How to get your first viral YouTube video

Getting a viral video on YouTube is the dream for many content creators. While going viral involves some luck, there are several strategies you can use to increase your chances of success. Here are some tips for getting your first viral YouTube video.

Choose An Emotional Topic

Humans are emotional creatures. Your videos are far more likely to be shared by viewers if you focus on topics that evoke a strong emotional response. Some emotions that work well include awe, inspiration, hilarity, shock, cuteness, and anger. Think about what might make someone laugh, cry, get motivated, or outraged. Tap into one of those and you’re off to a good start.

Use Clickbait Titles and Thumbnails

While clickbait has developed a bad reputation for overpromising and under delivering, the fundamentals are sound. Use curiosity gaps in your titles and thumbnails that make people wonder “What happens next?” or “How is that even possible?” You want viewers clicking because they feel compelled to have their questions answered or confusion satisfied.

Leverage Trending Topics and Challenges

Connecting your video to popular trends or viral challenges gives you a built-in audience. For example, if a certain dance or meme is blowing up on TikTok or Twitter, incorporate it into your YouTube video. Trending search topics and hashtags are golden opportunities. Ride the wave of existing viral moments.

Promote To Influencers and Friends

Don’t let your video fade into obscurity immediately after uploading. Reach out personally to YouTubers, bloggers, celebrities, and other influencers who might be interested in your content and ask them to check it out or give you a shoutout. Also utilize your own social circles by promoting your video via your personal accounts and contacts. Getting over that initial viewership hump is key.

Optimize Your Video

You want to keep viewers watching for as long as possible. Use editing techniques that promote engagement like cliff-hangers, inserting Easter eggs, adding subtitles and annotations, asking questions, encouraging comments, and more. YouTube’s algorithm favors longer watch times and interaction so optimization is crucial.

Create Shareable Moments

The biggest factor as to whether a video goes viral is how accessible it is to sharing. That means packaging up the most emotional, hilarious, unbelievable, or thought-provoking 10-60 seconds of your video that will make people want to pass it along. If you can distil an inspiring quote, a shocking reveal, a meme-worthy moment, you’re making virality much more possible.

In essence, connect with viewers on an emotional level through cultural relevance, optimize for engagement, make it easy and rewarding for people to share, and give it an initial signal boost with influencers in your niche. Do all that and your chances of YouTube virality will improve dramatically. Just make sure you also focus on quality and originality so any success is built to last.