Article

Dror Ginzberg
Dror Ginzberg 6 June 2017

10 Ways to Take Your Facebook Videos Viral

While getting your content to go viral may be an incredible challenge, it is still possible. Whereas ten years back, you would have needed special skills to create video content, now anyone can create and share with a few clicks. For those struggling with creating viral content, there are a few things you can do to stack the odds in your favour.

A recent three month long study by video marketing agency Wochit, which looked at 4,000 videos from 100 publishers around the globe, found was that a mere 1.2% of Facebook’s social videos actually goes viral. Virality is defined as those videos achieving 1 million views or more. Even more shockingly, video content already accounts for 69% of all consumer internet traffic, meaning that chances of virality are getting more and more rare.

While it may seem hopeless to even aim for virality, there is hope at hand for marketers and publishers. Our research also found that “popular social videos” - those videos viewed 100,000 to 1 million times, made up 16% of video content over three month period.

What does this all mean? While getting your content to go viral may be an incredible challenge, it is still possible. Whereas ten years back, you would have needed special skills to create video content, now anyone can create and share with a few clicks.

For those struggling with creating viral content, there are a few things you can do to stack the odds in your favour. Firstly (and most critically), know your audience. Know who they are and what they want will save you a lot of pain down the track. Our study found that viewers are looking for short, snappy videos that aren’t too hard to get to within their feeds. Videos running 60-90 seconds were most often viewed but those running 30-60 seconds were most often shared. We also found that people were more interested in news than entertainment, viewing this twice as frequently.

These insights are a good springboard, but now you need to adjust your content to fit these tastes. Below are ten ways you can improve your video content to make it more engaging to your audience and, maybe - just maybe - obtain video virality.

  1. #GetTrending: Social media is based on conversations and user engagement. Look at what topics are trending, what are most relevant to you and create content that is appropriate.
  2. Know what, where and why: ‘One size fits all’ may be appropriate for some things, but it doesn’t work when it comes to social media. What works on Facebook probably won’t work on Twitter or LinkedIn in terms of video content. Knowing what channels to use and customising content for each is important.
  3. Make the ask: Gaining followers is not a social strategy. Instead, try ending your videos with calls-to-action (CTAs) that give viewers options for next steps. This could be sharing the video, using a hashtag or visiting a homepage.
  4. Brand with style: Branding comes in many forms beyond logos and opening or closing splashes. Ask yourself - who is my audience and what are they looking for? Then set the tone in accordance - don’t be afraid to get creative!
  5. Make it moreish: You want to keep your viewers wanting more. Listicles are an example of a great piece of  “snackable” content - viewers know exactly what they’re getting and what to expect. Trying something like this and experimenting with similar formats is a great way to find what works for your audience and what they’d like more of.
  6. Ready, Steady, Action!: Start strong - use your best action shots and, if possible, set your video to play automatically. Videos with slow or stationary beginnings are significantly less likely to be viewed and shared.
  7. Get with the times: Our research shows that people want to watch content in-feed, as it doesn’t disrupt their experience. Make sure your video is formatted to square, in-feed content, which is viewable across devices.
  8. Balance is key: There are so many editing tools you can use to give your video pizzazz - music, filters, text - just don’t overdo it. You want to make your video content exciting and engaging but also make sure it isn’t too overwhelming to the viewer. This keeps people watching throughout the video. 
  9. Feel it out: Research found that connecting with viewers on an emotional level improves chances of video performance. People are more interested in content they identify with at some level - personally or otherwise - and including such content will improve you views, likes and shares.
  10.  Find the good: Uplifting content drives engagement - positive videos that improve people’s moods are more likely to be shared.

Video virality is every publisher’s goal, and for good reason. Viral video can make up to 60% of all shares for a publisher over a quarter, and while making successful content may be overwhelming, following some of the above tips can really help improve your chances of being part of the 1%.

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
The World Is Shrinking: 6 Degrees of Separation Is Now 2!

The World Is Shrinking: 6 Degrees of Separation Is Now 2!

Six degrees of separation is not just a party game, it's a reality. Everyone is the world is interconnected, and thanks to social media, that connectedness gets tighter and richer each day. See the research...

Scott Christley
Scott Christley 9 August 2017
Read more
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
Cats and Dogs Boost Your Business By 300%. Here’s How.

Cats and Dogs Boost Your Business By 300%. Here’s How.

It’s the age-old question that has endured ever since the creation of the internet: are you a cat person or a dog person? Or do you love both cats and dogs? We have both dog lovers and cat lovers at Sortlist, so it...

Aline Strouvens
Aline Strouvens 27 August 2021
Read more
What Marketing Content Do Different Age Groups like to Consume?

What Marketing Content Do Different Age Groups like to Consume?

Today marketers have a wide choice of different content types to create; from video to blogs, from memes to whitepapers. But which types of content are most suitable for different age groups?

Lisa Curry
Lisa Curry 21 October 2016
Read more