4 essentials of viral videos

Creating a video that rampages across the Internet like a wildfire is no easy feat. These key elements will start you off on the right foot.

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When it comes to producing viral videos for big brands, Stephen Voltz is as experienced as they come.

If you’ve ever seen the YouTube video demonstrating what happens when you combine Diet Coke and Mentos, you can thank Voltz and his team. His viral videos for big brands have been viewed more 150 million times.

Voltz took the stage at a recent industry conference to share the four key elements found in almost every viral video:

1. Be real.

According to Voltz, no one likes a video that the creators try to pass off as real when it is clearly staged. For people to share your content, they have to feel that it was authentic.

Voltz gave the example of a video in which a guy proposes to his girlfriend at Disney World. The video is shot from multiple angles and is obviously choreographed.

That, Voltz says, is what you should not do if you want your video to go viral.

Instead, consider this example of a dance number from a wedding. It was shot from just one camera angle.

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