Making Good Viruses-Viral Video Clips

When someone mentions a virus, computer or biological, most people cringe. How did the word "viral" become a good thing for internet video clips?

Internet users actually seek out "viral videos" and willingly share them with friends and family. Imagine a flu virus being spread that way...or a really nasty email virus. Receiving a bad virus from a friend is unheard of but getting a video clip of viral quality makes our day.

Here are the ingredients for a great viral video:

Make it short - Most of the best clips are under five minutes. When you think about it the very best part of a full-length movie is under five minutes. There are hundreds of things captured on video that can be summed up in five minutes or less. Most of the other stuff is filler.

Make it passionate - For those that have seen the famous Numa Numa clip there is only one thing going for the kid - he's passionate. He sits in front of a grainy web cam pouring his heart out to the world lip-syncing. Add some passion to something lame and you've got something viral.

Make it amateur - lonelygirl15 and a handful of other professional "amateurs" make their stories believable by leaving off the shine. They may have professional writers and actors but use a handheld camera to pull off something viral.

Make an impact - Viral clips all have one thing in common...they are memorable. Try as you might you cannot forget the images. On a personal note I always have some sort of response when I see something truly viral. I either laugh out loud, cringe in sympathy, or I have to see it again and again.

Once infected with a great viral video you are compelled to share it, talk about it, and infect others. True viruses adapt to their surrounding and have no signs of life. They depend on their host to make them come alive. All the best viral videos depend on the host of people they infect to really come alive too.