As part of our work at GeniusRocket, a D.C. startup that crowdsources creative content, we researched some of the trends in viral video (as of July 2008) that confirmed certain assumptions and challenged several widely held beliefs.

After looking at the 1) Top 50 Viral Videos of the Year, 2) Top 50 YouTube Videos in a Typical Day, and 3) Top 50 Viral Ads of the Year, we can share some insights that are useful whether you are a Brand Manager or have ambitions to be the next Tay Zonday.

Top 50 Viral Videos of the Year: 5 Lessons
#1: The most viral content is usually corporate content.
#2: The most viral content is posted on hundreds of blogs.
#3: The most viral content is usually OVER 1 minute in length.
#4: The most viral content occurs in the following categories (by frequency): 1. Music 2. Ads 3. Politics 4. Comedy 5. Animals 6. Sexy 7. Tech 8. Strange
#5: The thumbnails of the most viral videos nearly always depict humans (particularly faces), not objects.
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