Looking back on our last post about this Infinitesimal, Inexpressible Internet we have become so enamoured by, we want to know why some tiny particles within eons of video content breaks through to go viral.
What are the ingredients for viral success?
David Joy shared with us a relevant TED talk from Kevin Allocca, who is YouTube’s trend manager. If anybody knows about what’s hot and what’s not on YouTube – he does.
Many thanks to David for sharing this with us all, it’s a talk as entertaining as it is informative:
Kevin Allocca: Why videos go viral (watch in new window)
YouTube especially seems to be doing its job well; meeting a need that people have to share. Going viral is community based; an ‘in joke’ that we can all not only be in on, but also influence.
Animals feature heavily in our physical and virtual worlds.
Silly, unpredictable, unique content seems to be the link across many successful video virals. Who could have anticipated the reaction of the mother to her sneezing baby panda? Nobody. Not even the makers of the video who got in touch with us recently.
Pandas on a Bus
Torchlight Digital Solutions had great success online with this faked image of pandas on a bus. They found their timing was impeccable as the story was breaking about two pandas arriving at Edinburgh Zoo. They say being on trend is a key ingredient to viral success.
Trend is where it’s at, it would seem. So what happens when you are no longer in vogue?
The pandas simply get off the bus?
We’ll leave you to ponder that one for yourselves.
nice cat, so cute!