How To Make Viral News Videos
Going “viral” by way of Twitter or TikTok is the new way to get information across to people in a very, very short span of time—a formula for success that journalists and the media have been trying to narrow down to understand better. Whether or not there is a replicable formula is up for debate; nevertheless, it’s worth investigating.
In order to make sense of this potentially useful tool, we have to ask: what makes a video go viral?
“Virality is when a video is getting popular because people are sharing it, either because they like or dislike it,” wrote Marcela Kunova for journalism.co.uk. The factors involved in people’s choice to click the “share” button for their own personal audiences is very variable.
Some possibilities include:
The content was emotionally resonant; or, it made people laugh, cry, get angry, take action, or lead to some form of inspiration.
The content spoke to a particular identity or issue: The story involved with the viral video is specific to one community or identity, but in a way where the person featured was instantly relatable.
The content was visually stunning: Simply, the video featured something breathtaking or beautiful and was viral because it garnered enough emotional response to be shared in high volume.
The content features breaking news: A lot of viral content simply features breaking news or new information that impacts a large group of people, such as breaking news surrounding elections in the United States.
From that basis, journalists will need to nail some key formula aspects while crafting their (hopefully viral) video:
Length: Attention spans have gotten shorter as time has gone on. Most viral videos are on average 30 seconds long–which mirrors the length of a television commercial. While platforms have different restrictions on length, studies across platforms return the same result.
Structure: Informative, news-focused journalism is always well-researched, with evidence to support the critical examination of the subject. These videos must contain that same amount of research, transparency, sourcing, and evidence—in a much shorter span of time. Properly contextualizing the story is important as well: why is this story so important that it’s being put to video? If the video pertains to a certain community or identity, it’s important to introduce the audience to that community or identity with fresh eyes, and then slowly narrow the focus of the video to the specific issue you are underlining. Evidence should be available for viewers, either in the caption or at the end of the video.
Hashtags: Hashtags ensure that your content reaches an appropriate audience. However, being particular about hashtags is important—some hashtags are extremely overcrowded with content. For example, #blackouttuesday being used in conjunction with #blacklivesmatter during the George Floyd protests drew heavy criticism, as Instagram users crowded the #blacklivesmatter hashtag with black squares. Previously, #blacklivesmatter was used intermittently to access resources for protestors, including legal help and anti-racist resources.
Once the video is made, it’s time to post it. But where?
Kunova offers these guidelines for different platforms and who they’re best to reach:
“Twitter: all ages, global
YouTube: 30 per cent desktop users, long engagement
Facebook: skews older, still the most popular platform in the world
Instagram: millennials, biggest audiences in India, US, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia
TikTok: Gen Z.”
Finally, platforms should be churning out content on a consistent basis in order for each platform’s individual algorithms to start promoting them. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee any content can or will go viral, and most often, it’s based on sheer luck. But with consistency and attention to detail, newsrooms and journalists alike can grow their bases and make sure their information gets to where it needs to go.
