For Subscribers

How Do You Make Something Go Viral? You don't need a big budget, just the right combo of short, funny and inspiration.

Q: How do you make something go viral?

Michael Terpin

A: Creating content that gets passed through the masses faster than good gossip can be startup gold. That point was clearly proved over the summer with the already iconic Old Spice Man videos, which have been seen by more than 100 million people and helped increase the company's July sales by 107 percent. But producing viral content and then, well, getting it to go viral, is no easy task.

"Video is the thing that goes viral the fastest," says Michael Terpin, founder and CEO of Social Radius, the social media marketing firm responsible for getting 40 million eyeballs on the video for Will.i.am's "Yes We Can" Obama anthem in 2008. Terpin says you don't need a big budget to create a YouTube sensation, just a two-minute-or-less short that is funny, inspirational and--above all--decently produced.

"If you're holding an iPhone in the wind, it's going to look that way."

As for the humor thing, don't fret if you're not exactly the next Jonah Hill. "Parodies work," Terpin says. He also suggests trying out your material in front of a trusted audience before pressing "record." "If your friends laugh, there's a chance that someone else will, too. A little well-calculated controversy is good, too."

When you're ready to seed your material, mine your social networks for both the "right" people and those who are connected to them. And, of course, tweet, Facebook and e-mail away, asking friends to pass it along. But make sure your video is actually good before you do.

"If you have a loser video, no one is going to want to see Loser 2.0."

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Money & Finance

How Much Money Do You Need to Retire Comfortably in Your State? Here's the Breakdown.

Regardless of where you spend your golden years, it pays to be realistic about the cost of living.

Money & Finance

Turn Simple Ideas Into Never-Ending Paychecks With This Low-Effort Passive Income Strategy

A micro-hustle lets you build once, sell forever and earn money while you sleep.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Coinbase CEO Says Company Won't Pay Hackers' Ransom

In a company blog post, Coinbase outlined how it planned to respond to a recent massive breach.

Business News

'It Was Unfair': Warren Buffett Reveals the Real Reason He Stepped Down as CEO

Buffett said he noticed differences between himself and his successor, Greg Abel, 62.