For many content creators or even businesses, the idea of having a video go viral on YouTube is the holy grail. Many creators feel one viral video away from their big break into social media success -- and this certainly can be the case. Many content creators who are at the top of the charts today found their success making videos and slowly seeing one after another go viral. 

But what does it take to go viral and get hundreds of thousands of views on your Youtube video? While it's never guaranteed, the strategy is both an art and a science. In this article, we'll help you get there by exploring how videos go viral. We'll cover:

• The definition and meaning of virality 
• How to make viral video content 
• The importance of planning in the video process 
• How to elevate your production level
• Your video marketing strategy
• Where to promote on social media 
• How OpusClip can help you get there

What is virality on YouTube?

The definition and threshold for virality can vary from platform to platform, and there is no fixed number that a video has to meet. But, many people consider a YouTube video viral if it reaches 1 million views within the first week. And, that quick spreading of a single viral video is all thanks to the YouTube algorithm. While one can't precisely predict what the algorithm will or will not push, we can say that it focuses on the following metrics when recommending videos to viewers: 

• Do people watch the video? And for how long (i.e. watch time)?
• Do viewers like it and engage with liking, commenting, or subscribing> 
• What time of day is it posted and what language is it in? (regional targeting) 
• How relevant is the video to search? 
• What is the authority and trustworthiness of the channel?

All of these factors vary from viewer to viewer and impact what is recommended on the home page, search page, and recommended videos page. 

How to make video content with viral potential 

YouTubers who see their videos go viral typically have hit on a few key pillars within their content. The first is making videos that connect to popular trending topics and niches. Some of the most popular video types include funny videos, challenge videos, prank videos, educational videos, and music videos. Some popular niches include video games, exercise and fitness, finance, cooking, tutorials, travel, and animals. By choosing video topics that are in an already popular category, you can be sure that there is an audience for your content. 

But there's another side to that coin. If you're making video content in popular categories, there are going to be a lot of other viral videos competing with your content for audience attention. This means that the most important factor is to create unique content that is compelling, engaging, and perfect for video sharing between users. To ensure your content is unique, you can use some of these approaches to make YouTube content that stands out: 

• Start with a hook--be sure to get the viewer's attention right away so they don't click out of your video 
• Present a unique point of view on a popular topic 
• Be controversial, even if it's about something seemingly mundane 
• Go bold, don't shy away from trying new things
• Come to life on the screen and engage your viewers with your personality 
• Always consider what your audience needs and start from there
• Tell a story to keep people engaged, your videos should have a narrative arc 
• Keep it short when creating YouTube shorts 

The importance of planning and pre-production

The most important piece of creating viral videos is making content that connects with your audience. Based on the factors the YouTube algorithm prioritizes that we discussed above, your audience engagement is a key player in the success of any video. Therefore, before creating videos, it's important to conduct thorough audience research. Understanding your viewers means you'll be able to craft content based on topics they want to see, increasing the likelihood that they will engage with the content, help you with video sharing to their friends, and stay engaged with future videos you post. You can do research by polling on instagram, asking for feedback in comments, looking at what other related videos are doing well, and talking to individuals who match your target audience. 

Once you have topics planned, it's important to establish a general script and storyboard to follow in the filming stage. This ensures you create a cohesive piece of content with an overarching storyline and angle. It also helps you prepare for what scenes you want to film and can make it easier to get a background or set ready.

Finally, set goals for various metrics to track your performance so you can test out different approaches and see what works. 

Producing high-quality video 

A high-quality video isn't necessarily more likely to go viral -- we've seen the popularity of candid TikTok-style YouTube shorts as evidence of this point. That said, for a longer video, and a long-term video content strategy, striving for a higher quality is always a best practice, as it enhances your platform, your reputation, and the aesthetic quality of the video itself. This quality is determined by two factors: filming equipment, and storyline. Let's break down the video equipment you may want to consider using when you create content:

• Camera: Consider using a high-quality cam corder, DLSR camera, or mirrorless camera for better quality and depth of field than your standard smartphone. 
• Lighting: Get a soft box light to control the lighting indoors, and consider getting other colorful accent lights as well to alter the background tone. 
• Microphones: Consider a podcasting or USB microphone, or a lavalier microphone to capture high-quality sound without background noise. This is especially important if you are using a camera that doesn't record sound or high-quality sound.  

Her are some tips for creating high quality content in your video uploads: 

• Approach hot topics with a unique angle, add something to wider conversations happening online or in your niche, but add your own twist. 
• Participate in video trends but add something personal in your video features so you have the chance of starting a variation of your own trends when people share the video. 
• Consider pacing and hooks when building your script to keep viewers engaged throughout. 
• Always reflect on performance metrics to assess how to adjust your video content in the future. The best YouTube creators are diligent about tracking metrics and learning from past performance. 

Strategy: Other video features to incorporate to go viral 

When you upload YouTube videos, be sure you are using the other YouTube features like end screens, cards, and engaging thumbnails to create a full package with each piece of content. In your video, be sure to encourage viewers to like, share, and subscribe to drive engagement. Create video series and playlists to make it easier for viewers to navigate your video content library. Be sure to optimize other aspects of your approach as well, including A/B testing your video titles to see what performs better, experimenting with your watch time to see what time yields the best performance. And finally, create engaging thumbnails to encourage clicks (without leaning on clickbait--while this could drive clicks, it may reflect lower engagement and reduce your overall video marketing efforts). 

Promotion on social media helps you go viral 

We need to address the importance of video sharing in your overall growth as a content creator. The bigger and more loyal your audience, the more likely it is that eventually you will have a video go viral. 

By cross-posting on other platforms and clearly linking to the original video on YouTube in your CTA, you can tap into your followers who may not be subscribing to your YouTube channel and drive them to that platform. 

Furthermore, to reach new audiences, consider collaborating and making YouTube videos with other content creators, YouTubers, and influencers. This can help your video go viral by maximizing your reach with multiple audiences at once, demonstrating to the algorithm that your content is engaging and highly recommended. 

How OpusClip can help your YouTube videos go viral 

If going viral is a priority to you, then OpusClip can help you create viral videos that perform well in the algorithm. Our AI tool offers automated editing tools for efficiency. When you upload your longer video, our platform will create dozens of short video clips that you can use on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shorts. Each of these short clips have the potential to go viral, as our AI tool interprets virality in the editing process. Furthermore, you can enhance the quality of your YouTube shorts with our captioning, branding, and editing tools, which require no work from you. OpusClip is a favorite among YouTubers and content creators you follow, as it streamlines the video marketing process and makes it simpler than ever to create viral videos without all the extra work.  

Elevate your video performance and strive to have your videos go viral. Try out our tool today for free to see how your video on YouTube can be transformed into a YouTube short with viral potential. Sign up for OpusClip now. 

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