

How to Make a Viral Video - njoglekar
http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/29/how-to-make-a-viral-video/

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will_brown
I agree with most everything in the article, but:

"Make sure to give your video a provocative thumbnail. For example, this video
(which got over 13 million views) used a thumbnail that was not really even
related to the video itself."

It is crazy they openly encourage the community to do the same. It is the same
as posting a provocative HN title unrelated to the post, creativity should be
encouraged but not to the detriment of the community.

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njoglekar
I agree the example in the piece is a bit extreme, but was just trying to make
a point. It is very possible to have a provocative thumbnail that is relevant
to your video. I definitely don't advocate deceiving your audience.

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will_brown
In fairness the example was followed up with:

"Maybe you don’t need to be this extreme, but your thumbnail should be
interesting..."

I do agree with about everything else in the article, it is just the
reinforcement of behavior that is a personal pet peeve of mine got a knee jerk
reaction. I think "thumbnail fixing" is the 3rd largest problem on Video
Sharing websites behind Youtube's comment threads (#2, I had to squeeze that
pet peeve in).

Now, when it comes to a provocative thumbnail that is relevant to the
video...great advice.

Edit: By "I agree" I mean I feel comfortable taking your advice. Good read.

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magikbum
Kinda just a worthless piece of PR for ReelSurfer. Why is this on the front
page?

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minimaxir
It should be noted that ReelSurfer links tend to be upvoted rather highly.
Make of that what you will.

<https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=njoglekar>

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samarudge
I think Daily Grace (+1.3mil subscribers, +100mil video views) sums this up
best - <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Nxyqi4WK0>

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ryanholiday
Nothing is worse than advice about making things "go viral" from people who
have never actually done it.

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sjtgraham
Slight hyperbole, but I understand what you mean. Assuming OP has never
succeeded in creating a truly viral video then a pontificating title such as
this is sure to get a few backs up at the very the least, certainly amongst
hypersensitive and hypercritical HN commenters.

Having never made one myself, I can only imagine that making a viral video is
largely a function of luck, so any treatise on how to make one might just be
viewed as a hypothesis that provides something useful when one synthesises
their own strategy. That's how I looked at it, and that's why I'm grateful for
the OP having shared it, rather than getting insanely worked up behind a
computer screen.

Thanks OP.

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ryanholiday
Who is insanely worked up?

It's not that it's luck behind viral videas, it's that they tend to spread or
become popular in their own unique ways and attempts to deduce general rules
from examples you had nothing to do with is usually foolhardy.

There is some science behind virality and for that I'd recommend looking at
Jonah Berger

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sjtgraham
Thanks, I hadn't heard of Jonah Berger before.

