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2015-08-25 09:05:31
From the September 2015 Issue
A viral video is every marketer s dream. It s the surest way to cut through the
noise of the internet. And studies show that social viewers people who watch
shared content rather than videos they ve found by browsing are far more likely
to buy a product and recommend it to others.
Why do some videos catch fire and others just sputter out?
Unruly, a marketing technology company, offers an answer. Its analysis of some
430 billion video views and 100,000 consumer data points reveals the two most
powerful drivers of viral success: psychological response (how the content
makes you feel) and social motivation (why you want to share it).
The greater the intensity of feeling the content evokes, the more likely people
are to share it the web s answer to word of mouth, the most effective form of
advertising.
Here we explore what makes content sharable, using Unruly s analysis of Purina
s Puppyhood video, which racked up five million views in the six weeks after
its May launch. We also note Unruly s findings that a minority of people are
responsible for the vast majority of sharing and that most sharing occurs soon
after a video s debut.
Why People Share
Social Motivation
Unruly has identified 10 motivations for social sharing. The best videos elicit
a broad range of motivations. Take a look at the social motivations that
Puppyhood viewers reported. Opinion seeking was a big one, but three-quarters
of viewers found other good reasons to share it.
- OPINION SEEKING: I want to see what my friends think
- SHARED PASSION: It lets me connect with my friends about a shared interest
- SOCIAL IN REAL LIFE: It will help me socialize with my friends offline
- SOCIAL UTILITY: This could be useful to my friends
- KUDOS: COOLHUNTER - I want to be the first to tell my friends
- KUDOS: AUTHORITY - I want to demonstrate my knowledge
- ZEITGEIST: It's about a current trend or event
- CONVERSATION STARTING: I want to start an online conversation
- SELF-EXPRESSION: It says something about me
- SOCIAL GOOD: It's for a good cause
Emotional Response
Most people think humor drives sharing, but it s a hard response to nail and it
s also culturally sensitive. Companies should try to evoke multiple positive
reposes to make sure that the content resonates again, the more intense the
reaction, the better.
TOP 4 POSITIVE EMOTIONS ELICITED BY PUPPYHOOD
Warmth 58%
Happiness 56%
Hilarity 31%
Surprise 10%
TOP 4 NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
Confusion 8%
Contempt 8%
Disgust 4%
Anger 1%
Super Sharers Move The Needle
Nearly 18% of internet users share videos at least once a week and almost 9%
share daily. Companies should find ways to reach these super sharers, who are
responsible for more than four-fifths of total shares.
Super sharers 82.4%
Regular sharers 17.6%
Timing Counts
The more shares a video generates during the first two days after launch, the
higher the viral peak and the greater the overall volume of shares. Marketers
should consider front-loading campaigns to maximize visibility during this
window.
The launch day also makes a difference: Most sharing activity happens on
Wednesday (the optimal day), Thursday, and Friday.F1509Z_VS_VIRALVIDEOS4
A version of this article appeared in the September 2015 issue (pp.34 35) of
Harvard Business Review.