'The Lonely Island' Guide to Creating Viral Marketing Videos

YOLO. The term's been around for a while now... and kind of over used. But this past Saturday on SNL, The Lonely Island returned for a digital short premiere, and brought the phrase a whole new meaning.

SNL added a modern element to the show in 2005 with the addition of Andy Samberg (and digital shorts). Over the past few years, The Lonely Island has been creating digital shorts for SNL, many of which have become gone viral immediately.

I love The Lonely Island (and SNL)... and I know I'm not the only one. Since Saturday, the YOLO YouTube video has gotten just over 8 million views, and has reached #10 on the top songs section of iTunes.

What makes these videos so awesome, you ask? Of course it has something to do with the fact that The Lonely Island, Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar are in it... and the production resources... and that it premiered on SNL... but it's about content too.

We can't all have star power, high production value, and massive platforms to promote with (like SNL), but what elements of YOLO can you use to create your own viral marketing videos?

5 Tips For Creating Killer Viral Marketing Videos

Make it Funny

Humor is a great way to draw attention. People are more likely to keep watching a video and share it will all their friends if it's funny.

The Lonely Island has awesome late-night humor, but this type of humor may not be fit for your company; so figure out what type is.

What will your customers respond best to? It all depends on who they are, what their interests are, and what their relationship is with you. Take into consideration your company atmosphere. What company image do you want to promote to others?

Create High Quality Production

Let's face it- SNL has been around a while and has great videos and video editors, so we all expect the production of a video like YOLO to look professional.

But it's still possible to have a great video without a massive budget. As long as you have a great idea and a few resources to create it, you have the potential to make a great video.

If you don't own cameras or editing software, consider renting or hiring someone to do work for you. In the end, if you create an awesome video and get a lot of attention from it, the money you spent to make it will be worth it.

Incase you haven't checked it out, or want another good laugh at it, here's the video:

Write Well

The content of your video may be the most important factor to it's popularity. In The Lonely Island's Case, humor is their content, but you can create a video for your company that has great content, along with humor.

Since you'll be spending a considerable amount of money on a video, you'll want to convey a message to your viewers. It you're going to get your name out there, make it count. Use humor to attract people, and write well to make sure they understand who you are and what you do.

Use a Universal Theme Everyone Can Relate To

Almost all of The Lonely Island's fans know what YOLO is, and all of their other videos are relatable.

Create a video that your customers or prospects can relate to. If you want your video to go viral, everyone needs to know what you're talking about. If your video is funny, but people are confused, they won't keep watching. Viewers will keep watching your video if they can relate to it- plain and simple.

Promote On Your Best Platforms

After you've put all your hard work into your video, you need some great platforms to promote it. And obviously, if you want your video to go viral, where else would be better to promote it than your social media?

Not only did The Lonely Island tweet about YOLO, but so did SNL. Spread your video on social media platforms with everyone you know. By getting retweets and shares, even more people have the potential to view your video to make it to viral status.