gives people a place to find it. To make your video truly viral, think of ways to get your audience to your video. Message boards and blogs can be a great place to post a link back to your video.

Have fun creating your videos, and good luck getting the audience you are looking for!

Tom Leonard is an Internet Marketing Consultant based in Southern California. After working at Netscape, AOL, and Netflix, his company, LEFT Marketing, works with many large and small clients in the areas of search, affiliates, email, video, and database marketing. You can see more information at www.leftmarketing.com.

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