# BaseCamp 2025 — From Code to Content: How to Make a Viral Video

- Channel: [Base](https://streameth.org/base)
- Date: 2025-10-07
- Duration: 19:26
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-N2vYtf7ICI4
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2vYtf7ICI4

## Description

Boys Club breaks down what actually makes content spread. Learn how to edit, package, and distribute video in ways that build a brand and grow your audience.

## Transcript

Hi everybody. Um, thank you so much for being here. Love being at base camp. Um, I think some people are familiar with Boys Club in the room, which is always nice to see. But I'm just going to give a little uh overview on what Boys Club is. We're one part creative studio, one part media co. We do podcasts, we do newsletters, we do a ton of events. Um, and we do a ton of short form content talking about our own stuff and our friends stuff and our partners' things. Um, and it's a lot of fun. Um, if you want to keep up to date on what we're doing, you can go to boys club.vip and check out our website. It is a Google doc. So, you don't have to telegram me and tell me that it's a Google doc. I know that. Um, and yeah, I'm really excited about this workshop today. Um, Kate and Delaney are here. They're going to give you really like a 101 on creating content, thinking about distribution, thinking about how to basically tell your story um, on what you're building. And there are no better people to do it. So, I'm excited to hear from them and I'm going to pass it off now. >> Thank you. Um, okay, great. That Yes, I'm I'm Kate, by the way. This is my identical twin sister, Delaney. >> Hello, I exist. Uh, she is not AI. Um, but and also don't worry, we're not going to be teaching you Tik Tok dances in this workshop. >> I know. I know. Um, but what we are going to be talking about, yeah, so this is a little outline of what we're going to go over. Kind of as the title says, what makes a video go viral? Um, but in reality, you could do all these things and your video doesn't go viral, right? But every viral video you see is doing these things. So, what we should kind of really be talking about is what makes your video sharable. That's right. Uh, and it usually follows this sort of recipe. You got your hook, which you want to grab the attention. You're authentic, not only to yourself and your brand, but you're comfortable to what you're speaking to or what you're doing. You're being relatable on screen. You're making people feel and say, "Oh my god, that's so true. That's so me." That creates the sharability aspect. And also, it's simple. There's one clear idea per video. So maybe your content is following the three E, which we'll get into later on, but it's like you're evoking emotion, you're educating, you're entertaining. So now that you know what sharable content is, why does it matter? At the end of the day, posting sharable content equals more visibility for your brand. Period. You put out a video, somebody shares it with their friend, they share it with another friend, and so on and so forth. otherwise known as word of mouth marketing. We all know word of mouth has always been a thing but this is like an evolved form of it if you will. So people share your content and as they share it organically it triggers the algorithm and the platform pushes it and it creates this cycle of people sharing your content and the platform pushing it and it's a beautiful thing. And in case you didn't know, one of the actual top metrics to push your video on the algorithm is the sharability aspect. So now that you know what it is and why it matters, how do you create it? It's not about you. It's not about your product necessarily. It's about making it about your viewer. Who is your viewer? Who is your audience? Who is your user? Who do you want to reach? Where do they hang out online? What platforms are they on? These are all questions that you should really be asking yourself before you even create the content, before you press record. And now that you know who they are and where they are, you want to get their attention. You want to stand out from the slop that's on the internet. How do you stop the scroll? You got to grab them in the first 3 seconds. Our attention span very short. We're basically brain rot. In case you weren't aware, our human attention span average is about eight seconds. So hopefully Yeah, it's one less than a what? Goldfish. Yes. on our attention span 8 seconds, goldfish 9 seconds. Keep that in mind. So yeah, uh hopefully we get through this workshop. That being said, if we're focusing on sharability, which that's what we're talking about here, short form sharable content, you want to keep it 15 seconds or less. Some of you may think that's crazy, but 60 seconds, honestly, not that great because the optimal video length for viewers to watch till the end is under 15 seconds. And you really want that key metric because it triggers the algorithm to then push it to more people. So, high completion rate, as they call it, that creates higher reach, more visibility, right? And in simple terms, if someone's going to watch your video from start to finish, that tells the algorithm it's a good video. Show it to other people. And again, we have short attention spans. So yeah, goldfish. There you go. Don't hit me with a, "Hey guys, I'm here at base camp. I'm learning about video content." And this is also No, we're gone. You lost them. You You really You can't be hitting them with a hey. And you don't need that in every single video. You're going to start with one of these hooks. A visual, audio, movement. That means like text on screen, animation, sound effect, trending song, subject is moving, camera is moving. Anything to grab their attention immediately. So, we're going to show you some examples. This is the fun part. Look, I don't think it's possible. I can't I don't want to think I like >> it showcases the product right away. Another example. [Applause] >> Why is it so important? I'm watching to the end. I must know. Oh, there you go. Beautiful. Now, I want to go to this coffee shop because these people got personality and hopefully they make good coffee. Uh, I'm going to let this one speak for itself. We, uh, as we pull it up in Instagram here, the audio will not play automatically and I'm not going to catch the hook because it's so quick. So, bear with me here as it's going to start over and then you're going to watch the beginning again as it loops. It's very short. [Music] >> I just want to say all my fellas, >> fantastic stuff. You could use this to like highlight uh an event that you did or use it for any any type of highlight reel. Easy stuff. Okay. Now, what if you're thinking, "Yeah, but I'm not chronically online. I don't know where to find these videos. How do you source them? I'm not bookmarking all these Tik Toks." Um or maybe you don't leave the house. You work remotely and all you have is your phone. That's perfectly fine. These are plenty of options uh for like audio hooks. So maybe you're doing mid-sentence hook, which means you're starting mid-sentence. You're you're starting your video mid-sentence like you're talking to a friend. Something like, "And the craziest part is got them." Or you're doing like truth bomb, hot take the idea. There's so many examples here. Maybe you're saying, "Um, uh, I'm so embarrassed to say this, but or uh, this might sting a little to hear, but just get their attention. Make maybe be more bold, more polarizing instead of like, hey guys, I'm going to talk about this one thing. Nobody cares." So, basically, this is an example of what we just talked about with the hooks. So, she approaches it in three different ways, but with the same topic. And you you hopefully can point out the differences and what makes one have more views than the other. >> Topic, but in a 100 view hook. >> All right. Can we talk about one of the hardest things in marriage? >> 100,000 view hook. Welcome to How to Treat Your Pregnant Wife or Girlfriend Volume 1 and an a million view hook. >> What do you do if you don't like your wife? >> 100 view hook. >> Hey y'all, what to do? So, cook a easy cheap meal with me. >> 100,000 view hook. >> Eating healthy is expensive. Here's how to meal prep lunches for the week with just $20. >> A million view hook. >> People think building muscle is expensive, but I'll show you how to do it for $8 a day. >> 100 view hook. >> Here are the top Vanguard index funds that everyone should know about. >> 100,000 view hook. To every girl who ever thought I don't know how to invest in a mutual fund, this video is for you. A million view hook. >> So, if I were in my 20s or early 30s again, I would do this every single paycheck so I don't end up broke. comparing videos with the same topic butt and a hundred view hook. >> That's our triplet. She did fantastic. So, you get it. You get the idea. There's subtleties in these differences, but they make a big difference. Another example, >> this video hit over 300 million views because the creator used two simple techniques that make him go viral almost every time. Number one, pattern interruption. Instead of starting like every other art video, he instantly breaks the pattern, shows his craft falling, and that tiny shock makes people freeze on the scroll. Number two, curiosity loop. The moment something feels incomplete, your brain needs closure. That's why viewers stick till the end to see what happens. So, here's the takeaway. Don't just post your content straight. Break the expectation and leave an open loop. That combo is what keeps people hooked. Save this reel. And if you want to learn more about content psych, >> he's going to do a CTA anyway. I mean, good CTA at the end. He got us. All right. So, now that we've grabbed their attention, it's time to tell your story. Okay. And when we say sharable story, we're not necessarily saying once upon a time I created an app, right? This is strictly about creating re like relatable content that helps humans connect. Okay, how do you do that? Uh that means you're translating your features into your users benefits. Remember, it's not about you. It's not I I I I I when it comes to this sort of stuff. It's your product features and how they can benefit your user. So, what makes it special? What problem is it solving for the user? How can they benefit for them? You're being like, you need this thing. Um, but you need to show them and not just tell them why they need it. For example, these are very low lift options. Look at that. That's it. That's very on brand for me. Sorry. I bought this. >> Yeah. Sold. Sold. Just some text on the screen and some trending sound. There you go. Another example. Very similar. >> Oh, I didn't know I needed these. >> Oh my god. >> Isn't it great? >> I think that sound was my exact reaction when I saw this. You don't have to say anything if you're like camera shy, but you could step into this thing and put on your little shoe covers. >> All right. The idea here is integrating your product or your brand in simple ways without being salesy, >> right? So, try not to use a lot of jargon. We want to use universal language, appeal to the masses. So, an example of that could be like a a jargon heavy tech ad. Our cuttingedge cloudnative AI powered SAS platform leverages distributed ledger technology to synergize crossf functional workflows, optimize scalable solutions, and deliver unparalleled ROI through nextgen digital transformation. Or in layman's terms, we built a simple online tool that helps teams work together faster and keep everything organized in one place. No confusing software, just one dashboard where your projects, files, and updates all stay in sync. So hopefully we've convinced you that not every post is a sales pitch. But you might be asking, okay, but can I include a CTA? And it's not necessarily about the call to action. It's more about the curiosity that leads to the action, right? Because the purpose of this sharable video content is not about the CTA. That's not the focus. The focus is brand awareness, growing visibility, building trust for your brand. But if you're going to give a CTA, maybe do it something like this. >> What are you looking for? [Music] >> My join game. >> I'm Judy. I have cafe. Come for breakfast. G, Illinois, 119 South Broad Street. Man, perfect. No notes, Judy. >> No notes. Sold. >> Like, do you you want to go eat her pancakes, right? All right. Now, with all those examples, you still might be thinking, I don't know where to start. I don't know what themes my content should follow. Remember the three E. Evoke, educate, entertain. This is your content's purpose before the sale. Everything will pretty much fall under these three categories. This is how you not only bring value to your user before you're just pitching them and asking for money or asking them to download your app. It's bringing value to them and showing them that you're trustworthy and you can bring more than just the product you're creating. You're inspiring. You're motivating. You're encouraging or influencing. >> You can inform, teach, explain. That's not off the table. Yep. or you're just entertaining, engaging, involving, delighting, distracting. Sometimes distracting is a crazy campaign, but it happens and it's entertaining. Um, that being said, just remember it's a very box broad spectrum here. Uh, but your content will probably fall under these. And the idea here is to not make it about you, is to make it about your user in a practical sense, >> right? You want to go like, "Okay, I'm gonna post three times a week." All right. On Monday, you know, yeah, on Monday, I'm gonna I'm gonna inspire you with our founder story. Boom. Uh on Wednesday, I'm going to educate you a little more on our product. Great. On Friday, we're going to hit you with just like a fun, silly, entertaining, onbrand video. And all of these again under like the sharable umbrella. But let's get into the fun stuff. Um, we're going to give you very like highlevel editing 101. This is more so like best practices and that sort of stuff. So, best practices for editing, it's kind of dumbs it down just to this. You pick your strongest clips, trim dead air, keep them short. Again, our attention spans. Adding captions. >> Goldfish. >> Yeah, we're goldfish, remember? Uh, add captions as in like subtitles. Yeah, in case you didn't know, the majority of people actually watch their videos on social media with no sound. That's real data. Uh, add music if you want higher reach, like trending sounds, again, if it makes sense. Um, don't just like slap it on there and make it weird. I mean, make it weird in a good way, but not in a distracting bad way. Uh, and polish it up. So, this is something we could be doing tomorrow, too, if you haven't filmed any raw clips. is like I could show you, Delaney could show you, Natasha could show you how you just like polish simple cuts, effects, adjust brightness maybe, or how you could have shot it differently and figure out your pacing because pacing is very important. You're wanting to keep it simple, one clear idea per video, especially when you're first starting out. You don't want to get crazym. No, that's it's gonna not be good. Maybe uh just remember kiss. Keep it simple, stupid. A lot of questions that we get are about the percentage of how much of my content should be this sharable short format video and really depends on your goals. But if your goal is brand awareness, then we suggest you have at least 50% of your content be this type of content. If you post twice a week, that means at least one of those videos is this type of content. >> Exactly. So, you're trying out new video content. You're seeing what lands with your audience. You're paying attention to the engagement that each piece gets and tailoring your strategy to that. You're effing around and you're finding out. We love that. And it's also nice that when you have this early stage of uh not a lot of people have eyeballs on my account yet, that's kind of good, right? Because then you don't have to freak out that your content is like super polished and perfect. Exactly. So you're trying these things, you're staying consistent, you're on brand, you want to keep momentum without burning out. So you're not chasing every trend, especially if it doesn't make sense for your brand. You're picking a cadence that works with your schedule, right? So if again, you're like, I don't have a lot of time for this, but I should probably do it, which you should, then stick to it. One video a week. Great. I'm gonna stick to it and do it. And quite frankly, the people that that don't quit, they win. Boom. Don't become paralyzed by the preparation or the perfectionism within the edit. Posted is always better than perfect. However, we're not saying post garbage content because you feel you have to post something. That's a whole another workshop we could talk about, >> right? You still want to have high standards. is your brand that you want to represent in a good light. Correct? And then that goes back to your cadence. If you think realistically I can make a good piece of content in this time frame, then maybe it's just two videos because human error is the new luxury. It's what separates us from the robots. This is my favorite slide because I actually spelled error wrong when I made this. Well, do we all know when AI can't tell you how many Rs are in strawberry? >> Yes. Yeah. So, that that was pretty funny. >> And I almost said, "How many Rs are an error?" >> Yeah. How many Rs are an error? >> And I also spelled luxury wrong. So, um from a practical standpoint, these are some of the tools that we love and use and most people use. Um so, if you're a beginner, Cap Cut, InShot, you know, um IG edits. In fact, I don't know if you knew this, but head of Instagram actually said that for now edits because they're trying to push that platform. If you use it, it's probably going to get a little bit more reach. Um, and a little hot tip with that is you don't have to edit the full video in it. You could pretty much edit in whatever you like and then do like a little small thing, export it through, and then get that boost. That's right. And again, more intermediate, like if you're like, I've been doing this. All right, I'm going to use Final Cut, Adobe Pro, etc. But you don't you don't need to use those things unless you're like adding because I'm like I'm sorry but if you can't make a good video in cap cut or inshot >> you need we need this workshop. Yeah. You need this workshop. Thanks. [Applause]