Viral Videos: What it Takes

We've all laughed at Charlie Bit My Finger, cooed at Sophie the Bulldog Rolling Down a Hill, shared David After Dentist, chucked at Pizza Rat or Grumpy Cat, and quoted Double Rainbow or Damn Daniel. But it wasn't until recently that I learned that there is an art to making a viral video and actual techniques people use. Originally, I always thought viral videos were organic, they were posted simply because the creator thought their friends would find it funny, interesting, sad, etc. I had no idea that there were people out there - like Travis Chambers who came and spoke to us - that actually tried to make a viral video.

With the help of these articles (1, 2, 3) I was able to compile a list of ways in which you can make your video go viral.

1. Release your video on a Monday or a Tuesday.

When do you find yourself online the most? For me, it's when you're at school or at work. And Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be very boring for people, they need something to get through their days. So they read the news at work, or go online, check out what's trending, post on social media, etc. If you release your video on Monday or Tuesday you can give it the whole week to gain momentum. Some people may think it's better to release it on a weekend, but you have to remember that people usually are out and about during weekends, not online. Weekends are speed bumps; avoid them. While you can't always avoid it, try to upload something on a normal day. Be aware of holidays in your country and others. Some people don't work on certain days so it's important to release your video when the most people are active online. It's also important that you don't release it when any big new stories are going on unless it pertains to that news story, it is likely to go unseen.

2. Keep your video short.

This is the age of quick attention spans, I don't have time for a video that's over one and half minutes. I need quick and simple. 30 seconds to a minute is the perfect amount of time. If your video is too long it is less likely that people will click on it to begin with, let alone actually finish it. Short videos spread faster.

3. YouTube is great, but don't limit yourself.

Post it to Vimeo! There's no disputing that YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform in the world (official data puts YouTube as the third-most-visited site in the world behind Google and Facebook.) However, it's not the only place to upload your videos. Hosting sites like DailyMotion, Vimeo, and more sometimes offer attractive features to video providers. For instance, DailyMotion is sometimes ranked higher in terms of video quality than YouTube.

4. Use animals or babies.

Let's face it, animals and babies are the best. I follow multiple accounts that are run by the owners of pets on Instagram and Facebook. Animals are so pure - too good for this world. Use them.


If you follow those steps, your video is destined to get more views. Be careful what you wish for, though, people often regret making videos and posting them online because of how crazy comment sections can be, media attention, and trolls and haters. People love to share things online, and once it's out there: it's out there forever. Even if you take the video down, other people still have access to it. 15 minutes of fame can quickly turn into 15 years of hell if you're not careful.