What makes a video go viral?
Hey Reader,
YouTube has changed more in 2024 than in the 5 years before that. This comes with challenges for creators to keep their channel alive or for businesses to actually get a return on their content efforts.
A Simple Breakdown Of What Makes YouTube Videos Go Viral
I break down 4 strategies used by dying channels to go viral multiple times, gain hundreds of thousands of subscribers and perform a complete 180 within months of implementation.
The Importance of Targeting: Stefanovic
Four years ago, Stefanovic’s channel had fewer than 500 subscribers, with each video averaging a few thousand views. His content lacked a clear niche, which hindered growth.
The breakthrough came when he focused on sharing insights on data analysis (his expertise). His “day in the life” video received over 800,000 views, followed by another video with over 200,000 views.
This success was a clear indication of demand, prompting him to continue in this direction. His most significant growth spurt occurred when a guide he posted amassed over 2.6 million views, propelling his subscriber count from 40,000 to 140,000 in just six months.
From niche chokehold to viral content
Despite his success in the data analysis niche, Stefanov faced a challenge: his passion for other topics didn’t translate into views. His travel videos, lifestyle vlogs, and self-improvement content didn’t resonate with his audience.
By experimenting with positioning his interests in a way that would attract a broader audience. By targeting overarching topics like tech jobs, entrepreneurship, and online gurus, he managed to engage both his existing subscribers and new viewers.
This strategy led to doubling his overall channel views, from 4 million to 8 million monthly views.
Fern’s Four-Step Analysis Framework
Saturated Market
German and Dutch YouTubers, Simplicissimus and Hoog behind the channel Fern faced the challenge of entering the saturated market of faceless content on Western topics, dominated by US creators.
How do you insert yourself into an already saturated market? They didn’t have an infinite budget so they had to be intentional. And here’s where they implemented the following framework:
Four-Step Analysis Framework (ERRC)
- Eliminate: They identified overly complex explanations in existing channels and chose to simplify their scripts while maintaining depth.
- Reduce: They avoided content that didn’t add value and focused on valuable, educational videos.
- Raise: They improved storytelling, voice narration, smooth animations, and research quality to engage viewers.
- Create: They introduced 3D animation, setting their content apart from others.
Results
By using this framework, Fern saw remarkable growth. In less than a year, they gained over 1,600,000 subscribers and achieved 90 million views.
The next time you want to go into a new market, use the 4-step analysis framework. This will quickly highlight the opportunities and the action steps required to take an already working format to the next level. This is how you create your own blue ocean.
Starter Story have followed a similar strategic approach to create binge-able content.
Starter Story’s Bingeable Content Blueprint
The Golden Trio
Pat Walls, the creator behind Starter Story, showcases the effectiveness of combining the title, thumbnail, and the first few seconds of a video to create engaging, binge-able content. His titles often include gripping numbers or income figures, while the thumbnails are simple yet effective.
Something we covered in our previous newsletter.
Storytelling and Payoffs
Starter Story is an interview channel but different from your regular podcast, it’s a lot more to the point and value-packed. I look at it as a scripted case study interview that are only 10-15 minutes long rather than your regular 45-60 minute podcast with fluff.
The way they do that is by using sound bites and intriguing statements to maintain curiosity in the intro.
The final segment of each interview offers significant payoffs, such as advice from the guest, which leaves a lasting impression on viewers.
Sticks’ authority hacking strategy
The Australian duo behind Sticks initially created cinematic short films that, despite their quality, received very little attention.
Instead of giving up or sticking to what they knew, they pivoted to creating movie trailers about popular YouTubers, documenting their journey to get the trailers seen by these creators.
This approach paid off big time, as their storytelling and high production value worked very well with their audience and that of the creators.
Leveraging Authority
Sticks successfully leveraged the audiences of well-known YouTubers by featuring them in their content, which helped their channel grow rapidly. Since June 2023, they have gained 870,000 subscribers by connecting emotionally with their audience and taking bold creative risks.
You can clearly see with each release of a video, a boost of subscribers happens.
Going where the audience is, is the key here.
This is Sticks’ content pillar, something I look for when working with anyone. This is a type of video or style that you know works well, so instead of exploring more options, you double down on what works.
By understanding your audience and levering what they want you can use these strategies to get your own YouTube success.
It always comes down to understanding your audience, no matter what you do. The key to going viral lies in connecting with viewers on a deeper level and continually adapting to their interests and preferences.
Worth Watching
Part of what I do daily is consume a lot of content and here are some of my favorites:
- Billion Dollar Creator - How "Flywheels" Took My Business From Zero to $320,000,000
- The Futur with Chris Do - Stop Hiding Who You Really Are: Be Authentic W/ Corey Poirier
- How Ridiculous - Extreme Soccer Golf Down A Ski Mountain!
- Makari Espe - I walked 30,000 steps a day for one week to feel something
Grow and Monetize Your Online Community More Effectively | Jay Clouse, Founder of Creator Science
Mike and I had a conversation with creator expert Jay Clouse
In this episode, we dive into communities and how to use them. Here are some takeaways from our conversation, make sure to check out the full interview.
Introduction & Mission:
- Jay helps creators transition into professional creators.
- Focus on turning content creation into a sustainable business.
Broad Focus on Platforms:
- Creator Science spans multiple platforms to help creators build holistic media companies.
- Jay prefers a broad focus over a single platform, finding it more engaging and less repetitive.
Financial Strategy:
- Emphasizes the importance of staying lean and avoiding unnecessary hires.
- Discusses the pitfalls of hiring too quickly and the importance of profitability.
Monetization & Funnels:
- Differentiates between direct and indirect monetization.
- Recommends starting with one-on-one services and then expanding to products and sponsorships.
- Describes his funnel: social media (top of the funnel) -> email & podcasts (relationship platforms) -> targeted product pitches.
Community Management:
- Importance of onboarding and creating a welcoming environment.
- Focus on quick and meaningful engagement to retain members.
- Personal onboarding calls to ensure new members feel valued.
Want to work with me to grow your business?
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