Unlocking the Secret of Viral Success with Cultural Cartography
Going Viral: Understanding Cultural Cartography
Dao Nguyen, a content creator at BuzzFeed, shares her insights on what makes something go viral in a recent YouTube video. The video starts with the story of a BuzzFeed prank that was livestreamed on Facebook. The employees were planning to surprise their boss Ze Frank on his birthday by putting baby goats in his office. The team expected the video to last 10 minutes with a few hundred employees watching the inside joke. However, the video went viral with over 90,000 viewers tuning in to watch the goats by the time Ze walked in.
Dao and her team tried to understand why the video was so successful and concluded that the excitement was due to shared anticipation among the viewers. They tested this hypothesis by dressing two people in hazmat suits and exploding a watermelon wrapped in rubber bands. The video was a hit with 800,000 viewers, making it the biggest Facebook Live event to date.
The key takeaway from Dao's video is that going viral is not about the subject matter of the video or the format, but rather about the job the content is doing for the viewer. Instead of just thinking about the subject matter, media companies should focus on how the content is helping users do a real job in their lives. Dao introduces the concept of cultural cartography, a project at BuzzFeed that formally categorizes content based on the job it does for the viewer.
The map of cultural cartography consists of different jobs, such as humor, identity, connecting with another person, helps with something, and makes you feel something. By understanding these jobs, media companies can create content that better connects with their audience. As an example, Dao showcases one of her favorite lists, "32 Memes You Should Send Your Sister Immediately," which received 3 million views because it did several jobs such as "This is us," "Connect with family," and "Makes me laugh."
In conclusion, Dao's video provides valuable insights into what makes something go viral and highlights the importance of understanding the job the content is doing for the viewer. By focusing on the jobs rather than just the subject matter or format, media companies can create content that resonates better with their audience and drives engagement.
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