This will be a short post, i will expand on these posts later on and will update this post accordingly.
Why Youtube Videos are less Viral Now?
Let’s first examine an important evolution in youtube videos virality. A few years ago, youtube videos used to go viral much more frequently than it is today. In the past, it was possible for any video to go viral, now it is much more restricted! Why ?
Facebook factor !
Previously, people reached many friends when they shared a youtube video on facebook. Since few years, Facebook gradually reduced to almost zero the reach of youtube videos to favor the use of it’s own native video upload functionality.
Youtube Recommendations factor!
Now, the biggest factor in viral spreading is the youtube recommendation algorithm. Based on several factors, and maybe some human input from the youtube employees, videos get recommended on youtube, which basically drives most of the views these days!
Youtube Search Factor!
A less important factor than the Youtube recommendation, Youtube search can be an important drive for views if the topic is popular.
Google Search Factor!
Like Youtube search, but this is a bit more effective as the result appear in Google search, however this is even tougher to achieve.
Press and Blogs Factor!
An important drive of views might be achieved through blogs or press. However, this option only works for news worthy videos.
In a way, you can say that most youtube videos no longer really go viral, but acquire views through active search and related video discovery.
For a video to really go viral, it has to be picked up by the news and blogs.
It is in a way alarming as it is reducing the possibility of videos reaching the big public without going through a human filter.