Too many people think viral videos can only be made by famous musicians, movie stars, or social media influencers. In reality, any business can pull this off if it knows how to make a viral video the right way.
Companies of every size have used viral content to their advantage. Small businesses and major corporations alike, from Nike to GoPro to Dollar Shave Club, have taken advantage of the same opportunity: reaching a massive audience without a massive ad budget.
Everyone from small business owners to major corporations like Nike, GoPro, and Google have taken advantage of opportunities to reach larger audiences with these dynamic types of video content.
A viral video is a piece of content that earns a large number of views through word of mouth, social shares, and other forms of organic online sharing. Instead of paying to put your message in front of people, your audience does the advertising for you, for free.
Knowing how to make a viral video matters for one simple reason: it can save your company money while reaching more customers than a standard ad ever would. A well-made viral video also builds your brand, showcasing your company’s personality and what you have to offer.
Marketing campaigns already offer some of the best returns on investment of any business tactic, and viral content pushes that even further. Instead of paying platforms like Google or Meta extra to boost a video’s reach, your content gets shared thousands or millions of times on its own. Whether you’re a startup on a shoestring budget or an established firm, learning how to make a video go viral can help you reach more people for the same spend, or less.
A viral video also builds a real relationship with your audience. It entertains and engages people with a personal touch, rather than just selling to them. From spreading a message to cutting your marketing costs, a strong viral video can move your business forward in more ways than one.
Before diving into tactics, it helps to see virality in action. A few of the biggest viral videos ever made show just how far the right content can travel: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee has racked up more than 6.8 billion views on YouTube, while Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark Dance” has passed 6.1 billion, both proof that a catchy hook and shareable format can cross language and culture at a scale most marketers never expect.
The following viral video examples can help you learn the best techniques for making your own content reach a larger audience. That kind of reach is the exception, not the rule, and it’s a different game than what a business needs. A short, cute clip can go viral simply because it’s charming and easy to share. A business video needs to work harder: it has to earn attention and tie back to a product, a brand, or a message. That’s where paid promotion and a deliberate strategy come in, and it’s also where the best business examples of virality have the most to teach us.
With a title like this, it’s no surprise the “Girls Don’t Poop” video has racked up more than 43.3 million views on YouTube. Created by PooPourri, the video pairs a prim British spokeswoman with a genuinely awkward topic, using humor as a bridge between an unglamorous product and a mainstream audience. That combination of a bold premise and a clickable title took PooPourri from an unknown brand to a household name almost overnight, and it’s a textbook example of how brand videos can carry an entire company’s identity in under two minutes.
Most mattress ads don’t pull in 187 million views, which is exactly why this one is worth studying if you want to learn how to make a viral video. Purple Mattress cast a Goldilocks-style spokeswoman to demonstrate how raw eggs shouldn’t crack under pressure when dropped on a good mattress. It’s an unusual, faintly absurd approach, paired with a genuinely funny host, and that combination is what made a product demo feel like entertainment instead of an ad.
If you want to learn how to make a viral video for Facebook or Instagram, Dollar Shave Club’s launch video is one of the best places to start. It’s ridiculous and catchy in equal measure, satirizing the tropes of a typical promotional video with bears, swords, and money guns thrown in for good measure. That willingness to poke fun at its own category is what made the video unforgettable, and it’s a strong example of the kind of video ad content that earns organic shares instead of just paid impressions.
Dollar Shave Club also worked directly with Top Notch Cinema on a follow-up promo video, which played a meaningful role in the company’s eventual $1 billion acquisition, proof that a single well-made video can move well beyond marketing and directly impact a company’s bottom line.
On YouTube, this viral video has more than 6.8 billion views. In addition to being popular in the Spanish-speaking world as well as in the United States, “Despacito” became a massive hit in places like Israel (18 million views), Italy (146 million), and Indonesia (41 million). Thanks to its sensual lyrics, captivating dance moves, and catchy tune, this video has become a global sensation.
Ed Sheeran’s hit song “Shape of You” is easily his most popular to date. The song sings about his love of a woman he boxes with as shown in his viral music video. With more than 4.9 billion views on YouTube, this is definitely a song you could get stuck in your head.
Boasting a staggering 6.1 billion views on YouTube, the Baby Shark Dance is known and recognized by children all over the world. It pairs a simple, catchy tune with bright cartoon images and easy-to-remember dance moves. It has been a huge success with little kids, so you’ve probably listened to this song on repeat many times if you’re a parent.
With more than 2 billion views, the Gummy Bear Song is one of the best viral video examples. Hitting YouTube back in 2007, the song has an electronic feel to it, and it is another tune that can easily get stuck in your head. Like the Baby Shark Dance, this video’s popularity was likely aided by the fact it appeals to a younger audience who love to hear it over and over again.
It’s hard to believe the clip known as “Charlie Bit My Finger” is over 13 years old and has more than 875 million views. The entire clip revolves around two brothers sitting in a recliner as the younger of the two keeps biting the older brother’s finger. Between the adorable accent and the fact the older brother keeps letting Charlie bite his finger, this video is too funny not to share.
Unlike a business video, a short clip like this one goes viral simply because it’s cute, clever, and shareable. On the other hand, companies who want to create a viral video don’t typically reach that level organically. Their videos will need to be marketed with paid ads by making a great video then putting in extra money and effort to promote it across social media sites.
What makes a video go viral? If there were a single formula, every marketer in the world would have already copied it. You can’t just film something quirky because it worked for someone else. Instead, you need to combine the following elements in your own unexpected way to give your content a real shot at reaching a wider audience.
IIf you want to learn how to make a viral video, start with your target audience’s emotions. People remember, act on, and share content that makes them feel something. Think about the Geico Gecko: nobody’s genuinely excited about car insurance, but the gecko’s charm and trademark accent create a positive emotional response that sticks, and that response becomes tied to the Geico brand itself.
Not every emotional response works in your favor, though. Strong negative reactions can create backlash instead of shares. As you learn how to make a viral video for Instagram or Facebook, aim for positive emotions like humor, happiness, or a good cause. Content built around positive feeling is what earns the right kind of traction.
A common misconception is that a good video goes viral entirely on its own. In reality, you have to be strategic about how you promote and share it, whether that means media outreach, working with an influencer, or pairing organic content with paid support. Simply posting a video on YouTube and hoping for the best won’t get you there. If you want to know how to make a viral video that actually performs, market your content the same way you’d market any other campaign asset.
A viral video doesn’t automatically mean a successful campaign. If your video doesn’t reinforce your brand or message, the views alone won’t move your business forward. Before production starts, get clear on your goal: brand awareness, product launch, traffic, or sales.
The Dollar Shave Club ad is one of the clearest examples of message-first virality. The company spent roughly $4,500 producing the video and brought in 12,000 new orders within 48 hours of release, all because the humor never buried the message. If viewers walk away entertained but without a clear takeaway, your brand won’t see the return.
Staying aware of current trends helps you shape ideas that feel timely and helps you avoid missteps. Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign is a strong example: the phrase used to carry a negative connotation, and Always rebuilt it into something positive, connecting with its audience on a real emotional level while staying culturally relevant.
Remote work is another trend worth watching right now, and there’s a real opportunity in content that shows how your company is adapting to it. Just be mindful of the flip side: leaning into a trend that hits too close to a sensitive current event can backfire fast.
Between smartphones, streaming, and social feeds, attention is the scarcest resource you have. Videos see the most engagement when they run two to three minutes or less. If you want viewers to absorb your message, you have to deliver it fast.
Virtual production is a good example of a complex topic that still works as a short, digestible clip, one that can spark enough curiosity to send viewers looking for more. It’s also worth weaving your brand into the beginning and middle of the video, not just the end, since a portion of your audience won’t stick around for the full runtime. A social media video built with this pacing in mind has a much better shot at holding attention start to finish.
The best viral videos entertain, but the ones that build real business results also provide value. PooPourri, Purple Mattress, and Dollar Shave Club all succeed by pairing entertainment with a genuinely useful product. Budweiser’s “Someone Waits for You at Home” shows the same principle a different way: it doesn’t sell a specific product feature at all, it delivers value through an emotionally resonant story.
Value doesn’t have to mean a laugh, and it doesn’t have to mean a direct product pitch. It can mean a positive message, a useful piece of information, or a story that stays with someone. If your content gives the viewer something real, whatever form that takes, it’s far more likely to be shared.
A newspaper headline used to decide whether that day’s paper sold out or got tossed. The same logic applies to your video title: it needs to be click-worthy and specific. You don’t need to lean on clickbait unless it fits your brand, but a bland, generic title won’t get anyone to stop scrolling. Titles like “Girls Don’t Poop” or GoPro’s “Fireman Saves a Kitten” work because they tell you exactly what you’re about to see and make you want to see it anyway.
A unique, searchable title also matters for discovery on Google and YouTube alike. This same principle carries over directly into paid video ads, where the headline and hook often make the entire difference between a scroll-past and a view.
Once your video exists, the thumbnail is often the first thing a potential viewer sees, especially on platforms where video doesn’t autoplay. A strong thumbnail should communicate the core idea of the video at a glance and be visually compelling enough to earn the click on its own.
Interesting content naturally holds attention, but you can extend that further through social posts, comments, and direct engagement. Whether you ask viewers to subscribe, share, or simply leave a comment, getting them involved increases the odds they’ll pass your content along and, over time, become loyal customers.
Learning how to make a viral video takes strategy, creativity, and a willingness to try something a little unconventional, but the payoff can reshape how your business reaches customers. Whether you’re aiming for the next PooPourri-style breakout moment or simply want more mileage out of your next campaign, the right promotional video can be the difference between content that gets scrolled past and content that gets shared.
Ready to create a video with real viral potential? Reach out to Top Notch Cinema and let’s build something worth sharing.
