The 10 Most Viral Videos of 2014
Sometimes we just need to relax and not work only implementing any tips. But the reason I wanted to post this is these videos killed it on social media. Most of them were syndicated on big sites like 9gag and buzzfeed. But when we look at all the most popular videos from 2014 the one common denominator they all had was massive amounts of social shares to the direct video. Meaning althought powerhouse sites like 9gag are effective, they are not enough to push a video to massive virality. Grassrooots social sharing is still probably the most effective way to get content to more eyeballs.
This is why I think super awesome content like Glasses.com virtual try on app or Brilliants interactive tours of thier mercades sprinter van didn't do better. Both pieces of content I worked on very hard this year as a consultant but I didnt succeed the way I wanted. My conclusion is that the content is great and higher quality than our competition but we didn't really nail down how were were going to leverage social media. Secondly we tried to shoe-horn social media on profiles that other than when we had content to promote we neglected. In order to leverage social media you have to be working on it all the time and building good relationships with customers, not just use it to blast content when you have it. That I learned this year is essentially just spam, even if you have big numbers. People don't interact with spammy accounts.
Secondly we didnt really optimize our landing pages to capture the traffic the content generated. Next time Im going to make sure I implement some basic best practices. Best practice principles that SEM and SEO experts have discovered most definltey carry over to your social pages.
So in 2015 make sure that you spend just as much time brainstorming your social campains as you do actually brainstorming compelling content.
Disclaimer some of these videos obviously were never intened to be content marketing for a specific business, but that doesn't mean we cant dissect what made these videos so successfull and use that in our own social media campains. The ones that are from businesses, make sure to click through to thier landing pages and start to mentaly reverse engineer thier success.
10. Too Many Cooks
This parody of a theme song opening for an 80s-90s TV sitcom has quickly become one of the most viral videos of the year. Beginning as a nostalgic laugh about the shows you grew up with, the 11-minute video quickly deteriorates into something more disturbing. Raves by comedians, combined with dark humor and a strong production quality have made this video the topic of great discussion on social
networks and news sources alike
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9. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
In July 2014, the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Association began a fleeting social media campaign entitled the "Ice Bucket Challenge". The idea behind the challenge was that, if nominated, you would dump a bucket of ice water over your head and then nominate three of your friends to take the challenge. This brilliant content marketing campaign took the social media world by storm, and even produced a few celebrities dousing themselves in ice cold water to help raise awareness.
8. Broadway's The Lion King Cast Shows Off On Airplane
The cast of Disney's The Lion King Broadway musical had just finished performing in Brisbane, Australia, and decided to serenade passengers as they boarded their flight back to the United States. Singing the uplifting introductory song "The Circle of Life", the amazing talent of these performers is undeniable as their a capella harmonies entertain passengers and crew alike.
7. Hero Cat Saves Owner From Dog Attack
It has long been said that cats rule the Internet, and this video is no exception. In a shocking turn of events, a young boy's cat is able to save him from a dog attack by sensing the danger and scaring off the vicious pup before he is able to cause much harm to the boy.
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6. First Kiss Shows Strangers Making Out
In this video, 20 complete strangers are paired up and asked to kiss each other for the first time. Filmed in black and white, this three-and-a-half minute video went viral shortly after launching. The video's eye into human vulnerability and the intimacies of a first kiss played out beautifully and touched the hearts of millions around the world.
5. Little Girls Drop F-Bombs for Feminism
The website FCKH8.com decided to make a statement about feminism by employing five little girls to help spread awareness about the realities of feminism and the plight of the American woman. Add in some vulgar language, and
you've got yourself an Internet sensation.
4. Woman Endures Hours of Street Harassment
A woman in NYC decided to film her daily experiences as a woman on the streets of NYC. Followed around by a camera for 10 hours straight, she documents every cat call and harassment she receives from men she doesn't know. This eye-opening video shows the realities of being a woman in a big city.
3. Chicago Sea Otter Sensation
When Shedd Aquarium received a new otter pup, they decided to document its arrival for the world to see. Everyone loves an adorable animal to brighten their days, causing this video to quickly go viral as it was shared again and again.
2. Devil Baby Attacks
This horror-style prank video was timed perfectly around the holiday of Halloween. Filmed as a CCTV-type prank video, a motorized stroller rolled around the streets of NYC, only to surprise and horrify onlookers when a lifelike robotic "devil baby"
appeared out of the seat.
1. 11-Year-Old May Be the Best Dancer in the Nation
An 11-year-old hip hop dancer takes the number one spot with her choreographed dance to Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda". Her and her choreographer Laurence Kaiwai perform a unique routine that showcases her amazing dance talent.