Do you know which video on You Tube has the most views right now? As of mid-May, the most watched video across the United States was Commander Chris Hadfield’s remake of David Bowie’s classic song, Space Oddity. You Tube’s Trends Map makes it easy to see which videos are going viral by region, state and city. With the click of a button, you can filter results by gender and age. You can even see which videos are getting the most shares vs. views. It’s a great, free tool that you can use as a business owner to gain insight into how to make your video go viral.

Viral Videos Boost Brand Awareness, Sales
Viral videos get the word out about your business, increasing awareness of your brand in the marketplace. As more people know who you are and what you offer, they are more likely to buy your products or take advantage of your services. That probability increases even further when consumers have a positive association with your brand or business. The You Tube tool already mentioned can be of great help in tracking what’s trending and spurring ideas but we wanted to give you more fuel for your business fire with these five sure-fire ways to make a video go viral.

Five Ways to Get Your Video Watched on You Tube
Promoting your business on platforms like You Tube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and StumbleUpon can be tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing you can end up wasting a lot of time for lackluster results or do more damage to your business than good with poorly executed ads and videos (just ask Mountain Dew). We have five tips to help your business videos avoid both.

1. Use humor. People love funny videos (how else could “America’s Funniest Home Videos” enjoy such a long on-air run). Sarcasm, laughing at someone else’s expense and “fail videos” are all successful tactics.

2. Apply the ‘cute factor.’ Remember “Charlie!” the slightly sad but strangely hilarious video showcasing an older brother getting schooled in a lesson of “teeth aren’t for biting”? That video was You Tube’s most viewed for one reason – it was cute. This is also the same reason why businesses broadcast the annual puppy bowl on You Tube. Think about something or someone cute who you can associate with your business. Showcase that in your video and chances are good that it will get a decent number of views. Why? Because people like looking at cute things.

3. Make it relatable and re-create-able. How many dance crazes have been started on You Tube? Too many to count. The Harlem Shake is known around the world and Psy made Gangnam Style famous across America. But before it was featured during halftime of the Superbowl, Gangnam Style lit You Tube on fire. Do you like to dance? Paint? Build? If your viewers can copy your move and reapply it their own lives chances are good that you have a hit on your hands. Put it on your business channel and watch your views soar.

4. Stay on Point. Everyone’s busy. Don’t waste viewers’ time by getting off topic with irrelevant information. Get right to the point and stay on message during your business videos.

5. Include sports or Champion a Cause. Viewers tend to click on videos that feature basketball, football or soccer because they are often passionate about those sports themselves. They’ll be more likely to give you their time if your video incorporates something they’re passionate about into it. On that note, if there’s a charitable cause such as breast cancer awareness or fighting hunger that you are passionate about and support as a business, champion it on You Tube. You’ll garner support for your cause and your business from your viewers.

Hopefully these ideas give you a good place to start. What else have you found to get get your business videos views on You Tube?