Viral Videos And Playing The Lottery

By Steven Gottlieb on July 7, 2009 @ 11:05am PDT | Comments (0)

Something to keep in mind the next time you are asked to engineer a viral video:

"What are your chances of achieving YouTube stardom? I crunched the numbers to find out what percentage of YouTube videos hit it big, cracking even 10,000 or 100,000 views. The results: You might have better odds playing the lottery than of becoming a viral video sensation."

and

"When the odds of even 1,000 people viewing your video in a month's time are only 3 percent, however, it's tough to argue that hitting it big on YouTube is anything more than dumb luck."

Both quotes come from Slate.com writer Chris Wilson's article on YouTube and the myth that online superstardom is within your grasp.

Recommended reading: Will My Video Get 1 Million Views on YouTube? (Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan)

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Comments

S.'s picture
By S.
I disagree (strongly). What Mr. Wilson (©Dennis the Menace) is completely discarding is creativity. If you make a creative viral video (i.e. actually put some time and effort into it by way of concept/idea/etc), people will come in droves to watch it. Why? Because EVERYONE is on a computer (or phone) during the day (at work) and night. It is so easy for something good (key word being GOOD) to be spread - which is where the term viral actually comes into play here. Get your video posted as a social networking site link, have your video be good... and it is going to spread like wildfire. And nothing can stop it because: a) It is completely free to the user. b) Again, it is very easily accessible (cannot use your computer at work to watch YouTube videos... iPhone, BB, or HTC it using your phone). c) People LOVE the distraction - of anything - especially while at the office. d) See c. If it is a link (especially on MySpace or Facebook) and you say, "Watch this!" Guess what, people are going to [in most instances] WASTE time by doing exactly that - clicking the link because they do not wish to be doing what they currently are (sitting at a desk, watching the clock, waiting to go home). And passing the time is enough for them. Sometimes people get so fixed on logic... That they forget that we as humans are not guided by it. (Especially in this case) To reiterate... make something of interest... creative... exciting... funny... and you will have a viral video hit. It is not as difficult as one might imagine.
S.'s picture
By S.
To expand (just a tiny bit)... Most viral videos are never a "hit" and are buried in YouTube obscurity because most viral videos are stagnant and boring. Rock band (not to be confused with the ™): Play your instruments and sing into mic. Or... Film a live show and pan out to your fans. (Yeah. Unless you are already a well-known and established act, or something crazy or funny happens during filming... no one is going to be interested. But fans will ALWAYS be interested in their favorite band. It is simply a case of how many fans said band has that such a simplistic video might make a viral success - fans = views. Prince can make a 5k viral vid and have top views on said site) Hip-Hop video: Rap in front of your old school and have some women "dancing" to the beat. Yeah. That is going to be a viral hit. *Rolls Eyes* Now put a catchy... let me stop. No need to give great ideas out there for free. ;) Get my point Mr. Wilson? Now say you shot OK Go - "Here It Goes Again” as a viral video. Budget? Check. Simple to shoot? Check. Highly creative concept/idea? Check PLUS. And that is all that it takes.

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