The viral dilemma: you’re a major corporate company looking to increase your online visibility but still cater to a specific audience – what do you do? One obvious choice is to create popular online videos, but sometimes viral videos aren’t always the best option.

Before your company chooses to invest in a top-notch video production company (read: us), there are some things worth considering. While subject is always important, there are other things to consider. What is your overall social media goal? And how far are you willing to go for your online reach?

Here we’ve outlined some of the main advantages of viral marketing:

1. Cost-efficiency (most of the time)

Viral videos tend to have low-end budgets most of the time. Because they are so content-driven, they rely heavily on the creative idea behind the project. It doesn’t cost much to create a heartfelt moment on camera. It’s incredibly easy to share a YouTube video to a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account as opposed to buying a spot for television or radio.

2. Huge Outreach

Viral videos undoubtedly have a large outreach. They often include an international audience, garnering viewers worldwide. This type of unprecedented exposure in our current technological age is incredible. It’s almost overwhelming to think that we can create content that can reach the far corners of the world.

3. Awareness

Viral videos are created for a specific use. Whether it’s for a special cause, campaign, event, or a new product, almost all videos that go viral have some sort of message. Most are often public service announcements (PSAs). With messages come awareness.

4. Entertaining

We human beings are simple. We’ve proven throughout the centuries that we like to be entertained. From old Shakespearean-era theatre to the consumerism age of the 50’s (when TV was first invented), we’ve always had a deep desire to experience things that are outside of our daily life. They are the things that make us feel something – sadness, joy, anger etc. It only makes sense that something with the power to grip us emotionally would be shared across the world.

5. Speed

Viral marketing campaigns are just that – viral. This means that they reach the masses in a very small amount of time. In less than a few days, most viral videos will have reached in the hundreds of thousands. Over the span of a week, a viral video should have (at the very least) 1 million views.

Some of the downsides to viral marketing include the following:

1. Huge Outreach

Again, you might ask? Well, while it is great to have your content reach the far corners of the earth, it also takes away from reaching a targeted audience. You might be enticing an audience who can’t become potential customers. Which leads us to our next point…

2. Doesn’t guarantee the next step

In essence, just because people see your brand, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will engage with it they way you want them to. Visibility doesn’t always equal an investment into your brand, though it does help get the conversation started.

3. Not a sustainable marketing strategy

At some point, your company won’t be able to afford to continue trying to make viral videos.

“But what about it being cost-efficient?” you might ask.

What we mean is, at some point, you will need to invest in real content specifically catered to your brand. It will be something that directly influences your audience to invest in you. Your aim should be to increase your buying power.

4. Risky

With viral video, you always run the risk of your video campaign flopping. Some companies looking to market this way simply just don’t “get it”. Unfortunately, this sometimes creates negative controversy and not translating to sales.

5. Everyone is doing it now

Viral videos (or at least the attempt to make one) have become somewhat of a norm. It’s shaped our culture to the point where we rarely pay attention to online campaigns that haven’t been shared or viewed hundreds of thousands of times. While it isn’t horrible to follow the bandwagon, it sure isn’t trendsetting to follow the mould. A viral video doesn’t necessarily mean that it is top-notch quality, nor does it mean that your video won’t be beneficial if it doesn’t go viral.

Here at Key West Video, we specialize in creating top-notch corporate video for client consumption. Contact us for a quote today!

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