Six ways to raise your chances of going viral

02/27/25 • 15 min

Focus Your Attention on One Channel

Pick the platform where you already have the highest engagement (LinkedIn, YouTube, X, etc.).
Funnel all traffic—emails, social shares—through that single post for maximum algorithm impact.

Mention or Message Influencers

Research a list of relevant influencers ahead of your launch.
Tag them or send them direct messages when you go live.
Even if they don’t respond, the algorithm may push your content to related influencers.

Find a Press Angle & Use PR

A solid press hook (beyond “look at this video”) can spark media interest.
Working with a PR professional ensures your press release is compelling and angled for coverage.

Optimize Your YouTube Title & Thumbnail

Use titles that match what people are searching for—avoid clever or abstract titles no one will type in.
Thumbnails should feature people or images that reflect the core idea of the video.
YouTube’s algorithm often rewards strong click-through rates and clear metadata.

Choose Your Launch Day Wisely

Guy’s rule of thumb is Tuesday—people are settled in from Monday and more likely to engage midweek.
Avoid launching on days when major news events could overshadow your video.

Encourage Employees & Advocates to Share

Ask team members and loyal customers to like, comment, and share on launch day.
Avoid giving them identical copy to post; personalize messages to keep social platforms happy.

Create Something Worth Going Viral
- The best “hack” is genuine, resonant content. If it’s not engaging, none of the above tactics will matter.
- Don’t chase virality—focus on delivering real value and entertainment.

Focus Your Attention on One Channel

Pick the platform where you already have the highest engagement (LinkedIn, YouTube, X, etc.).
Funnel all traffic—emails, social shares—through that single post for maximum algorithm impact.

Mention or Message Influencers

Research a list of relevant influencers ahead of your launch.
Tag them or send them direct messages when you go live.
Even if they don’t respond, the algorithm may push your content to related influencers.

Find a Press Angle & Use PR

A solid press hook (beyond “look at this video”) can spark media interest.
Working with a PR professional ensures your press release is compelling and angled for coverage.

Optimize Your YouTube Title & Thumbnail

Use titles that match what people are searching for—avoid clever or abstract titles no one will type in.
Thumbnails should feature people or images that reflect the core idea of the video.
YouTube’s algorithm often rewards strong click-through rates and clear metadata.

Choose Your Launch Day Wisely

Guy’s rule of thumb is Tuesday—people are settled in from Monday and more likely to engage midweek.
Avoid launching on days when major news events could overshadow your video.

Encourage Employees & Advocates to Share

Ask team members and loyal customers to like, comment, and share on launch day.
Avoid giving them identical copy to post; personalize messages to keep social platforms happy.

Create Something Worth Going Viral
- The best “hack” is genuine, resonant content. If it’s not engaging, none of the above tactics will matter.
- Don’t chase virality—focus on delivering real value and entertainment.

Originality over “safe jokes.” Recycled humor feels stale and won’t get shared.
Take risks to stand out. Uncertainty is a part of creativity—lean into it for bigger payoffs.
Avoid forced funny faces and clichés. True comedic impact comes from authenticity and fresh perspectives.
Embrace your doubt. Sometimes, your biggest second guess might be the thing that resonates most with an audience.

1. Introduction (00:00 – 00:00:22)

Guy welcomes listeners back to the podcast, “Death to the Corporate Video.”
A quick note on Chicago’s unpredictable spring weather, jumping from 70° to snow in a week.

2. The “like” challenge (00:00:23 – 00:00:50)

3. Why invest in creative B2B video ads? (00:00:51 – 00:02:23)

The main topic of this episode: exploring the value of creative vs. uncreative ads.
Acknowledges the inherent risk in creativity and why many brands shy away from it.

4. Risk vs. reward: the carnival mallet analogy (00:02:24 – 00:06:30)

Introduces a scale from 0 to 10 to assess advertising outcomes.
Uncreative Ads: Low floor (potentially ineffective) and a low ceiling (moderately effective).
Creative Ads: Same low floor (could flop), but a much higher ceiling (could be a big win).
Explanation of how the downside risk is the same, but the upside is vastly greater with creativity.

5. Distilling the key takeaway (00:06:31 – 00:07:44)

Highlights that being in the “98%” who play it safe means missing out on maximum impact.
Encourages advertisers to be in the “2%” that leverage creative risk for greater reward.