You know that YouTube is the biggest video-sharing platform in the world, with billions of users and a ton of potential for exposure. It’s also the second largest search engine after Google!
So it makes sense that you’d want to get your videos on YouTube but how do you ensure that they’ll be seen by as many people as possible? Here are 24 tips for creating viral videos:
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Crafting compelling narratives is essential. |
| Focus on creating engaging and shareable content. |
| Pay attention to the quality of video production. |
| Utilize effective video scripting techniques. |
| Collaborate with influencers and other creators. |
| Optimize video titles, descriptions, and tags. |
| Leverage social media for promotion and engagement. |
| Stay consistent and post regularly. |
| Keep track of analytics and learn from the data. |
| Experiment with trending topics and challenges. |
Plan Your Video
Planning is a vital part of production. It helps you stay on track, stay motivated and stay focused on your goals. Many people forget that it’s also a great way to get ready for success on YouTube!
Think about how much planning goes into the videos you watch that are funny or entertaining. There are many steps involved in making them happen:
- Scripting – Writers have to write down all the things that need to be said in order for viewers to understand what is happening in the video.
- Casting – Actors need to be found who fit certain types of characters in scripts so they can deliver lines with authenticity and emotion.
- Shooting – Filming takes place over multiple days/weeks depending on how long each scene takes place within an episode or season.
- Editing – Editors go through hundreds (or thousands) of hours’ worth of footage from shooting days then select only those moments where actors were able.
- Both emotionally, physically but also psychologically – capture their character’s personality traits accurately enough so viewers will understand what’s happening during each clip.”
Crafting captivating narratives is an essential skill for any YouTube creator. Explore our guide on Top 11 YouTube Story Formulas That Work to unlock the secrets behind engaging storytelling that keeps viewers hooked.
Choose Your Keywords
Keywords are a huge part of your YouTube SEO strategy. They help people find your videos when they’re looking for something specific, and can also help you rank higher in YouTube search results.
In order to use keywords effectively on YouTube, it’s important that you use the right kind of keywords at the right time. Here are some tips for choosing the right keyword:
Choose Your Keywords Wisely – Make sure that whatever keyword(s) you choose are relevant to what your video is about and who its audience is.
If it makes sense within the context of the video’s content and viewers will understand why it’s used in titles or descriptions, then go ahead!
Use Relevant Keywords In Descriptions And Titles – When writing descriptions and titles (for example), include any relevant keywords that relate directly back to each other without being overly spammy or repetitive (like “keyword hashtag”).
You should also look at using hashtags when posting videos on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter; this helps drive more traffic from those platforms into their corresponding app stores where users might discover new content through related hashtags!
Find Your Niche
The first step in creating a viral YouTube video is to define your niche. The goal of this step is to find a niche that has the following characteristics:
- With a large audience, the more people who are watching, the higher chances you have of going viral.
- Popular and growing, if it’s popular now, it will be even more popular in the future.
- Profitable, it needs to make money so you can continue making videos and supporting yourself as an independent creator!
- Easy to sell, your target audience should be interested in purchasing what’s being offered (if there isn’t any profit involved).
- Easy to make videos about, you should be able to talk about it for hours without running out of things to say!
A well-written video script can be the key to YouTube stardom. Delve into our expert advice on How to Write a Great YouTube Video Script and discover the techniques to create scripts that captivate and convert.
Get An Amazing Team
There’s no way around it: the key to creating great video content is having an amazing team. You’ll need a director, producer, camera operator and editor who can all work together in sync while producing high-quality videos.
Finding these people can be difficult and time consuming — so you might want to consider outsourcing your video production as much as possible. If you decide to do this, then make sure you choose someone who has experience producing YouTube videos before hiring them!
The importance of having a good team cannot be stressed enough. For instance, if one member of the team isn’t doing their job properly (and therefore slowing down everyone else), it could end up costing your business thousands of dollars in lost revenue due to bad reviews.
Or negative publicity from angry customers complaining about slow response times when trying to contact customer service staff members via live chat during prime time hours (when most viewers are watching).
Create An Outline For Your Video
An outline is a blueprint for the video. It’s more than just a written script; it’s also your vision for the video’s tone and theme, as well as its structure and story arc.
Remember: you don’t need to write down every single thing that you’ll say in the video, but rather all of the main points and supporting details that you’d like to include.
Your outline should include:
- A rough idea of what each section will be about
- The general order of things that will happen throughout the entire video (for example, “Intro” comes before “Conclusion”)
- A brief description of what topic is covered in each section (for example, “Intro – Introduction To Your Topic”)
Write A Compelling Title And Description
When it comes to creating a video, the title and description are two of the most important pieces of information you’ll have. These aspects can make or break whether or not people watch your video and what they expect when they do.
If you want your videos to go viral, then it’s important that you create titles that are descriptive, short but attention-grabbing and include keywords that will appeal to potential viewers.
For example:
- “How To Make Cold Brew Coffee At Home”
- “How To Train Your Dragon 2: Meet Toothless And Drago”
- “X Men Apocalypse Trailer Analysis – Why Apocalypse Is A Great Villain & How Will He Be Different In This Movie?”
The secret to a successful YouTube video lies in its script. Learn how to compose captivating content with our guide on How to Write an Engaging YouTube Video Script and keep your audience coming back for more.
Use Pictures And Graphics To Tell Your Story
Use pictures and graphics to tell your story.
Images are a powerful tool for YouTube videos. When you use images instead of text, you’re able to make a stronger point and prove it:
- In the video below, we see how someone used images to illustrate the dangers of driving while distracted.
- In his video about the importance of bankruptcy education, author Robert Kiyosaki uses images of people losing their homes as he points out that there’s no shame in filing bankruptcy if it helps get you back on track financially.
Create An Enticing Thumbnail Image
Your thumbnail image is the first thing viewers see, so it’s important that you use a photo that is relevant to both the content and topic of your video.
One of the most popular types of thumbnails are eye-catching images that use humor, pop culture references, or familiar objects. This type of image can help make viewers curious about watching your video because it makes them think “What’s going on in this picture?”
Do Less Talking, More Acting In The Video
When you’re creating your video, don’t be afraid to be yourself. If you want to show off an outfit or a cool place, that’s great! However, don’t make the mistake of talking about what you are showing off for 30 minutes straight. People will lose interest and move on.
If you want people to watch your videos for years to come, then take risks.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or looking stupid in front of an audience it shows confidence and vulnerability which are traits that can endear viewers and help them connect with the creator on an emotional level.
Time It Right
Your video should be as long or short as it needs to be. There’s no optimal length of time for YouTube videos, but there are some good rules of thumb.
Most importantly, your video should be long enough that people will watch it through to the end. That means an attention span of at least three minutes on average and preferably longer.
You also need to keep in mind that different platforms have different limitations and expectations for video lengths: Instagram allows only 60 seconds;
Facebook doesn’t have a limit; YouTube recommends that you keep your videos under 2 minutes unless they’re part of a playlist or series (in which case they can be up to 10 minutes).
Use A Great Microphone
A great microphone is one of the most important things to have when creating YouTube videos. The better it sounds, the better your video will sound. Here are some tips to consider when choosing a microphone:
- Make sure that it works with your computer or laptop. If you aren’t sure how to do this, ask someone who knows about computers for help.
- Choose a microphone within your budget (you can find some great deals online).
- Look for an easy-to-use mic that’s durable and high quality a durable mic will last longer than other models so you won’t have to keep buying new ones every few months!
Optimize Your Videos For Search Engines
There are many reasons why you should optimize your videos for search engines. The first and most obvious reason is that using keywords in your titles, descriptions and tags will help YouTube find your video when people search for those terms.
Another reason to optimize for search engines is because YouTube uses a ranking system called “relevance” that takes into account the number of times a specific keyword appears on a page or in an article and its position on those pages.
So if you want one of your videos to rise to the top of the list, you should use lots of relevant keywords throughout it (and even beyond!).
One way to do this is by writing descriptions with relevant keywords. Another way is by making sure that each tag has at least one keyword included in it as well (and preferably more than one).
In addition, make sure that each title has at least one keyword included within it again, preferably more than one as well as any subtitles or subtitles used during description slideshows like “How To…” or “Do This…”
Every word counts when you’re striving for a viral video. Before you put pen to paper, ask yourself the crucial questions outlined in 15 Questions to Ask Before You Write Your Next Video Script, and elevate your content to the next level.
Feature Other Influencers In Your Video
If you’re going to create a video that will go viral, you have to have other influencers featured in it. This can be any type of influencer: bloggers, podcasters, social media accounts or even celebrities.
You should mention the name of the person who is featured in your video at least three times throughout your script.
And make sure to mention their social media accounts as well as their website and any products/services they may offer. You can also mention their work (podcasts and blogs) if applicable.
Create A Trailer For Your Video Series
This is where you describe what the series is about, and who the main characters are. You should also show the setting and conflict of each episode, so that people who watch this trailer want to find out more.
The best way to do this is by using still images or short clips from your videos, as well as some narration by one of your characters (you). You can also use music in your trailer which sets the tone for your series and gets viewers excited for what’s coming next!
Build A Community Around Your Channel
YouTube is an amazing community of people. It’s so much more than just a place to watch videos. You can interact with other creators and fans, learn from each other, and join communities that share your interests. But you need to get started first!
When you start building a community around your channel, it will help boost the engagement levels on your videos by creating an interactive experience for viewers who want to be more involved with what you do. Here are some ways to do this:
Use social media: Social media is huge for interacting with people who have similar interests as yours.
Hosting live streams where fans can ask questions or discuss topics related to your channel will help get them involved in what goes on behind the scenes while also increasing their loyalty towards it.
This could lead into longer-term relationships between creator/audience members or even collaborations down the road once they have built up enough trust in one another through these interactions.
Use video comments: Video comments such as those found under most YouTube videos can provide an opportunity for viewers’ voices to be heard while also encouraging dialogue between viewers themselves.
Use video replies: These allow viewers who love watching certain videos by other creators (or even yours) but don’t necessarily want “subscribe” buttons being pushed onto them all at once when they’re done watching something.
Instead of just stopping dead-in-their tracks after finishing viewing one thing then having nothing else come up immediately afterwards; thus allowing them some breathing space until deciding whether or not they wish go back later after checking out more things related
Use Transcriptions In Captions Or Subtitles In Different Languages
If you want to reach a wider audience, you should use transcription for your videos. This includes:
- Using captions in different languages. If your video is in English but has some subtitles or captions in other languages, it will be much more accessible to people who speak those languages.
- For viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Captions and subtitles make it possible for these viewers to understand what is being said without having to rely on audio alone.
For mobile users. Most smartphones have the ability to read out loud any words that appear on their screens and this can include captioned text!
Ask People To Subscribe At The End Of Each Video
End the video by inviting viewers to subscribe to your channel, like the video, and leave a comment. Then ask them to share the video with their friends or followers on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. If you have an email list, invite them there too!
This will help grow your audience as well as attract more people who want to see what else you have created.
Creating a video that resonates with the masses requires a powerful script. Explore our guide on How to Create a Killer Video Script That Gets You More Views and Sales and unlock the secrets to boosting engagement and achieving success on YouTube.
Conclusion
When you’re creating YouTube videos, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. You want to create a video that is engaging and entertaining, but also informative. The best way to do this is by giving people what they want.
If they enjoy watching funny clips on YouTube, then give them funny clips! You can also try adding a little bit of suspense or mystery into the mix so viewers will come back again and again for more fun content like this one.
Further Reading
How to Make a Viral YouTube Video: Discover the strategies and techniques to create YouTube content that goes viral and attracts a massive audience.
Tips for Making a Video Go Viral: Learn the essential tips and tricks to increase the chances of your video going viral and gaining widespread attention.
Making YouTube Shorts Viral: Explore the tactics and best practices to make your YouTube Shorts stand out and gain traction among viewers.
FAQs
How can I make my YouTube video go viral?
Creating a viral YouTube video requires a combination of compelling content, strategic promotion, and audience engagement. Focus on storytelling, unique ideas, and shareability to increase the likelihood of your video going viral.
What are some key elements of a viral video?
A viral video often has a captivating hook, clear message, and emotional appeal. Additionally, concise editing, an attention-grabbing thumbnail, and effective use of keywords can significantly contribute to its viral potential.
Should I promote my video on social media?
Yes, leveraging social media platforms to promote your video can greatly boost its chances of going viral. Share your video across relevant channels, collaborate with influencers, and encourage your audience to share it as well.
How important is audience engagement in making a video go viral?
Audience engagement is crucial for a video’s virality. Respond to comments, encourage discussions, and ask for feedback to build a sense of community around your content and increase its shareability.
Can YouTube Shorts become viral?
Absolutely! YouTube Shorts have gained popularity for their snackable format. To make your YouTube Short go viral, focus on concise storytelling, visually appealing content, and leveraging trends to capture viewers’ attention.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
