When you examine which videos make the most popular list, it’s clear that there are certain characteristics they tend to have in common.
It’s not easy to stand out in such a crowded marketplace. You Tube gets about 60,000 video uploads every day. The tiny fraction that rise to the top have to stand out in a big way.
Often, this means you have to be edgy and controversial. Of course doing so carries risk. You might just be too controversial and win more enemies than friends. However with the huge audience of the Internet, even the most outlandish can usually find a happy home.
To create buzz, it helps to be unpredictable and surprising. No one will gravitate to boring.
Here are some of the recurring themes used by the most popular online videos.
Sexuality
Comedy
Celebrity
Hoax
The Internet is well known for its heavy volume of sexually explicit material. No where else could Naked News dot com exist, much less thrive. So if you feel comfortable doing it, throw a dash of sexuality into your videos. There is no doubt that trick will inspire many people to watch your video.
Funny videos also do well. Face it, most internet surfers are out to have fun, so funny is always appealing. Don’t have confidence in your comedic ability? Throw in some carton sound effects and silly pictures, that might just be enough.
Celebrity always attracts viewers. We are a celebrity driven culture. Find a way to hook your video around something involving celebrity. I’m not saying you have to have a ringing endorsement from a Hollywood Oscar winner, but perhaps there is a more obscure tie-in you could exploit.
Last, and probably least, is the hoax. Lonely Girl 15 was as popular as it was fake. Even after she was exposed as a fabrication the videos continued to be popular. Personally, I would tread very carefully with this one. This is where you are probably most likely to make people mad. No one likes to be hoodwinked. But, the truth is, a big fat lie can be very effective in getting attention. If exposing the hoax can be turned into something playful and not sinister, then you just might be able to take advantage of this method. It’s worked for lots of online videos.
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Thanks for reading Video Production Tips
Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal
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4 Comment(s)
By Eric Guerin on | Reply
Great Post! The most recent YouTube statistic I heard was over 10 hours of footage were uploaded worldwide roughly every 15 minutes. I don’t know how accurate they are but those numbers are staggering. These are some great suggestions for “standing out in the crowd”. I’ve found that of those four comedy is the safest route as it is appealing to the widest demographic.
By Internet Video Gal on | Reply
Hey Eric.
Thanks so much. Ten hours worth of video every 15 minutes. WOW!!! Staggering.
Standing out in that kind of crowd is tough indeed.
I agree with you that comedy is the safest although that takes some guts too and comedy can certainly offend. Or worse, not be funny!
I must confess that I have been very nervous about some of the comedy videos I have put up on You Tube but I did it anyway.
“Love me or hate me, there’s no money in the middle.” My favorite motto.
Cheers,
Lorraine
By Eric Guerin on | Reply
I agree. We produced a funny video for a local business journal when I was named one of their 40 business people under the age of 40. My team wanted me to do a ridiculous dance and sing at the top of my lungs as part of the video. I was worried it might come off looking like an inside joke or that it *gasp* wouldn’t be funny. Luckily I was wrong and it was a big hit. It was meant as a self-promotional video but the business journal liked it so much they showed it at the awards banquet and sent it out to all of their email newsletter subscribers. This was well over a year ago now and people still come up to me at networking events in the region and ask if I was that “dancing guy” in the video. If you wanted to check it out the video is on YouTube . All the best!
Eric Guerins last blog post..HubSpot Blog Post: Viral Doesn’t Have to be an Infection
By Internet Video Gal on | Reply
Hey Eric.
In this case it is good.
Oh how fun! I loved the video, it was a hoot. You’ve got some real moves there buddy!
Congratulations on being a hit. People will probably still be asking you about it when you are 90. video is forever, which can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Thanks for stopping by video production tips.
Lorraine Grula