Can Viral Content Be Created? Yes, and No

Can viral content be created? Yes, if the product or service is something people want to tell their friends about. No if the product or service sucks.

If you create something people will like, that offers them value for their money; that makes them laugh, think, or feel; or that saves them time, money or aggravation; people will want to tell their friends about it.

Then you can create a vehicle that will help them do that. When you make it easy for them to send a video, link, email, image, coupon, or report about your product or service to their friends, you've created content that can help your product or service go viral.

That is NOT the same as creating a video about something nobody cares about and calling it a viral.

Seth Godin has written a masterful post on viral marketing. In it, he says:

"Viral marketing is an idea that spreads--and an idea that while it is spreading actually helps market your business or cause....Something being viral is not, in an of itself, viral marketing. Who cares that 32,000,000 people saw your stupid video? It didn't market you or your business in a tangible, useful way... Being viral isn't the hard part. The hard part is making that viral element actually produce something of value, not just entertainment for the client or your boss....."

Here's Hugh's definition of social objects:

"The Social Object, in a nutshell, is the reason two people are talking to each other, as opposed to talking to somebody else. Human beings are social animals. We like to socialize. But if think about it, there needs to be a reason for it to happen in the first place. That reason, that "node" in the social network, is what we call the Social Object."

The bottom line: if your product sucks, no amount of marketing, advertising, or PR is going to turn it viral.

Related:
- How to Make a Video Contest Succeed - or Suck
- The Doghouse: A marketing video that's gone viral and why
- 10 Tips on How to Make Your Video Go Viral

Cartoon by Hugh Macleod

In my view, viral may be desired, but even if the product does not suck there is no guarantee of what a viral campaign is providing the marketer. Case in point: I received the now famous "Dog House" video from someone via email. Watched it. Thought it was fun—even innovative. Passed it on. Can I remember who the sponsor was? NO. As a result of seeing, and yes, ENJOYING this piece will I be a customer? ...a resounding NO! I think the creative of this piece was far more memorable than the sponsor's identity.

Ken - several people send me links to The Doghouse video and I was amused and entertained enough to watch it to the end.

Unlike you, I will be a customer because I had no idea JC Penney sold jewelry. In fact, that video got me to take a look at the store. I had never been inside one before in my life. And ya know what? It's a pretty cool store.

Thanks so much for writing this post, BL. I can't count how many times I've gotten on my soapbox about "viral" campaigns.

It seems absurd that anyone would claim they could create a viral campaign. Audiences create viral sensations, not agencies. If your audience doesn't turn your spot into a self-propagating hit, all you have is a fancy ad with a "Share This" button.

That was helpful BL. Thanks for summarizing It and putting this insight in context.