The Holy Grail of modern online marketing is video content that “goes
viral,” meaning that it captures an enormous number of views and
leads audiences to share, comment or click that they “like” a video.
Advertisers, marketing consultants and filmmakers have all ventured
theories about what kind of content makes for a hit. The trouble is
that the advice varies widely and is even contradictory. Depending
on the expert, success is thought more likely if a video is humorous,
shocking, dramatic, topical, warm, arousing, angry, scary, socially
beneficial, cute, violent, sexy, uplifting, intriguing, quirky,
interesting, authoritative, tear-jerking, educational, controversial or
baby- and animal-filled.
viral,” meaning that it captures an enormous number of views and
leads audiences to share, comment or click that they “like” a video.
Advertisers, marketing consultants and filmmakers have all ventured
theories about what kind of content makes for a hit. The trouble is
that the advice varies widely and is even contradictory. Depending
on the expert, success is thought more likely if a video is humorous,
shocking, dramatic, topical, warm, arousing, angry, scary, socially
beneficial, cute, violent, sexy, uplifting, intriguing, quirky,
interesting, authoritative, tear-jerking, educational, controversial or
baby- and animal-filled.
One of the reasons for the wide range of recommendations is that
researchers have often looked at only popular videos. For example,
one study that tracked the distribution of videos on Facebook focused
only on those that were shared most often, which meant that the
researchers did not compare the most popular clips with the content
almost no one saw. Nor have marketing scholars reached conclusions
about the characteristics of other kinds of popular shared content,
despite the vast amount of data now available. One of the more
successful papers on viral messages,1 which looked at forwarding behavior in viral email marketing campaigns, suggested that many
emotions can play a role, including surprise, joy, sadness and fear.
researchers have often looked at only popular videos. For example,
one study that tracked the distribution of videos on Facebook focused
only on those that were shared most often, which meant that the
researchers did not compare the most popular clips with the content
almost no one saw. Nor have marketing scholars reached conclusions
about the characteristics of other kinds of popular shared content,
despite the vast amount of data now available. One of the more
successful papers on viral messages,1 which looked at forwarding behavior in viral email marketing campaigns, suggested that many
emotions can play a role, including surprise, joy, sadness and fear.
Another study looked at the sharing of New York Times articles and
found that still other emotional responses, such as awe and anxiety,
also predicted sharing.2
found that still other emotional responses, such as awe and anxiety,
also predicted sharing.2
To see if we could clarify some of the contradictions, we decided to
take a different approach. Rather than catalog a hodgepodge of
content elements found in popular videos, we examined a mix of
popular and unpopular videos, then systematically coded and
empirically tested the effect of each element on some relatively
objective and observational measures of viewer engagement.
take a different approach. Rather than catalog a hodgepodge of
content elements found in popular videos, we examined a mix of
popular and unpopular videos, then systematically coded and
empirically tested the effect of each element on some relatively
objective and observational measures of viewer engagement.
First, we gathered a data set of 750 YouTube videos that varied
across a wide range of topic categories (including automotive,
comedy, gaming and politics) and a wide range of success in gaining
viewership. We excluded music videos because they were associated
with an exceptional number of views (in fact, 29 of the top 30 You
Tube videos of all time are music videos) and would therefore skew
our analysis. We also excluded videos longer than 10 minutes because
these were a specialized type of content likely to be governed by
different rules than the majority of YouTube content. (Think a
15-minute-long instructional video on using a pressure cooker,
compared to a video of a digitized cat with wings on a rainbow.)
across a wide range of topic categories (including automotive,
comedy, gaming and politics) and a wide range of success in gaining
viewership. We excluded music videos because they were associated
with an exceptional number of views (in fact, 29 of the top 30 You
Tube videos of all time are music videos) and would therefore skew
our analysis. We also excluded videos longer than 10 minutes because
these were a specialized type of content likely to be governed by
different rules than the majority of YouTube content. (Think a
15-minute-long instructional video on using a pressure cooker,
compared to a video of a digitized cat with wings on a rainbow.)
We assigned a team of research assistants as blind coders to watch
the videos and to independently score each on a range of attributes.
Did the video feature babies, attempt to be funny or use sexually
suggestive content? How would watching the video make the typical
viewer feel (for example, sad or surprised)? We collected information
on dozens of different video elements and correlated these with three
measures of engagement: the number of times people left comments
on the video, the overall “liking” index for each video (calculated by
subtracting the number of “dislikes” from “likes”) and the number of
views.
the videos and to independently score each on a range of attributes.
Did the video feature babies, attempt to be funny or use sexually
suggestive content? How would watching the video make the typical
viewer feel (for example, sad or surprised)? We collected information
on dozens of different video elements and correlated these with three
measures of engagement: the number of times people left comments
on the video, the overall “liking” index for each video (calculated by
subtracting the number of “dislikes” from “likes”) and the number of
views.
We also coded for three content themes that we hypothesized might
be particularly powerful in creating engagement because they are
likely to induce a strong emotional reaction: novelty, incongruity
and hyperbole. The first, novelty, was chosen because we know that
people enjoy experiences that are new and original. For example,
research suggests consumers pay more attention to novel
advertisements and public service announcements.3 New or “fresh”
content creates feelings of surprise, pleasure, entertainment and
interest.4 We thought this might also be true online, so we coded for video
novelty.
be particularly powerful in creating engagement because they are
likely to induce a strong emotional reaction: novelty, incongruity
and hyperbole. The first, novelty, was chosen because we know that
people enjoy experiences that are new and original. For example,
research suggests consumers pay more attention to novel
advertisements and public service announcements.3 New or “fresh”
content creates feelings of surprise, pleasure, entertainment and
interest.4 We thought this might also be true online, so we coded for video
novelty.
Second, we assessed incongruity, which is the presentation together of two
contradictory or unrelated things.5 Incongruity forms the basis of much
humor, but serious videos with incongruous content may also be more
engaging than those without it. For example, the famous “Kony 2012”
video6 discussed crimes against humanity, and that topic was juxtaposed
against the youth and hopefulness of the protagonist. It was not remotely
funny, yet received almost 100 million views. We thought the concept of
incongruity might help to explain this type of engagement.
contradictory or unrelated things.5 Incongruity forms the basis of much
humor, but serious videos with incongruous content may also be more
engaging than those without it. For example, the famous “Kony 2012”
video6 discussed crimes against humanity, and that topic was juxtaposed
against the youth and hopefulness of the protagonist. It was not remotely
funny, yet received almost 100 million views. We thought the concept of
incongruity might help to explain this type of engagement.
Third, we looked at hyperbole, which essentially boils down to the use of
excess or exaggeration.7This included content that was very dramatic,
extravagant or even ridiculous. Video creators hope that, by making an
over-the-top claim or elaborating effusively, they can more easily get and
hold the viewer’s attention. We believed hyperbolic content might be an
effective way to create a strong emotional reaction and engage audiences.
excess or exaggeration.7This included content that was very dramatic,
extravagant or even ridiculous. Video creators hope that, by making an
over-the-top claim or elaborating effusively, they can more easily get and
hold the viewer’s attention. We believed hyperbolic content might be an
effective way to create a strong emotional reaction and engage audiences.
What Is Engagement?
One reason so little is understood about video engagement is that the
phenomenon is less than 20 years old. The first real example of the
power of engaging online content was the “Dancing Baby” video,
created as a product demonstration by a 3-D character animation
software development team. Released in 1996, the Dancing Baby
“ooga-chuckah’d” its way across Internet forums, websites and
email inboxes.8 Though a relatively low-budget animation, the
Dancing Baby video captivated viewers’ attention and became a
cultural phenomenon noted around the water cooler and even on
the evening news. In 1998, the Dancing Baby landed on the hit
TV comedy “Ally McBeal,” cementing the video’s status as a
cultural icon.
phenomenon is less than 20 years old. The first real example of the
power of engaging online content was the “Dancing Baby” video,
created as a product demonstration by a 3-D character animation
software development team. Released in 1996, the Dancing Baby
“ooga-chuckah’d” its way across Internet forums, websites and
email inboxes.8 Though a relatively low-budget animation, the
Dancing Baby video captivated viewers’ attention and became a
cultural phenomenon noted around the water cooler and even on
the evening news. In 1998, the Dancing Baby landed on the hit
TV comedy “Ally McBeal,” cementing the video’s status as a
cultural icon.
Perhaps because the phenomenon is relatively young, scholars
have not yet even reached a consensus about what engagement
is,9 and we won’t try to settle that debate here. We take a broad
view, and define engagement as behavior that includes sharing but
also extends to other forms of measurable user involvement. This
view is in line with TV advertising norms, which link engagement
loosely to attention and viewer interaction.10 Ultimately, it seems
likely that different engagement-related behaviors — commenting,
sharing, “favoriting,” “liking” and so on — are highly correlated.11
For this study, we measured engagement using YouTube commenting,
liking and viewing behaviors. These measures of engagement were
readily available for the full range of videos we studied (both
successful and unsuccessful), which allowed us to perform a
representative content analysis.
have not yet even reached a consensus about what engagement
is,9 and we won’t try to settle that debate here. We take a broad
view, and define engagement as behavior that includes sharing but
also extends to other forms of measurable user involvement. This
view is in line with TV advertising norms, which link engagement
loosely to attention and viewer interaction.10 Ultimately, it seems
likely that different engagement-related behaviors — commenting,
sharing, “favoriting,” “liking” and so on — are highly correlated.11
For this study, we measured engagement using YouTube commenting,
liking and viewing behaviors. These measures of engagement were
readily available for the full range of videos we studied (both
successful and unsuccessful), which allowed us to perform a
representative content analysis.
Myths Dispelled
Our study allowed us to dispel a number of myths about online videos.
For one thing, when it comes to garnering views, professionals seem
no better than amateurs at creating compelling content. We found no
difference in the aggregate number of comments between homemade
and commercially created videos. While branded videos tend to be
liked more, they are also disliked more.
For one thing, when it comes to garnering views, professionals seem
no better than amateurs at creating compelling content. We found no
difference in the aggregate number of comments between homemade
and commercially created videos. While branded videos tend to be
liked more, they are also disliked more.
The presence of babies also did not have any impact on views or
comments. Sure, babies are cute and give people warm feelings,
but they don’t seem to increase viewer engagement. Safe creative
choices are less risky, but because they don’t generate much emotion,
they are also less likely to engage.
comments. Sure, babies are cute and give people warm feelings,
but they don’t seem to increase viewer engagement. Safe creative
choices are less risky, but because they don’t generate much emotion,
they are also less likely to engage.
Likewise, videos of animals do go viral sometimes, but probably
not because they contain animals. Rather, we think engagement with
animal videos happens because many of these videos contain animals
doing something surprising. In other words, it’s not about the animal
per se but about the feeling of surprise inspired by using novel or
incongruous content such as Grumpy Cat,12 an apparently frowning
cat whose owners signed an endorsement deal with Nestlé Purina
PetCare. One might think that anthropomorphized animals such as
dancing dogs, trumpet-playing ponies or talking mice would be old
hat by now, but it seems not. Among Internet viewers, all those
talented animals are apparently still novel and incongruous enough
to inspire engagement. Our findings that babies and animals in general
are not particularly effective are consistent with other research.13
not because they contain animals. Rather, we think engagement with
animal videos happens because many of these videos contain animals
doing something surprising. In other words, it’s not about the animal
per se but about the feeling of surprise inspired by using novel or
incongruous content such as Grumpy Cat,12 an apparently frowning
cat whose owners signed an endorsement deal with Nestlé Purina
PetCare. One might think that anthropomorphized animals such as
dancing dogs, trumpet-playing ponies or talking mice would be old
hat by now, but it seems not. Among Internet viewers, all those
talented animals are apparently still novel and incongruous enough
to inspire engagement. Our findings that babies and animals in general
are not particularly effective are consistent with other research.13
We also found that attractive people don’t engage viewers particularly
well. Videos with attractive actors were linked to lower levels of
surprise, which in the context of online videos is not a good thing.
Maybe this is because it’s hardly unusual to see beautiful people in
front of the camera. In fact, it’s perhaps entirely too expected, which
makes it an ineffective way to get people’s attention. Even sexually
suggestive content doesn’t seem to especially interest people.
well. Videos with attractive actors were linked to lower levels of
surprise, which in the context of online videos is not a good thing.
Maybe this is because it’s hardly unusual to see beautiful people in
front of the camera. In fact, it’s perhaps entirely too expected, which
makes it an ineffective way to get people’s attention. Even sexually
suggestive content doesn’t seem to especially interest people.
Nor are people especially interested in seeing stories about the triumph
of underdogs. We looked at a lot of videos that contained the idea of
the underdog and found evidence that they don’t engage viewers.
Perhaps they have become a cliché.
of underdogs. We looked at a lot of videos that contained the idea of
the underdog and found evidence that they don’t engage viewers.
Perhaps they have become a cliché.
Other kinds of content did drive more comments and views but could be
problematic for advertisers. Satire was associated with hyperbole and
feelings of anger and with high levels of both comments and views.
If the goal is to engage viewers by creating anger-inducing content,
satire seems to be a good way to stir up a hornet’s nest.
problematic for advertisers. Satire was associated with hyperbole and
feelings of anger and with high levels of both comments and views.
If the goal is to engage viewers by creating anger-inducing content,
satire seems to be a good way to stir up a hornet’s nest.
People also liked what we called “stunts and amazing feats.” Watching
other people do remarkable things gave viewers feelings of surprise
and sometimes fear, which didn’t seem to hurt engagement and led to
increased views. This finding probably explains why the video of Felix
Baumgartner performing the world’s highest skydive was one of the
top 10 videos of 2012.14
other people do remarkable things gave viewers feelings of surprise
and sometimes fear, which didn’t seem to hurt engagement and led to
increased views. This finding probably explains why the video of Felix
Baumgartner performing the world’s highest skydive was one of the
top 10 videos of 2012.14
Disgusting content also seems to boost views. If it seemed exaggerated,
viewers sometimes felt angry, but other times it was seen as novel,
incongruous and surprising — and led to more liking and views. It is
likely a polarizing creative choice, repelling certain viewers (such as
older consumers) while attracting others (such as teenagers).
viewers sometimes felt angry, but other times it was seen as novel,
incongruous and surprising — and led to more liking and views. It is
likely a polarizing creative choice, repelling certain viewers (such as
older consumers) while attracting others (such as teenagers).
Finally, anger- and fear-inducing content seem to trigger more views,
but make a sad video and you’ll probably cry alone.
but make a sad video and you’ll probably cry alone.
The Element of Surprise
What matters most? Surprise!
In our study, emotionally surprising videos generated liking and
views more than any kind of specific content element we studied.
Surprise had indirect effects, too. In addition to the direct positive
effect surprise had on liking and views, it was linked to fear.
Frightening videos got significantly more views. This probably does
not reflect a “horror movie” effect (where audiences enjoy being
frightened) because the overall liking index of such videos also
went down. This suggests that fearful content can increase views
but at the risk of generating negative attitudes, whereas content that
is surprising but not scary doesn’t seem to have a downside, because
both liking and views increase.
views more than any kind of specific content element we studied.
Surprise had indirect effects, too. In addition to the direct positive
effect surprise had on liking and views, it was linked to fear.
Frightening videos got significantly more views. This probably does
not reflect a “horror movie” effect (where audiences enjoy being
frightened) because the overall liking index of such videos also
went down. This suggests that fearful content can increase views
but at the risk of generating negative attitudes, whereas content that
is surprising but not scary doesn’t seem to have a downside, because
both liking and views increase.
Hyperbole, Incongruity and Novelty
We started this study with three ideas about how a strong emotional
response like surprise might be created: novelty, incongruity and
hyperbole. No matter how we looked at it, there was never a connection
between hyperbole and surprise. This suggests that in terms of creating
unexpected or fresh content, exaggeration is not the way forward.
However, hyperbole had effects that we didn’t anticipate: We found
it correlated with increased anger, which in turn boosted comments
and views. This suggests that using exaggerated content may earn
views, but at the expense of angering customers. Perhaps some
“extreme” brands or certain types of organizations (for example,
political campaigns or nongovernmental organizations) can use
hyperbolic themes without fear of damage to their reputation, but
for most business-content producers, this option will be problematic.
The creative choices most strongly linked with hyperbole were satire
and disgusting content, whereas nonsatiric humor was not.
response like surprise might be created: novelty, incongruity and
hyperbole. No matter how we looked at it, there was never a connection
between hyperbole and surprise. This suggests that in terms of creating
unexpected or fresh content, exaggeration is not the way forward.
However, hyperbole had effects that we didn’t anticipate: We found
it correlated with increased anger, which in turn boosted comments
and views. This suggests that using exaggerated content may earn
views, but at the expense of angering customers. Perhaps some
“extreme” brands or certain types of organizations (for example,
political campaigns or nongovernmental organizations) can use
hyperbolic themes without fear of damage to their reputation, but
for most business-content producers, this option will be problematic.
The creative choices most strongly linked with hyperbole were satire
and disgusting content, whereas nonsatiric humor was not.
When we looked at novel and incongruous content, we found that
both were associated with feelings of surprise, which increased views
and liking. This suggests to us that if a marketer’s goal is to get
viewers’ attention by surprising them, they have two good choices:
Show them something they have never seen before, or show them
two things they are familiar with but in an original, juxtaposed way
— to “make it new,” as the poet Ezra Pound once advised.
both were associated with feelings of surprise, which increased views
and liking. This suggests to us that if a marketer’s goal is to get
viewers’ attention by surprising them, they have two good choices:
Show them something they have never seen before, or show them
two things they are familiar with but in an original, juxtaposed way
— to “make it new,” as the poet Ezra Pound once advised.
Why Do People Share Videos?
A final important question, but one that goes beyond the scope of
this study, is why people share videos. Recent research has shown
that people are more likely to share videos linked to brands they
like.15 This makes sense, because a consumer who feels connected
to a particular brand will do all sorts of exceptional things for that
brand, such as paying a premium for it and recommending it to
friends. We also know that people prefer to share videos that they
have received from their own friends and family because it’s easy
and safe to pass along something that is socially sanctioned.16These
two factors suggest that if businesses create compelling video
content, then pushing this content to brand fans or other key
influencers might result in a cascade of sharing.
this study, is why people share videos. Recent research has shown
that people are more likely to share videos linked to brands they
like.15 This makes sense, because a consumer who feels connected
to a particular brand will do all sorts of exceptional things for that
brand, such as paying a premium for it and recommending it to
friends. We also know that people prefer to share videos that they
have received from their own friends and family because it’s easy
and safe to pass along something that is socially sanctioned.16These
two factors suggest that if businesses create compelling video
content, then pushing this content to brand fans or other key
influencers might result in a cascade of sharing.
Other researchers have found that videos with superior creativity are
better liked and are both forwarded and viewed more.17 This research
doesn’t provide clear definitions of what is meant by creativity,18
but we speculate that our study might provide clarification: Creativity
often is evident in contexts where something is novel or juxtaposed
for a dramatic or comic effect, such as a hamster eating a tiny slice of
pizza off of a china plate on a picnic blanket.19 Our results confirm that
both approaches are likely to be effective in engaging audiences
because of their powerful influence in surprising viewers. What else
might make a video seem more creative? Our research suggests some
candidates in elements such as humor, stunts and amazing feats, and
disgusting content, which all drive higher views.
better liked and are both forwarded and viewed more.17 This research
doesn’t provide clear definitions of what is meant by creativity,18
but we speculate that our study might provide clarification: Creativity
often is evident in contexts where something is novel or juxtaposed
for a dramatic or comic effect, such as a hamster eating a tiny slice of
pizza off of a china plate on a picnic blanket.19 Our results confirm that
both approaches are likely to be effective in engaging audiences
because of their powerful influence in surprising viewers. What else
might make a video seem more creative? Our research suggests some
candidates in elements such as humor, stunts and amazing feats, and
disgusting content, which all drive higher views.
Much of the academic research on viral videos has tried to contribute a
better understanding of the role of emotions in the decision to share a
video by focusing on the intensity of the emotion that a person feels
watching a video and whether that emotion is positive or negative. For
example, the results of several recent papers seem to suggest that
more emotionally arousing content is shared more, but being positively
arousing (for example, hilarity) generates more sharing than being
negatively arousing (for example, shock).20 The main conclusion
of these studies, as in ours, is that, while it pays to be intense, to
be intense in a positive way usually pays off. These results are largely
consistent with ours and seem to point in the same direction: If
emotionally intense videos prompt more sharing — whether positive
or negative — then, generally speaking, those videos are watched
more often.21 For example, we find that anger-inducing videos can
lead to high numbers of views, just as joy-inducing ones can. But
our research suggests that an element of surprise, a highly arousing
emotion that can be either positive or negative, may produce the
strongest viewer reaction of all.
better understanding of the role of emotions in the decision to share a
video by focusing on the intensity of the emotion that a person feels
watching a video and whether that emotion is positive or negative. For
example, the results of several recent papers seem to suggest that
more emotionally arousing content is shared more, but being positively
arousing (for example, hilarity) generates more sharing than being
negatively arousing (for example, shock).20 The main conclusion
of these studies, as in ours, is that, while it pays to be intense, to
be intense in a positive way usually pays off. These results are largely
consistent with ours and seem to point in the same direction: If
emotionally intense videos prompt more sharing — whether positive
or negative — then, generally speaking, those videos are watched
more often.21 For example, we find that anger-inducing videos can
lead to high numbers of views, just as joy-inducing ones can. But
our research suggests that an element of surprise, a highly arousing
emotion that can be either positive or negative, may produce the
strongest viewer reaction of all.
0 comments:
Post a Comment