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How to Make a YouTube Video Go Viral (with 8 Easy Tips)

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Know how to make a YouTube video viral?

Even if you’ve had one or two videos go viral on the platform, cracking the code to virality isn’t easy.  

A few things that help though: consistency in video production, reviewing your content to study its performance, and knowing your audience and their struggles inside out.

Almost all videos that go viral reflect these features on YouTube. Take it from the 52 experts we talked to for this piece to learn how they make their YouTube videos go viral.

Of these respondents, 46% are in the B2C services or products industry, 40% are agencies or consultants working with marketing, digital, media companies, and 14% are in the B2B services or product field.

All in all, we’ve packaged everything that we learned into these two pointers:

• What Types of Videos Go Viral on YouTube
• 8 Tips for Making Your YouTube Video Go Viral 

What Types of Videos Go Viral on YouTube?

Funny videos have the best chance to go viral, according to the respondents we talked to. This is followed by challenge videos and prank videos.

These insights come from folks who have had their videos go viral. About 42% of our respondents shared they have 1 to 5 videos that have gone viral. And nearly 37% stated that they don’t have any videos gone viral.

However, it’s important to note here that everyone defines ‘virality’ differently. For the purpose of surveying our respondents for this piece, we defined viral videos as “videos that got millions of views in a few weeks.” However, when we asked companies to share their videos, only a couple met these criteria — telling us virality means different things to different people.

PRO TIP: Analyze Your YouTube Channel Performance Like a Pro

To find out what types of video content perform best with your audience, you may track video engagement metrics such as watch time, number of views, likes and dislikes of each video individually using a variety of tools, including YouTube itself.

Now you can quickly monitor your video content performance in a single dashboard that monitors fundamental metrics, such as:

• Average watch time. How much time do viewers spend watching your video content?
• Watch time by video. Which videos drive most of your audience watch time each month?
• Subscribers gained vs lost. How quickly are you gaining or losing subscribers?
• Number of likes, comments and shares. How engaged is your audience?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our video marketing experts, who have put together a plug-and-play Databox template showing the most important metrics for measuring your YouTube channel performance. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in marketing reports, and best of all, it’s free!

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your YouTube account with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

8 Tips for Making Your YouTube Video Go Viral

Now for the practical tips that can help you create viral videos on YouTube. Here’s a quick list of these tips, followed by the details:

• Post high-quality video content consistently
• Create videos on controversial topics
• Network to improve your chances of virality
• Tap into subject matter expertise and distribute your video
• Leverage trends to create more viral videos
• Tap into creating engaging bite-sized video content
• Create an enticing video thumbnail
• Look for inspiration outside of your niche

1. Post high-quality video content consistently

The foundational step to making your YouTube video viral is regularly posting videos on your channel. This works for a handful of reasons, including:

• Consistent posting teaches you a lot about your audience, their preferences and struggles, and what content resonates with them.
• Regularly sharing YouTube videos sets the right expectations with your target viewers. They start watching more from your channel because they know they’ll always find high-quality stuff coming from you (better audience retention).

Related : 9 Ways to Improve Audience Retention on YouTube

This tip comes from a creator too. In the words of Larisha Bernard of Make It Dairy Free , “The number one tip to gain traction fast on YouTube is to provide quality videos on a consistent basis. YouTube subscribers love when creators show up on a regular basis so it’s not a platform that you want to be inconsistent with.”

So how regularly should you be posting on YouTube? Our research shows that the majority of YouTube creators (half of our respondents) post weekly.

This is the best cadence as compared to daily or monthly posting because a week means you’ve enough time to ideate, plan, shoot, and publish a good quality video. Plus, it’s also a more memorable YouTube posting frequency than a monthly cadence.

Another key tip here is to “post on the same day and time to establish your audience,” Bernard advises. Essentially, it helps you grow your audience by setting the right expectations with them.

“Beyond that, you want to follow YouTube’s own recommendations that you can find in the YouTube Studio backend and their own creator pages,” adds Bernard.

The example viral video that Bernard shares follows YouTube’s recommendations:

It has 1.2 million views (at the time of writing this). Here’s how:

• The video’s picture and audio quality are superb . This makes it engaging to watch right away.
• It speaks to its audience . Throughout the video, the presenter shares his experience with veganism, which resonates with the viewers since it comes from a person who has real experience in the subject.
• The video shares quick tips . This way, it’s a no-fluff and straight-to-the-point video, which makes it interesting to watch. If anything, moving quickly from one tip to another encourages people to continue watching since it signals there’s a lot of value packed in the content.

2. Create videos on controversial topics

Handshaking.com’s Matt Holmes shares what makes a video go viral on YouTube is a controversial topic.

Holmes explains you should create a video on “a controversial topic that everyone thought they knew the truth!” In this video that Holmes shared, this principle is shown in action:

The virality results? 92k+ views.

The video also showcases a few more pointers that explain why it went viral. Let’s look at them:

• It starts with a strong hook. Holmes starts the video by quickly answering what’s covered in the video “teach you how to get a smokin’ deal on your next used car purchase.” This instantly tells viewers what the video is about so the interested ones stay to watch till the end.
• It jumps straight into the meaty bit . Right after Holmes answers the ‘what’s in it for me’ question in the hook, he jumps into step 1 — instead of wasting time.
• The video quality speaks volumes of its authenticity . The video is shot from a phone, which tells viewers about its credibility (viewers can see Holmes is speaking from the location he’s buying/selling cars from.)

And like the viral video above, this video also jumps from sharing value bites one after the other rather quickly. In doing so, the video encourages its viewers to continue watching.

This helps significantly in making a video go viral. For instance, by signaling YouTube’s algorithm that viewers are not just clicking through to the video but also watching it for a long time (think: improved watch time). As a result, the algorithm pushes it further, increasing its reach on the platform.

Related : How to Optimize & Improve Your Video Watch Time on YouTube

3. Network to improve your chances of virality

When asked about how to make YouTube video viral, John Frigo of Best Price Nutrition suggested there’s no proven recipe for it.

“If people could make something go viral and crack that code we’d all be doing it,” Frigo writes.

It’s why Frigo opines, “I don’t think it’s possible to ‘make a video go viral’,” At the same time, Frigo shares a handful of pointers that can possibly help your content gain traction fast.

The first of Frigo’s points is the same as what we’ve covered above: being consistent. Not only does it get you in front of the right people, but it’ll also teach you a lot about your audience. This, in turn, assists you in creating better, more audience-relevant and engaging YouTube videos that have a good chance of going viral.

As Frigo puts, “I think if you’re putting out quality content consistently, eventually luck will be on your side, your content will strike a chord with the right audience, and it could go viral.”

To add to this, Frigo points out, “I think sometimes it’s just the right timing or the right person sees your content. For example, if Joe Rogan sees your video and shares it, it’s gonna blow up, that doesn’t necessarily mean that piece of content was that much more amazing than others you’ve done, it just happened to fall in front of him due to algorithms at the right time, and he decided to share it.”

The takeaway from this is simple: engage with your audience and network with other creators. This helps because with other creators and viewers sharing your content as soon as it’s published, the odds of it reaching the right people (such as Joe Rogan in the example above) are high.

Not to forget, when people engage with your content as soon as it goes live, the algorithm understands that it’s high-value and helps push it further thus helping you reach your target audience . All of this takes you a few steps closer to going viral on YouTube.

This video, for example, is the type that’d get instant engagement. No wonder, it has 42.3k+ views: 

So what’s different about it?

• It starts with an emotionally engaging hook. The video opens with someone putting a smelling salt in front of another person and they react immediately to it. The real reaction instantly engages viewers, making them wonder what the video is about, so they continue watching.
• The intro to the company and video is succinct. Where most brands go wrong is that they go on and on about their company in the videos they create. In this video though, the presenters introduce Best Price Nutrition in only a few seconds after showing a few clips of what’s covered in the video (read: after setting the stage). The video then proceeds into the meat of the matter, testing a new product.

4. Tap into subject matter expertise and distribute your video

“First, we brought in an expert to help with the content of our video. He was one of most knowledgeable for the topic we were talking about,” notes Jeff Moriarty from Moriarty’s Gem Art talking about how they made their video go viral on YouTube.

This video that Moriarty talks about has over 6 million views:

Here are a few factors that help its virality besides featuring an expert:

• It uses engaging music to hold viewers’ attention . And instead of interrupting the viewing experience with a narrator’s voice, the video features easy-to-read subtitle text to educate about the gem being faceted.
• It shows behind-the-scenes content. This type of content is always interesting to watch since it shows viewers how things are done, which taps into their curiosity to encourage them to continue watching.

Yet another factor that Moriarty attributed to the success of this video — content distribution.

“We shared the video on Reddit under sub Reddits that were related to the video we created.”

In short, know where your audience is then share your YouTube videos on those platforms to get the content right in front of them.

Related : 23 Content Distribution Tips & Channels For Increasing Website Traffic

5. Leverage trends to create more viral videos

“The clients I work with have videos that go viral when they create content that hits right as a trend is on the rise,” observes Branch & Bramble’s Sarah Walsh.

“Trend forecasting, as well as understanding what your audience is looking for by doing long-tail keyword research, helps YouTube creators attract their audience and appear at the top of search results.”

You’ll also want to spend some time on the platform and study viral videos. Eventually, you’ll start identifying trends. But there’s one thing you need to bear in mind for this: identifying and forecasting trends takes work. So you should be ready to put in some work before you start seeing results.

6. Tap into creating engaging bite-sized video content

“I made a Short video for YouTube, landing right on the boosted algorithm and using some high-ranking marketing keywords, the video was set viral,” shares Simon Brisk of Click Intelligence .

“This year is all about short video clips,” Brisk notes. “TikTok has given other social media sites a run for their money which is why all of them are now giving a tough competition to the short-video platform. YouTube has introduced YouTube shorts as it’s short video feature and the algorithm is heavily promoting them.”

Meaning: this is your chance to shine as the platform is paying lots of attention to the feature.

“Longer videos are currently in the rest-mode on YouTube’s priority list, so if you want to make your YouTube video go viral, make YouTube Shorts,” Brisk suggests.  

“Accompany them with high trending hashtags and add SEO-based researched keywords in the description. These practices help promote the video higher in the algorithm list, and your YouTube video trends.”

You’ll also want to study what makes short videos successful — not just on YouTube but also on TikTok. The reason: studying these videos will help you understand human psychology. This will help you better videos on the whole. Plus, since these videos are short, you can study several at a time. However, note that lengthy videos can also be distilled into shorter ones by making use of a YouTube video summarizer for your personal knowledge or study.

Related : Best Short Video Apps: When to Choose TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts

7. Create an enticing video thumbnail

A thumbnail is your video’s featured image. If it’s engaging enough, it encourages viewers to click to watch your video.

Kris Bilski from Astor Film Productions talks about its importance in creating viral YouTube videos. “As a video production agency, we get businesses contacting us every week looking to create viral video campaigns, and there is no ‘One shoe fits all’ when it comes to being successful.

However, that being said there are certain things that we do to help to increase the likelihood of this happening, and we aren’t the only ones doing it, in fact it can be seen by all of the largest YouTubers.

Firstly, you need to pick a thumbnail that is engaging and aimed towards your target audience, something that media giant Netflix has recently picked up on.”

“Netflix has begun changing the thumbnail it uses for various productions tailored towards the user and their preferences, such as more colors and silly faces for a younger audience,” Bilski explains.

“Once you have passed this step we need to focus on engagement, or more importantly watch time. By adding many focus points early on in the video we manage to keep your audience interested and therefore encourage YouTube to show this video to other people, couple this with an emotional attachment and we’re on to a winner!”

Two more tips to improve your video’s watch time:

• Add subtitles to your videos. This makes them accessible to different people — for instance, those who are hard of hearing and those who prefer consuming videos on their phone, on mute.
• Arrange videos in your playlists. Put together videos related to a topic in a playlist and add them as ‘watch next’ suggestions for viewers. This helps you keep viewers on your channel, boosting its credibility.

Related : Improve YouTube Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Grow Your Channel with These 11 Pro Tips

8. Look for inspiration outside of your niche

Lastly, this one’s a hat tip to Jess Percival from Exposure Ninja .

“At Exposure Ninja, we’ve taken the time to study viral creators like Mr. Beast to understand why people click on his videos, why they keep watching, and what he does to make his videos go viral,” Percival shares.

“We’ve then adapted some of these approaches to fit our business and video topics. As a result, our thumbnails and titles have improved, as well as the pacing of our videos.”

“Start now. You can start with just your phone camera and a free editing software. There are plenty of YouTube channels that can help you get started. Our favorites are VidIQ and Filmbooth. You can’t build the skills or confidence if you don’t start.”

To add, Percival advises, “Your videos should always be entertaining. You don’t have to shout into the camera and wave your hands about, but if you’re doing a product demo in a monotone voice then it’s going to be difficult to get people to stick around.”

Most of all, “Bring your passion for your business into your videos and use typography and graphics to add more visual interest to the videos.”

Not to forget, use keyword research to your benefit. Search for terms in the YouTube search box, for example, to see which videos are ranking and how they’ve used the keyword. Also, watch those high-ranking videos on a given keyword to identify an angle that’ll help your video go viral on the same topic.

As Percival puts it, “Make videos that people will search for. It’s unlikely that people will be searching for your brand name right away. They’ll be searching for advice, how-tos, and interesting content. If you’re already creating helpful blog content, you can use that as a ‘script’ for your video.”

Related : 18 Tips for Writing YouTube Video Titles That Drive Views

Monitor the Performance of Your YouTube Channel in One Place

In a nutshell, there’s a lot that goes into making videos viral.

From creating engaging hooks, video titles, and video thumbnails to ensuring you’re touching on trending or controversial topics, there are several factors that can give your videos a viral edge.

But it all boils down to being consistent. Because it is what helps you:

• Improve your skill
• Understand your audience
• Set audience expectations and retain them

One another can’t-miss recommendation for you: take the time to reflect on your videos’ performance. Watch your video analytics — review how long it takes a video to pick up, potential reasons behind its failure or success, study how long people watch your video, etc.

And the best way to study your YouTube analytics in one place? Create a Databox dashboard. Our dashboards feature all essential video metrics, such as impressions, watch time, views, comments, and more.

By using a Databox dashboard, you wouldn’t need to go from video to video to check analytics. Instead, you get them all in one place and in a visually engaging, easy-to-read manner.

Plus, you can also easily track your performance over a specified period and display data in the type of graph you prefer since the dashboards are fully customizable.

The best part? Creating dashboards with Databox is super simple. You only need to plug in your YouTube channel with the software and it’ll pull together a dashboard where you can select the metrics you want to see on the screen.

Hard to believe? Try Databox for free today and see for yourself.

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How to Make a Viral Video

Last Updated: January 19, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Wayne Dang . Wayne Dang is a Fast Food Expert & Video Creator specializing in sharing restaurant and fast food reviews. Wayne has a follower base of over 90,000 YouTube subscribers and his videos have over 21 million views. He also has over 1.2 million followers on Tiktok. Wayne is known for his high energy and entertaining content. Some of his most popular content includes secret menu reviews and trying special items at restaurants. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 182,512 times.

Today, the viral video is perhaps the form of online entertainment with the greatest global reach. The most popular viral videos are viewed by hundreds of millions (sometimes even over a billion ) from all over the world. [1] X Research source With over 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, the competition for this new type of fame is fierce, but viral stars can come from any background and can literally be made overnight, so everyone — including you — has the potential to become a viral smash hit. [2] X Research source

• Examples: "Extremely Scary Ghost Elevator Prank in Brazil," "Drive Thru Invisible Driver Prank."
• Viral Tip: Use common sense and stay safe when you're shooting your prank. Don't try to shoot anything that could conceivably leave anyone hurt or in jail. See our article on simple pranks for a few ideas to get you started.

• Examples: "Leave Britney Alone"
• Viral Tip: The biggest difficulty with monologue videos is that there's not much for your audience to look at besides your face and whatever is right behind you. This means you'll have to be creative to keep your viewers' attention — use humor or an emotional performance to separate yourself from the pack.

• Examples: "Numa Numa Song," countless Let It Go lip syncs.
• Viral Tip: Remember that you don't have to lip sync for the entire song — a thirty-second lip sync of the funniest part of the song can be hilarious, but a four-minute video of the entire thing can be a little much.

• Examples: "Charlie Bit My Finger," "David After Dentist," etc.
• Viral Tip: If you have young children in your family, you may be sitting on a comedy goldmine. Kids often aren't afraid to act silly, stupid, cute, and earnest the way that adults can be, so keep your camera rolling on any young ones.

• Examples: Countless "Harlem Shake" videos, Downfall spoofs, "Keyboard Cat" mashups, and many, many more.
• Viral Tip: If you want to get popular off of an existing meme, your best bet is to put your video out as soon as possible. The popularity of video memes usually burns bright, but short. For example, the "Harlem Shake" video craze of early 2013 peaked in mid-February with millions upon millions of daily views. However, by as early as the start of March, viewership had fallen drastically. [3] X Research source

Intermediate Ideas

• Examples: "The Evolution of Dance," "Chocolate Rain," etc.
• Viral Tip: For the best chance at success, try to limit yourself to things that people can't see from anyone else. For example, being able to dunk on a regulation hoop is pretty amazing, but it's something people anyone who watches basketball has seen before. Being able to dunk over a friend's head, on the other hand, is a lot rarer and more impressive.

• Examples: YouTube channels like Markiplier, PewDiePie, etc.
• Viral Tip: If you gain popularity with a Let's Play channel, convert your viral success into cash! For example, some Let's Play-ers make revenue-sharing deals with advertisers, others get sponsored by established video content providers, and still others use digital payment systems like Patreon to take donations from their viewers. [4] X Research source

• Examples: "Sneezing Panda," "Otters Holding Hands."
• Viral Tip: Recording a funny or cute animal video often requires a little more luck and patience than it would take to capture a young relative doing something funny, for instance. It's difficult to predict exactly how animals will behave, even when they're well-behaved, so be patient and keep your camera running!

• Examples: "Life Hack" videos, "WonderHowTo" videos, etc.
• Viral Tip: For maximum popularity, you'll want to address problems that lots of people have a hard time dealing with. For example, common computer performance issues like slow loading times, bad Wi-Fi connections, and so on are among the very most common customer support issues. [6] X Research source

• Examples: "Rickroll" videos, "Super Bowl Shuffle" clips, "Everything Is Terrible," etc.
• Viral Tip: Though every decade has its fair share of cheese, for many, the neon-soaked 1980s take the cake. Try watching forgotten 80s junk-cinema classics like Miami Connection for a taste of just how corny the Reagan years seem today.

Advanced Ideas

• Examples: Five Second Films, SNL Digital shorts, etc. [7] X Research source
• Viral Tip: Sometimes, the key to achieving viral success with a short film is to make it a really short film. For example, the "Five Second Films" YouTube channel, which makes humorous clips that run just five seconds in length, has millions of subscribers.

• Examples: "Autotune the News" videos, "Here it Goes Again" by OKGO, etc.
• Viral Tip: While you don't necessarily have to make a music video for your own original music to go viral, be prepared for difficulties if you make one for someone else's music — song copyright holders are quick to issue takedown notices for content they believe uses their material unfairly.

• Examples: "Guinness World Record: Most Shirts Worn at One Time," "Tightest Parallel Park Record Broken," etc.
• Viral Tip: You don't necessarily have to break a record on your own — records like "Biggest Sock Hop," for instance, recognize community organizing rather than one person's individual skill.

• Examples: Potter Puppet Pals, Charlie the Unicorn, etc.
• Viral Tip: Don't know how to animate? See our Adobe Flash articles to start learning about one of the most popular animation programs in use today.

Improving Your Chances

• You don't necessarily have to break the bank to get great-quality footage. For instance, a good-quality voice recorder and an HD camcorder, which is all you'll need for basic videos, will run you about $500.

• If you're interested mainly in making very short clips, consider joining Vine, a video sharing app meant for videos up to about six seconds long. Vine has its own active user base, so it's possible to become a viral Vine sensation entirely outside of YouTube (though you'll ultimately be able to reach fewer people.)

• A look at the top 10 most-viewed YouTube videos of all time seems to confirm this: the only one that isn't a music video is "Charlie Bit My Finger," which is certainly lighthearted and funny. Of the music videos, about six or seven would generally be classified as lighthearted, depending on your personal tastes. [10] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Continuous promotion of your video will be the key to your success. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• TubeMogul.com is free, and comes with analytics for each site that you have syndicated your video to. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• vidIQ is one of the best free YouTube stats tools out there. It's certified by YouTube, and is a great program to keep in mind while developing your own videos.
• Try to do something rare that no one else has done. To really be famous, do something that's really difficult and that others will not put the effort to do.
• Try using the Clips app if you have an iOS device. It's great for making videos!

• Whatever your viral video is, to give it the greatest reach, make sure it meets the terms of use for popular sites like YouTube (typically, nudity, gore, and so on aren't allowed.) Anything-goes video sites like LiveLeak have much smaller user bases. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 7

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about making a viral video, check out our in-depth interview with Wayne Dang .

• ↑ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/23/youtube-s-10-most-watched-videos-ever.html
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
• ↑ http://visual.ly/harlem-shake-data-and-stats
• ↑ http://www.patreon.com/
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/user/DaveHax
• ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2047667/how-to-solve-the-10-most-common-tech-support-problems-yourself.html
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkGyhCwp93E4KItUIGQWzUj-AzBBSjFds
• ↑ http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/06/02/8-most-watched-youtube-videos-of-all-time
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2014/08/07/6-qualities-to-make-your-videos-go-viral/

About This Article

To make a viral video, try filming yourself while doing something funny, like pulling a harmless prank on someone or lip-syncing to your favorite song. You can also try to capture cute, sweet moments, like puppies playing together or your kids saying something silly. Alternatively, record yourself talking about something important to you or showing off a talent you have, as long as it’s unique and impressive. No matter what type of video you post, keep it under 3 minutes in length so you can easily keep people’s attention. For tips on how to post your video on sites other than YouTube to improve your chances of going viral, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Create Viral Short-form Videos: 3 Tips from Influencer Valeria Lipovetsky

Influencer turned entrepreneur, Valeria Lipovetsky shares how to produce scroll-stopping videos across all social channels.

With over 4M followers across her social platforms, Valeria Lipovetsky knows a thing or two about creating viral video content.

From Instagram to YouTube and TikTok, the Toronto-based influencer has built a brand that people seriously tune into.

Luckily, we got a chance to sit down with the content queen at LaterCon where she shared her top tips and tricks to garner tons of clicks – no matter the platform!

PS: Keep scrolling to watch Valeria’s session below:

Tip #1: Find Inspiration in the Comments Section

If you want to create viral short-form content, you have to learn what your audience really has an appetite for.

Valeria suggests taking a peek at your comments section . 

Oftentimes you can catch the content creator going through her YouTube comment section to find inspiration for her next viral video series or uncovering what type of posts her audience values most.

“I go through the comments to see specific moments people were attached to. That’s an indication that a piece of content resonated with people and can stand on its own,” shares Valeria.

For example, if you share fashion content (like Valeria) and notice users asking for fall styling recommendations, a video highlighting chic fall staples might be the ticket to your next viral video success.

Think of the comments section as your very own focus group. A space to check out what users are most engaged with, and help inform and inspire your next piece of content.

TIP: If your comment section isn’t bumping just yet, that’s okay. Look through your DMs or customer emails to pull content ideas.

Tip #2: Stay on Top of Trends

Whether it’s dances, music, or challenges, following trends are a major part of creating viral short-form content.

And while it seems like every day there’s a new app, trend, or announcement in the world of creative content, being immersed in the social media landscape is key. 

That way you can better identify and adapt to trends when they first emerge and put them into play to fit your brand or business. 

“Part of a content creator’s job is to be on top of knowing which new features and platforms are coming out,” says the mom of three.

Take TikTok for instance, because the app moves so quickly – turning out snappy, viral videos by the second – it’s a great space to discover trending sounds, transitions and so much more.

Use it as a means of inspiration for your content, so that your short-form video stands a chance at going viral too.

TIP: TikTok’s explore page is your best friend – it’s full of trending hashtags, music, and challenges. Give it a scroll to find your next post!

Ready to start scheduling your Instagram and Facebook posts with Later? Sign up today – it's free!

Tip #3: Get Face-to-face with Your Audience

Don’t be shy! The best way to connect with your audience is by being face-to-face. 

Your followers want to feel a genuine connection and getting front and center on your TikToks and Reels can create a real sense of community with your audience. 

“I always recommend as many in-person, face-to-face video content as possible – it’s way more informal and feels as if your followers are going through your day with you. And that has real power when it comes to building a community,” notes Valeria.

Showcase your personality (quirks and all!) with your audience – whether you’re answering questions via a TikTok Live or speaking directly to your audience through Instagram Reels .

Trust us (and Valeria), seeing a familiar face on social media can instantly stop a scroll in its tracks!

Want to learn even more viral video tips from Valeria? Catch her full LaterCon session below:

Amanda is a Content Marketing Specialist based in Toronto. When she’s not busy writing you can catch her playing tennis or sipping all the pop-culture tea. Say hi on Instagram — @amandademeku

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University of Twente Student Theses

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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

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6 Tips for Creating Video Titles That Go Viral

Knowing how to create a viral video is impossible unless you have the right title. Do you think “Charlie Bit My Finger” would have been as memorable if it were named “Baby Bites Brother’s Finger.” Viral video titles have to be original, descriptive, and recognizable, not generic. Before trying to figure out how to write viral headlines, it’s important to emulate the best viral videos of our time. Check out these top 10 viral videos on YouTube to study how to make a viral video:

• Charlie Bit My Finger
• Evolution of Dance
• David After Dentist
• “Here It Goes Again”
• Leave Britney Alone
• Don’t Tase Me, Bro
• Keyboard Cat
• Dramatic Chipmunk
• Hitler’s Downfall

Studying viral videos like the ones above is the first step to understanding how to write viral content. Although you shouldn’t copycat those before you, researching viral videos and their titles is imperative to understanding what makes a video go viral. For starters, according to  ReelSEO , the average number of words for a YouTube video is only 6.7, and the number of characters is 37.5. Viral videos are also short in length, not just in their titles. Some research shares that 60% of viral videos are under three minutes and almost none exceed 5 minutes.

Your own mind should not be your only resource when it comes to headline writing. You can find several catchy title generators like MozWorthy . Although you shouldn’t stick with every word a viral headlines generator offers you, using them can boost your own creativity. You don’t have to go to a viral video film school to learn how to have success with your video titles. Whether you are wondering how to write a viral song or how to write a headline, checking out the tips below will guarantee you more success.

1. Make it searchable

This means using keywords! Optimizing your video titles for Google and Bing are important to produce organic growth. Viewers searching for content applicable to your topic will not be able to find your video unless you make it easy to find. You can find keywords for your video titles by using tools such as Google .

Example:  “6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys” – Here, The Slow Mo Guys use the name of their YouTube channel to optimize this video since their channel is pretty popular.

2. Make it shareable

Do not make a video your audience would be embarrassed to share! Give your videos a title and message that is safe for everyone. Even if your video focuses on a specific audience (for example, pregnant women), you can still make it relevant to all people (e.g., the importance of mothers).

Example: “Love Has No Labels” – This video doesn’t shout something awkward and upsetting like “Stop Judging People Based on Their Sexuality.” It shouts something everyone can connect with: love.

3. Be descriptive

Example: “Crazy Plastic Ball PRANK!!” – The audience knows they can expect something “crazy” and exciting, not just any ordinary prank video.

4. Inspire curiosity

Typically, you shouldn’t reveal the whole premise in your video title. Leave your audience wondering. Doing so will, obviously, compel more people to click on your video to find out what the title is all about. Without curiosity, no one will be interested in your awesome video!

Example: “Golden boy Calum Scott hits the right note” – Instead of shrugging a shoulder at the video link, the audience is left wondering several things: Who is Calum Scott? What does he sing? What happens in the video?

5. Don’t overcomplicate

Most often, the best way to brainstorm creative video titles is to use the K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple, Stupid!). If you overcomplicate the process too much, your videos titles may become just as entangling for the viewer. While trying to follow the tips in this article, remember to relax and have some fun when formulating your video titles.

Example:  “Justin Bieber Carpool Karaoke” –  Although the title limits itself to four words, the name “Justin Bieber” and the exciting idea of “Carpool Karaoke” catches the audience’s attention without making things too complex.

6. Follow up with content

Coming up with the perfect headline does not  mean using titles as bait just do get more video views! If you do not use your video to substantiate your title, the viewer pushback will be daunting. Always follow up with some hilarious, inspiring, or fascinating content so your audience will not regret watching your video.

Example:  “Lip Sync Battle with Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon” – With this video, the audience thought they were going to get a lip sync battle with these three celebrities, and what did they end up with? Just that.

How to Make the Most of Your Viral Video Titles

Although low-resolution and terrible sound quality may have spelled success for videos like “Evolution of Dance”  in 2006, 2016 hosts billions of videos and millions of creators you have to compete with. Producing high-quality content is a must , so try checking out Valoso to get you set up with all your video-editing needs. Creating a viral video doesn’t have to be rocket science. Just follow the tips above and head on over to Valoso to get started.

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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'Golden Bachelor' couple Gerry and Theresa getting divorced

NEW YORK -- Sad news for Bachelor Nation. Beloved "Golden Bachelor" couple Gerry and Theresa announced that they are getting a divorce.

The first couple of the "Golden" reality series made their announcement Friday on "Good Morning America."

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist married on live television just three months ago on January 4.

They said they were nervous about how fans would take the news.

"We've had a number of heart-to-heart conversations and we've looked carefully at our situation, our living situation, and so forth, and we've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage," Gerry said.

The couple struggled with responsibilities to their grown children and grandchildren.

"It's been how dedicated both of us are to our families," Gerry said. "We feel like it's best for the happiness of both of us to live apart."

They had planned to move to South Carolina together, but it never came to fruition.

"So that was the plan. We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered homes in New Jersey, and we just looked at home after home and we never got to the point where we made that decision," Theresa said.

Throughout the interview, ABC News' Juju Chang noticed they continued to hold hands.

"Did you fall out of love?" she asked.

"No, no. I still love this person," Gerry said. "There's no doubt in my mind. I still am in love with her, I root for her every day."

Theresa agreed.

They hope their divorce doesn't take hope away from other seniors looking for love.

Theresa said that none of the tabloid stories came into play in their decision to divorce.

The former couple said that they are 70 and 72 and they didn't want to waste their time pretending to stay married.

Theresa will have to give the ring back to Neil Lane. "Sad to say, I think that's how it works," she said.

"But we don't have to give the memories back," Gerry said.

The divorce shouldn't take too long to finalize as they did have a pre-nuptial agreement.

They plan to continue to look for love with other people but say they plan to stay best friends. They were both previously wed to their high school sweethearts, each of whom passed away after more than 40 years of marriage.

As for advice for the upcoming, yet-to-be-announced "Golden Bachelorette," Theresa said, "Be authentic and be yourself."

More of Juju Chang's interview with Gerry and Theresa will air on "Nightline" Friday night.

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