Just a couple of days ago, The University of British Columbia released their highly anticipated “Lip Dub” on YouTube. It has only been 48 hours and already they have earned almost 300,000 view, with over 4,000 comments, and are currently trending as one of the most popular video’s on YouTube.
If your not sure what a LipDub is, watch this quick promo video that the UBCLipDub team made.
The past couple years have seen several Canadian Universities (as well as U.S Universities) shooting their own lip dubs such as UVic and UQAM which have amassed millions of views. UBC seems to have taken both the scope and quality of their Lip Dub to another level, and there is a lot that can be taken away from their success.
Goal to Go Viral
The UBC Lip Dub Team has proven that you can create content that has the ability to go viral. From the very beginning the team made it clear that they were preparing this content to go viral. They wanted to make the best Lip Dub to date, and have it be the most watched…
They are certainly on their way! And while we seem to be at a stage where the success formula for creating viral content is a bit elusive, the UBC team was dead on.
Businesses can learn a lot from this campaign, if you want your content to go viral you have to:
- Know and understand your audience
- Study your competition to learn what worked and what didn’t. This will help you differentiate, innovate, and create a better product
- Have a clear goal and vision as to how you will get there
- Communicate this goal and vision to hundreds of people, motivating them to buy in
- Have the organization and leadership skills to pull it all off on one day
If you are able to do this, than like the UBC Lip Dub Team, there may be the potential for hundreds of thousands of views in less than 24 hours! (I do acknowledge the argument that LipDub is a very viral field and the same traction may not be achieved elsewhere- however, I believe that with the right vision and team effort and creative thinking, there are opportunities in every industry to stand out!).
Power of the Team
The LipDub is also an incredible illustration of teamwork, leadership, and working towards an ultimate goal (I talked about leadership and the Ultimate Goal a few days ago here). This again goes to show how powerful the energy and efforts of a team can be. From the two executive directors, to all of the production team and volunteers, and of course 1,000’s of students. In the months of planning, the leadership group in charge had to illustrate their vision, get the buy in from hundreds of students, and then organize and lead the whole event to its success.
Engage and Involve
Part of the UBC’s great success was their ability to engage and involve hundreds of people, to play many different roles to create the final product. People are naturally resistant, and for any team or project to succeed, they need to earn the buy-in and commitment of the members of that team. UBC did this, through advertisements, promotions, giveaways, and free food it seemed they nailed every angle of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) to encourage people to engage and be involved.
Another great advantage that a Lip Dub has it every participant has a unique role, which is a huge motivating factor and intrinsic motivator. While this may not be the case in other team environments, as a leader it is important to find ways to involve every individual in a unique and authentic way. Make them a part a real and meaningful part of the success!
I think this is a great video, and more importantly an impressive team effort by everyone involved. I am excited to see if the video continues to build traction, but it will definitely influence the viral videos to come!
Build the Buzz
Finally, the UBC Lip Dub team did a great job of building the buzz and conversation about the video way before it was released. The movement had momentum. They got momentum going in a few different ways, but if you want to see an example check out this YouTube promotional video. Getting the conversation started and the momentum rolling is a big key in an event, video, or production being a success. It is important that you always consider how your audience communicates and tailor your promotions and momentum builders to these channels.
What do you think?
Do you think there is something to learn from this viral video? Is a template for creating this type of success possible? Did you like the video? Will the University or individuals involved see real results, return on investment?
Please join the discussion and leave your thoughts in the comments! :)
