A still from our time at Meta beach at Cannes Lions, learning the most up-to-date tips on how they have got their videos to go viral.
If you want to know ‘How to create a viral video’ then you came to the right place. We go through 6 easy tips on how to create consistant viral videos.
In 2025’s fast-paced digital world, creating a viral video can launch your brand, product, or message to global attention. Viral videos have the potential to reach millions of viewers and generate buzz around your brand, but how do you create a video that goes viral?
For the first time ever we break down the elements that go into making a viral video.
A viral video is a video that has been viewed more than one million times. So, how can you make it a video that gets that kind of engagement? Short of faking a plane crash, or filming a baby biting his big brother’s finger, how else can you create a video that grabs the attention of millions of people? In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips and strategies to help you create a viral video in 2023.
1. Make Your Videos Authentic and Unique
One of the most important factors in creating a viral video is being authentic and unique. With so 95 million photos and videos being uploaded to Instagram (not including tiktok or YouTube) every day, your video must stand out. Create content that is authentic to your brand and that people can relate to. This could involve creating a humorous, heartwarming, or inspiring video that resonates with viewers on an emotional level. Whatever you choose to create, make sure it’s something that people haven’t seen before. If you’re a business, this might be your opportunity to show the world the full ins and outs of what it takes to work in your industry. Or just bring joy to people in a way only you know how!
2. Short and Sweet Videos
Short form video content is the most engaging type of in feed social content, according to Sprout Social. In today’s world, attention spans are short infact a recent study found that on Instagram stories you have 2-3 seconds to grab someones attention as viewers are easily distracted. To create a viral video, keep it short and sweet. Try to tell your story in 30-60 seconds or less, and make sure every second counts. A shorter video is more likely to be watched in its entirety and shared across social media platforms.
The majority of the videos that we make at Nomadic UK are a max length of 1-4 minutes for website content and 5-30 seconds for content for Instagram posts, TikTok and YouTube shorts. What about Instagram stories? Make them even shorter, as short as possible.
3. Leverage Social Media
Social media is an essential tool for promoting your video and reaching a wider audience. Share your video across all relevant social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Use hashtags to increase visibility, and encourage viewers to share your video with their friends and family. You can also consider running paid social media ads to reach a larger audience. Optimising your written copy is vital if you want people to find your video.
4. Get the hook just right
What is a hook? Like a fisherman looking for his next catch, a hook is the very first thing a fish sees. A hook usually has some bait, and when the fish sees the bait it goes for a nibble. Then it’s hooked and the fisherman will pull up the fish and their dinner is sorted.
What has this got to do with going viral? I’ll tell you exactly, once the fish has got the bait a fisherman has a short window to hook the fish and pull it out of the water. In the same way once a viewer is watching your video, you have just 3 seconds to grab attention and get them hooked in to watch the whole of your video. There are many different types of hooks that work but essentially these are the main ones that we use at Nomadic and have seen the biggest success.
Essentially:
A good hook – sparks curiosity, encourages viewers to watch the video.
A bad hook – Starts with a logo, no clear reason for a viewer to watch the video.
What are the main types of hooks?
Visual hook
Example – Show something that people haven’t seen before such as a something beautiful, something shocking, something inspiring etc.
Why it works – Visual hooks are a very powerful way to grab attention. You need to film something unique and interesting in a creative way for this hook to be effective.
Number hook
Example – Here are 5 ways to save money on your next holiday etc.
Why this works – When people list 5 things, our brains are hard wired to want to know what the last one is. It seems like it’s the most valuable and we miss out for not getting it done.
Personal story hook
Example – 3 years ago I went broke, now I run one of the fastest growing agencies in the UK. This is how I did it.
Why it works – You tease the beginning and ending, and then the how you did it becomes the interesting part.
Don’t make this mistake hook
Example – Stop, if you have a Dyson in your house right now, throw it away.
Why this works – Making a bold statement and then people want to watch the video to find out why.
How to hook –
Example title – Here’s how I got a meeting with the head of google
Why this works – Make another bold statement and show the process with a video. Storytelling of all the steps you did to go from where you were, to the end result.
Instant results hook
Example title – In the next 30 seconds I’ll tell you why this is the best beer on the market.
Why this works – The viewer knows what to expect and wants to see something exciting and they know the video is just 30 seconds of their time.
We will dive deeper into advanced hooks in an upcoming blog, don’t miss it.
5. Create Shareable Video Content
What is the number one metric of getting videos to go viral? This single thing we learned directly from the team at Meta at Cannes Lions 2025.
The number one metric for going viral on Meta platforms (instagram, facebook, WhatsApp etc) is how many shares your video has. That metric over everything else, likes and comments feeds the algorthym and gives your content a much higher chance of going viral.
So the trick? Create content that is shareable. The more shareable your content is, the more likely it is to go viral.
But how do you make something that’s shareable? Think of how you can make your video funny, inspiring, thought-provoking or show something to your audience that they havn’t seen before.
Give viewers a reason to share your video with their friends and family, whether it’s to make them laugh, cry, or think.
What will make people stop in their tracks and watch your video? Why will they want to send it to their friends and family? Even better if they share the post and comment on it to generate even more engagement!
6. Get help from the experts
If you don’t know where to start, or are feeling a bit overwhelmed, why not get help from some professionals?
Consider hiring a professional video production company to help you come up with concepts and ideas. They can walk you through the whole process and come up with a style that works for you, weather that’s UGC, Professional Video content or AI generated video, it all starts with the right creative that will attract your audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating a viral video in 2025 requires authenticity, creativity, and a strategic approach. Keep your video short and sweet, leverage social media, invest in the right creative ideas and storytelling and create shareable content. By following these tips and strategies, you’ll increase your chances of creating a viral video that gets your brand noticed by millions of people around the world.
To work with Nomadic on creating a truly memorable video project that might just make it Viral, then get in touch to find out how we can help you!
Email us at hello@nomadic.uk, if you would like more information.
And don’t forget to check out our latest Instagram post to see where we are and what we are working on this week!
