Going Viral

By Matter

Last week we were very excited at Matter to announce new professional video services for our clients. Many of our recent blog posts have been dedicated to tips for using video and the importance of multimedia in Marketing and PR.

There’s been chatter around Matter on how to put our new service offerings to work. A goal for many clients is to have their videos gain popularity on the internet and ‘go viral.’ The issue is however, you can’t make a viral video – you can make a video. It’s up to viewers to share the content with others quickly enough for it to ‘go viral’.

For some entertainment over the Thanksgiving weekend, I thought we could benefit from the creativity of some of the best brains behind viral videos. I recently read a Social Times article by Megan O’Neill on What Makes OK Go Videos Go Viral Every Time?. This Grammy Award winning band has also been honored for their video greatness by YouTube, MTV and even the Webbys.

Most recently recognized for their genius behind the “Last Leaf” video, O’Neill says their unparalleled originality is one of the biggest factors in OK Go’s success. Then again, who can compete with a video filmed entirely on laser-etched pieces of toast? We can, however, follow in OK Go’s minimalist footsteps. Their first hit was filmed with almost no budget in their own backyard which is something even our own flip-cams can handle.

Finally, O’Neill recognizes what any PR pro can relate to – their ability to promote themselves. Through an official website, MySpace page and Twitter feed they develop unique contests and activities to engage fans. They seem to be pretty successful at pitching The Today Show as well.

So, maybe these videos can spark some inspiration for your next multimedia venture? If OK Go can get my own mother to tell others to “YouTube those guys on treadmills” then it’s probably at least worth giving them a look.