5 Tips for Viral Video Success

5 Tips for Viral Video Success

Nathan Dart isn’t a film producer, he just plays one at his RE/MAX office – that’s because he’s discovered funny business can be good business.

Dart creates amusing YouTube videos and waits for the laughs – and the calls – to come in. The goal: To be completely different. The result: His clients love it.

It all started in earnest at the 2011 RE/MAX R4, as Dart, Co-Owner of RE/MAX All Pro in Rockville, Md., listened to speakers highlight the benefits of using social media. He took heed but knew he didn’t want to mimic what other agents were already doing – and that he wanted to have fun with it. So he called a former client – a film director – and the two got to work.

Soon, an L.A.-based camera crew and three East Coast improv actors were hired – and “Grandma Visit,” a parody of a too-close-for-comfort visit from Granny, was live on YouTube. That was 11 months ago. Now Dart’s YouTube page boasts three more comedic videos – each with hundreds to thousands of views – with more on the way.

The Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement member shares these five tips for viral video success:

1. Be different
Learn to take the zigzag approach; when everybody else is doing one thing, do something else. That’s the way to stay on top of the market.

2. Know the purpose
It’s how I use the videos that’s important. The funny videos get my name out there, but my other two videos, which aren’t comedic, have also been very productive for me. People hire me from my testimonial video on Zillow all the time. Sending that video to sellers prior to a listing appointment has been a huge competitive advantage – so much so that my conversion rate on listing appointments right now is about 94 percent.

3. Do it right
The reason my videos are so impactful is because they’re high-quality. I don’t make a flip-phone video and call it a commercial. I want this to be a representation of me and how I conduct my business.

4. Be patient
Anything you do with viral videos takes time. Even four months ago, my views were probably less than half of what they are now.

5. Recognize that it’s just part of a strategy
I think it’s important to understand that as great as it is, social media is not the end-all be-all. To me, real estate is a contact sport – you have to pick up the phone, call people and meet them face-to-face.