Every PR pro dreams of creating the next viral video that everybody and their brother & sister will forward to their best friend, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. You can wish all you want, but a viral video is something that just “happens” and you have little to no control over it.

Actual Helpful Videos

We’re always a little jealous when we see another viral video come across our Facebook feed or into our email. You think, why not me? But when you think about it, while that company momentarily received some notoriety, a viral video blows up because it’s entertaining, but often not because it’s helpful in a day-to-day context.

Instead of worrying about entertainment value, try to focus on a series of videos that actually help your customers. Sure, they may not be laugh-a-minute chucklefests, but you will win people over nonetheless. In fact, these videos could be a great way to answer questions on your social media sites.

Think of a customer saying “I can’t get your product to do so and so like it instructs!” and instead of typing out an answer, you post a video walking them through the steps. It’s easier and they’ll appreciate you going the extra mile. Plus, later when potential customers are comparing two products, they’ll see that you have all this helpful content at the ready.

Cross Promotional Tools

Just like blog posts, your YouTube videos can be used to help your SEO and cross-promotional efforts. Videos get searched by search engines just like the rest of your posts, so make sure you’re taking advantage of keywords just like your website and everywhere else.

One great idea is to focus keywords on specific areas you cover, like location or industries. For example, if you’re a plumber in Philadelphia, post videos with those keywords in the title. Or if you’re a master gardener who travels the country giving speeches on improving your gardens, use keywords in the description in title to reflect that.

Once people find you on YouTube, you can send them to your other PR tools – Facebook, Twitter, your website, relevant news stories and press releases, etc.

Forego Press Releases

Tired of writing up press releases that don’t seem to go anywhere? Your company could be announcing new products and developments through less traditional means, like a fun little video. This is definitely becoming more prevalent, with companies like Google reaching most of their audience via videos explaining what the new thing they created does.

While there will always be folks you need to reach through a newspaper by writing a press release, a fun little video could expand your network by quite a bit. In fact, if you make it interesting and fun enough, it could be at least a mini-viral video that introduces tons of new fans to your product and company.

Have you ever had a video go viral before?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Grab your free 160-page copy of the Big Press Release Book – Press Releases for Every Occasion and Industry here: http://www.ereleases.com/offer/bigbook.html