DID YOU KNOW? Compared to TV ads, general recall, brand recall, message recall and likeability are greater for viral video.

In 2009, it was reported that 84 percent of Americans online viewed video in May alone, according to cukerinteractive.com. That’s roughly 258,058,183 people who viewed video in a month. WOAH.

So, if you’re any kind of marketer, those numbers alone should make you realize that viral marketing is worth investing in for any campaign, but here are some other reasons why it’s worth it:

• Low cost.
• Increases SEO and SMO.
• High ROI.
• High reach capabilities.
• Increases brand trust and interest.

Recently, marketing companies have claimed to have made “viral video tests” to test a video’s true viral capability, and other sites are making “Top Videos” lists. According to everyone’s opinion, also including that of the most important critics (the viewers on the web), here’s what you should know about making a good video:

• Make sure your content is easy to share.
• Don’t “over brand” the video. Viral viewers want entertainment, not a virtual salesman.
• Collaborating works best. It’s called BRAINSTORMING. Ask people for their opinions in the creation process.
• Track and evaluate your video’s progress. Via YouTube view count, Google alerts, etc.
• Put your video out there. Everywhere. Don’t leave the sharing aspect completely up to the viewers. Your video should not only be on YouTube and Google video, but also
     o posted to Facebook
     o linked in your brand’s Twitter
     o Blogged about
     o Placed on Digg
     o The list goes on and on…
• Your viral video should have ATLEAST THREE of these elements (according to Millward Brown’s viral video test):
     o Buzz worthiness– is it likely to be shared?
     o Distinctiveness– is it original?
     o Awareness Index– does it create adequate brand awareness?
     o Celebrity involvement– the least likely, but it helps the buzz factor
• Make your video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Sometimes 2 min. 30 seconds works, but usually anything at 3 minutes or more will be skipped through.
• Do the “Would I like this and share it?” test. No really, it works.

So those are the basics. Now go watch some videos.

10 Best Viral Marketing Campaign Videos

Some hilarious videos that naturally went viral