Introduction
With the rise of video sharing platforms like YouTube, viral videos have become a cultural phenomenon. A viral video is one that gains rapid, widespread popularity through shares on social media and engagement from viewers. Cat videos tend to go viral frequently due to their cute nature and broad appeal. In 2014 alone, nearly 2 million cat videos were posted to YouTube, gaining over 26 billion views (https://blog.purestorage.com/perspectives/how-much-of-the-worlds-data-is-cat-content/). The popularity of cat videos online has led some researchers to study why humans enjoy watching them so much.
This article will provide tips on how to make your own cat video go viral. It covers advice on filming techniques, optimizing your video for discoverability, utilizing social media, encouraging engagement from viewers, and partnering with influencers. With creativity and strategic planning, you can create a cat video that captures hearts across the internet.
Film an Adorable Cat
The key to a successful cute cat video is capturing cats doing adorable things on camera. Focus on filming cats playing, cuddling, exploring, chasing toys, or anything else endearing. Try to capture funny or memorable reactions and expressions from your cat like slow blinks, head tilts, jumping in surprise, etc. Funny meows and other vocalizations can also grab viewer attention. Look for moments of cuteness when your cat is most active and animated. Viral cat videos often show cats being silly and playful. Filming cats up close allows viewers to see all their cute mannerisms and details.
As experts recommend, “Cute Cat Moments Caught on Camera 2019” provides excellent examples of viral-worthy cat content, with many clips showing cats playing, snuggling, and being silly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGCRWtEz15w.
Keep It Short
Research shows that short cat videos have the best chance of going viral. According to Viral Cat YouTube Channel Stats, the average length of viral cat videos on YouTube is around 5 minutes. However, videos under 2 minutes tend to gain more traction and shares. This is likely because short, snackable social media content keeps the viewer engaged before they lose interest.
Avoid posting long, drawn-out footage of your cat. Trim the video down to only the most adorable, hilarious or entertaining moments. Viewers are more likely to watch – and share – a 60 second clip of a cat doing something cute rather than 5 minutes of a cat sitting around. Cut out unnecessary footage to highlight the very best scenes.
Add Funny Captions
Humorous or clever captions help cat videos spread virally on social media. While watching a cute cat video may bring a smile to viewers’ faces, pairing the video with a funny caption that highlights the cat’s silly antics or personality elicits laughter and enhances enjoyment. According to Country Living magazine, “A picture might be worth 1,000 words, but the right cat Instagram caption will leave people speechless” (1).
When adding captions to cat videos, take a moment to observe the cat’s behavior and think of funny ways to describe their actions (2). For example, if the cat is sitting in a box, use a caption like “If I fits, I sits” or riff on popular cat phrases like “Can I haz box?” (3). The captions should complement the humor within the video itself. If the cat does something clumsy, use captions playing off their gracelessness. Captions that anthropomorphize the cat and imagine their thoughts can also add humor. Ultimately, the goal is to produce captions that make people laugh or smile when paired with the cute cat footage.
While captions can occur throughout the video, placing brief funny comments at climactic moments helps highlight the most shareable scenes (4). Aim to produce captivating captions tailored specifically to that individual cat video that viewers will want to share with others.
(1) https://www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pets/a28448103/cat-instagram-captions/
(2) https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/home-lifestyle/pets/a45081321/cat-instagram-captions/
(3) https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/a43276342/cat-instagram-captions/
(4) https://www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pets/a28448103/cat-instagram-captions/
Use Attention-Grabbing Thumbnails
Thumbnails are one of the most important elements for enticing viewers to click on cat videos. According to How to Create a Good YouTube Thumbnail, “A good thumbnail gives viewers a reason to watch your video. It should have vibrant colors, be easily readable, and clearly depict what the video is about.”
When making a thumbnail for a viral cat video, use a clear, eye-catching image of a cute cat. Capture the cat in a funny or adorable moment. Facial expressions are important – a silly, surprised, or smiling cat will spark more interest. Make sure the image pops against the background. Vibrant colors tend to perform better than black and white. The goal is to immediately grab attention.
Additionally, keep the text short and compelling. According to 5 Tips for Creating a Click-Worthy YouTube Thumbnail, “Spend time crafting short, attention-grabbing text for your thumbnails.” Phrases like “The Cutest Kitten!” or “Watch Meow!” are more effective than lengthy descriptions.
With a vibrant, engaging thumbnail image featuring a cute cat and simple eye-catching text, you’ll entice viewers to click and watch the video.
Share on Social Media
Sharing your cat video on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help it reach a wider audience and go viral (https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/go-to-social-media-video-platforms). Choose platforms where many people consume video content daily. Post the video natively when possible, using the platform’s built-in video hosting.
Make sure to include relevant hashtags like #catvideo to make it easier for viewers interested in cat videos to find it. Tag any influencers or brands that may want to share the video. Consider paying to boost the post as promoted content to extend its reach. The key is to get it in front of as many viewers as possible across a variety of social platforms.
Encourage Engagement
One of the most effective ways to help a cat video go viral is to encourage viewers to actively engage with it. Start by explicitly asking viewers to like, comment on, and share the video. The call to action helps spread awareness. Replying to comments also keeps the discussion flowing. According to Top Five Ways To Increase Youtube Video Engagement, engagement builds a community and gets more eyeballs on the video.
Make it easy for viewers to engage by posting the video natively on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Enable likes, comments, and shares. Have a clear and clickable call-to-action. Respond to every comment to show you care about the audience. The more people engage, the more the algorithms will promote the viral cat video.
Optimize Video SEO
One of the most important tips for going viral on YouTube is to optimize your video for search engine optimization (SEO). This will make it easier for viewers searching relevant keywords to discover your video. According to the WordStream blog, achieve higher YouTube rankings by choosing the right keywords and including them in the title, description and tags of your video.
Do thorough keyword research to identify terms and phrases that people frequently search for when looking for cat videos. Use a YouTube SEO tool to discover popular and low competition search queries. Include the primary keyword naturally in the title of your video. The description is another key place to incorporate your main keywords. Fill the description with a long, detailed summary of the video content using keyword phrases where appropriate. Apply relevant tags as well, separated by commas.
Proper video SEO optimization like strategic keyword placement helps your cat video appear in YouTube search results and suggested videos for top queries. This expands your potential reach and positions your viral cat video to be discovered by more viewers interested in that topic.
Partner With Influencers
One of the most effective ways to get a cat video to go viral is to partner with influencers who have large audiences of cat lovers. According to Afluencer, there are many popular pet brands looking to partner with influencers to promote their products. Reaching out to accounts with big cat followings and offering to create custom branded content for them to share can help spread the video widely.
Focus your outreach on influencers who frequently post engaging cat content and have cultivated an audience passionate about cats. Offer to make the influencer’s cat the star of a custom video that highlights their brand. In exchange, ask them to share the video with their followers. The influencer’s existing audience and credibility will give the video a major boost in reach. According to research, partnering with pet influencers who have an authentic interest in animals and engaged followers is key for success.
With the power of influencers sharing the cat video to their dedicated cat-loving followers, the chances of it going viral increase exponentially. Just be sure to partner with accounts that authentically love cats rather than accounts with fake followings or engagement.
Conclusion
In summary, here are the main tips for making a cat video go viral:
- Film an adorable and funny cat doing something cute or silly for a short video under a minute
- Add creative and hilarious captions to bring out the humor
- Use interesting thumbnails that will grab attention
- Share on all social media platforms and encourage viewers to engage through likes, comments, and shares
- Optimize the video title, description, tags for search discovery
- Partner with social media influencers in the pet space to help promote the video
We hope these tips help you create the next viral cat video sensation. Don’t forget to share your videos with us so we can enjoy the cuteness too!
