Viral Video Mistakes

Incorporating a video in a viral marketing plan takes some planning and effort.

The first mistake often made is not understanding the true meaning of Consumer Generated Media. Simply having a video as part of a viral marketing plan is not good enough. The users need a reason to pay attention, consume and pass along the videos. iMedia states that they have found, “with video, users remain on sites longer and can retain information better than without.”

The second mistake is not testing the videos. Once placed in the campaign, there has to be a way for consumers to view them. iMedia reports that, “Flash 6 has about 98 percent penetration with the online public and later versions are being adopted even more quickly.” This would be the best route to take if you want to make sure that the majority of viewers are able to see the content. Other players are not as reliable with such a large reach. The sites that host video uploading should also pay attention to this. If they want to compete with the famous sites like YouTube and Google Video, then they have to make sure that their service is compatible with everyone. If not, there is a gap for a huge viewing audience loss.

As recognized before, simply having an important part of a viral campaign is not enough. The part has to be effective and efficient to work and generate the response it is intending to achieve. The first step into utilizing viral video is to understand the purpose as well as the process.