Memelabs Blog

Last week we wrote a post on what makes a video viral.  A cat standing costs a heck of a lot less than roller skating babies, but they both are considered viral videos.  While its unclear as to what exactly deems the term viral video,  Josh Spector from Mediapost’s Video Insider shares his top 5 things people expect from a funny video.  From avid YouTube viewers to casual video sharers, the majority of video watchers have expectations for funny online videos.

They expect the unexpected. One of the key elements in making people laugh is surprise, and this is especially true in Web videos. When people click play on your funny video, they are expecting you to shock them in some way. If you don’t, they’re going to be disappointed.

They expect you to get to the joke quickly. When people watch a funny video, they want to laugh and want to laugh quickly. They don’t want to watch 30 seconds of credits roll by, and they don’t want to watch four minutes of buildup to a single punchline. In some ways, Web comedy videos are like standup comedy: If you can grab the viewer with a quick laugh in the first 10 seconds, the chances are they’ll stick around to watch the rest of your act.

They expect it to deliver on the promise of its title.Video titles not only entice people to watch your video, but they also frame the viewer’s expectations. If you title a video “Funniest Karaoke Performance Ever,” you’d better be sure that the video you’re posting can live up to that hype. Otherwise, you’re just asking for people to trash your video because it didn’t live up to the bar you set yourself. The expectations of a video titled “Funny Karaoke Performance” will be much lower — and therefore the viewer’s more likely to enjoy it in that context.

They expect it to make a point. With the exception of “viral” videos where somebody happened to shoot some footage of a guy falling off a skateboard or a drunk girl wiping out on a stripper pole, most funny videos that work are making some larger observation about the world. It’s become increasingly difficult for random sketch videos to gain much traction online, at least partly because audiences expect comedy creators to have something to say in their videos.

If you’re setting out to make a funny video, you should think about who or what target you’re going after: politicians, Justin Bieber fans, Myspace, “the man,” whatever. It doesn’t really matter what the target is, but people will be more likely to rally behind your video (and its humor) if they feel  it’s about something other than just making them laugh.
They expect to share it with their friends. There’s a reason that funny videos tend to go “viral” more than any other genre of video. It’s because laughing is a naturally communal experience; as soon as people see something funny, their instinct is to share it with their friends. When somebody presses play on a comedy video, they want to love it enough to send it to all their friends and share the laughs. It’s up to you to give them something worth sharing.

by Josh Spector – Video Insider

Memelabs contests of past and present have produced a wide range of “WTF” and “LOL” videos.  We have a soft spot for Josh’s last comment – if you have something or see something that is funny – share it. Laughter is infectious, that’s why they’re called viral videos. So, if you’ve submitted a video to a memelabs contest or are thinking about it, make sure to spread the sickness where ever you can.