Why videos go viral | Kevin Allocca

TL;DR

Kevin Allocca, the trends manager at YouTube, discusses how videos go viral and why it matters.

Transcript

Hi. I'm Kevin Allocca, I'm the trends manager at YouTube, and I professionally watch YouTube videos. It's true. So we're going to talk a little bit today about how videos go viral and then why that even matters. We all want to be stars -- celebrities, singers, comedians -- and when I was younger, that seemed so very, very hard to do. But now Web vi... Read More

Key Insights

• 📺 The rise of viral videos: YouTube has made it possible for anyone to become famous and create cultural moments through web videos, but only a tiny percentage actually goes viral.
• 🍿 Tastemakers matter: Tastemakers like Jimmy Kimmel and Tosh.0 introduce new and interesting videos to larger audiences, accelerating their popularity.
• 🌈 Unexpectedness is key: Videos like "Double Rainbow" and Rebecca Black's "Friday" seemingly sprouted out of nowhere, catching attention and going viral due to their unexpectedness.
• 👥 Communities of participation: Community participation through sharing, discussing, and creating parodies is how videos become a phenomenon and part of our pop culture.
• 💡 Creativity inspires more creativity: Videos like "Nyan Cat" spark creativity among internet culture, leading to remixes, international versions, and the formation of a remix community.
• ❓The unpredictability of viral success: No one can predict what videos will go viral, but the most unique and unexpected content stands out and captures the audience's attention.
• 🎥 Surprising and humorous content gets attention: Videos like Casey Niestat's humorous take on protesting bicycle fines gained millions of views by being surprising and funny.
• 🌟 The rise of a new media and culture: The characteristics of a new kind of media include access for everyone, audience-defined popularity, and a sense of ownership in our own pop culture.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Videos go viral on YouTube through the help of tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness.

• Tastemakers play a crucial role in introducing new and interesting content to a larger audience.

• Participating communities can contribute to the spread and popularity of viral videos through parodies, remixes, and other forms of creative engagement.