You can’t just post a promotional video on YouTube and assume it will be passed around to every viewer on the planet. There are millions of videos, podcasts, blogs, forums, MySpace pages and “viral” emails published daily, yours won’t go much further than your desktop if it gets a D for cool.
Don’t get me wrong, we realize “cool” is subjective. If your target demographic is 75-year-olds searching for retirement housing…well, you still need to make something with pass-along value, it just needs to be “cool.” Like a grandpa head-cam capturing a lively canasta game. It can have its own standard for cool, but must be interesting none the less. People don’t have time to be sold. In their free time, they want to be entertained.
We all know how powerful pass-along campaigns can be, but we aren’t quite sure what will make the grade on the global scale.
Here are some qualities that MGH recommends looking for in a pass-alongable message. As a special bonus, we’ve added some of our personal favorites.
Irreverent: We love a good make-fun-of-yourself message. No one will deny looking at something for the sheer joy of anonymous irreverence
Here’s one of my favorites: (be forewarned, this page contains major foul language)
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=irule
This hilarious collection of kids drawings was passed around in email format for years. In fact, it’s such a classic, people actually spout quotes from the comments! There is no promotional message here, but the idea of creating something people genuinely identify with should truly be a core principle of any viral outreach.
Hilarious: There is no true measure for comedy, but redefining funny seems to be the collective goal of the online world. Find something that makes you hilarious and see what people think. Remember, it doesn’t have to be dirty to get passed along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA This one happens to have adult humor, but certainly isn’t the only way to get a laugh.
Informative: People love to receive emails about free gas, discount ice cream and even new products that get them excited. If you have something really interesting to announce, don’t be afraid to get it into the hands of the people. Chances are, the right audience will pass it along if for nothing more than to help educate their friends and family.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ads/
You shouldn’t necessarily try to build something for it’s pass-along value. Instead, take a look at what you’ve currently made (commercials, radio spots, coupons, e-content, blog entries) and think about re-purposing them. There’s a whole world of opportunity once something cool meets tech-savvy consumers.
