Ever wondered how to make a viral video? Then listen up.
David Christison is the founder of The Woolshed – a video production company based in Melbourne that’s done something quite genius (I think) for the art of viral videos, and the marketing of his own business.
Over the past two years the Woolshed has produced 8 unique viral videos. Videos that many of you would have seen, and gone OMG! … then gone and shared it with your mates.
But the amazing thing is, all 8 of the videos are fully manufactured. They’re fakes!
This is an absolute masterclass on how to make a viral video.
You’ll find all eight viral videos over at at this blog post, but some of the major ones include the guy who fights off a Great White Shark in Sydney harbour (this one sucked me in!); the crazy guy who runs into an outback tornado to take a selfie; and the snowboarding girl being chased by a bear!
As David says in his press release, “We set out to better understand exactly how to create short-form, highly shareable and snackable’ content, that is capable of reaching worldwide mass audiences, without the luxury of pricey media buys, ad campaigns, publicity strategies or distribution deals.”
And, without any paid media, promotion or publicity here’s what the 8 viral videos have achieved:
- 164 years of YouTube watch time
- 205 million online views
- 500,000+ comments
- Plus worldwide news coverage on all the big outlets
Add to this the fact that this brilliant experiment single-handedly launched David’s business, to the point now where they are working for big names clients from around the world.
I love this story. Listen in and you’ll discover what works, what doesn’t, and what are the absolute ‘must haves’ for any viral marketing campaign.
PLUS, I share part 1 of a 4-part series in which I share 5 email subject lines that are highly clickable.
I’m also excited to announce The Growth Hack Accelerator, a live event I’m speaking at in September. Joined by two other speakers in Outsourcing expert David Warne, and Systems specialist David Guest, Growth Hack Accelerator is a ridiculously practical 3-hour breakfast session in which you’ll discover …
- How to create a marketing system that will position you as a thought leader
- How to radically reduce your businesses greatest expense
- How to remove yourself from the business for maximum growth ( a theme that’s common to many recent episodes)
Yep, another big episode of your favourite marketing podcast. So, let’s get stuck, right in.
EPISODE TIMELINE
02:14 Introduction teaser
02:49 Welcome & overview
04:12 Check-in : Virgin Australia update & Growth Hack Accelerator
06:02 Today’s guest introduction – David Christison of The Woolshed
08:36 Interview with David Christison of The Woolshed
42:36 Insights into WebCentral & Cornerstone Business Solutions
45:05 My Top 3 Attention Grabbers from my chat with David Christison of The Woolshed
46:33 Part 1 – Highly Clickable Email Subject Lines
51:09 Wrap-up and an insight in to both a past guest & next week’s guest
EPISODE SPONSORS
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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED
Growth Hack Accelerator – a live event I’m speaking at in September
The Woolshed’s Official Website
Find all 8 of The Woolshed’s viral videos here
The Electronic Press Kit for their viral video experiment
The article by Emma Dowdle containing 20 highly clickable email subject lines
MY TOP 3 MARKETING ATTENTION GRABBERS
- Putting aside all the learnings he shared around viral video production, what I particularly loved was how this very clever experiment underpinned the successful launch of his video production business. What a brilliant marketing idea!
- Whilst many of you listening may well love the idea of creating a viral video (including me) – the time and energy required to produce one may be better spent on other marketing initiatives.
- The quality and detail of the Electronic Press Kit David and his team produced and made available for anyone interested in promoting the experiment. Accessible via their website and available via download from a Public Dropbox, it contains:
Infographic
Press Release
Logos
Summary Video
Summary Video Thumbnail
Viral Videos
Viral Video Thumbnails
So, if you’re planning on doing some publicity, like sharing the results of some research your business has created, this is a great template to follow.
OVER TO YOU …
What was your biggest marketing learning or ah-ha moment from this episode?
Leave your comment below.
My guest and I respond to each and every comment.
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5 thoughts on “327 – How To Make a Viral Video with David Christison Who’s Made 8 Hugley Successful Ones”
David sounds like a cool dude! great chat Tim 🙂
Thanks Kate. I agree. Great story. Hey, you sure you weren’t getting me mixed up with the “cool sounding dude”?! ;0)
Well they do say it takes one to interview one!
Great session. Some wise words about being careful handing your money over to anyone who guarantees a viral video result.
Correct, Geoff. In fact, add those people to the same list as those who promise to get you on page 1 of Google.