Wally Sabria, SVP/Creative Director of Weber Shandwick in Los Angeles runs SocialStudio, the agency's specialty practice focused branded content development for the web.

2. I want a viral video

3. “I want a viral video”…I’ve heard someone
everyone say

4. “I want a viral video”But videos on the web aren’t
“made” viral

5. They “go” viral.

6. And to go viral, it needs
to be cool sh#t people
want to share

7. …with Hundreds
Thousands
Millionsof people

8. “I want a viral video”
It doesn’t have to be
a crap shoot

9. “I want a viral video”
Here are some
fundamentals
to keep in mind:

10. Story

11. “I want a viral video”
First and foremost,
it needs to tell
a story

12. “I want a viral video”Be it a funnyone

14. “I want a viral video”a sadone

15. “I want a viral video”

16. “I want a viral video”a crazyone

18. “I want a viral video”an inspiringone

20. Or just be purely
amazing

22. pose a
question

24. or answerone

26. “I want a viral video”document an interesting
issueor person

28. “I want a viral video”go behindthe scenes

30. “I want a viral video”reveal the secret of
how something was created

32. “I want a viral video”invented

34. or tested

36. “I want a viral video”
tap into a
subculture

37. “I want a viral video”

38. or comment from the latest
in pop culture

40. resurrect an
obscure celebrity

41. “I want a viral video”

42. or showcase a popular
web-lebrity

44. Voice

45. It’s important to transmit
a uniquepoint-of-voice

46. a unique tone
and personality

47. something that proves
you are human

48. relatable

49. and someone worth
spending time with
and engaging
in conversation

50. NEWS FLASH:
Don’t constantly talk
about yourself.

51. no one wants to be
boredor sold

52. and don’t take
yourself too seriously(your brand) (no matter who you are)

53. Context

54. It’s not a
commercial
in between scenes of
their favorite show

55. People need to
find it
watch it
share it

56. Why would anyone
care?
Ask yourself:

57. that proves you’re in-the-know,
reveals your interests and
expresses your personality
Content is
social currency

58. What (besides yourself)
can you talk about
that others might care about?

59. What topics, beliefs,
values, sense of humor
do you have in common
with your audience?

60. Hip Hop Culture
Fast Food
Hiking Trails
Celebrity Gossip
Nature Photography
Fantasy Football

61. OK.
So talk about that.

62. The brand can be:
a Character
a Facilitator
the Narrator
an Inspiring Voice
or even the Hero

63. is not
But the brand
the story

64. Quality

65. high-quality
doesn’t mean
high-views

66. in fact, lots of
crappy videos
have millions of views

68. but resistthe flip

69. don’t let poor
production quality
distract from your story
(or make your audience dizzy)

70. HD is a must
these days

71. and a
good soundtrack
is timeless

72. TRT

73. there’s no magic number for
how long
your video should be

74. be glad it doesn’t matter
but be careful you
don’t lose
your audience

75. on the web,
5 minutes is considered
“long-form”

76. but no matter how
long or short

77. don’t waitall the
way till the end to reveal your
logo or what you’re selling