Last Thursday, we kicked off the content breakdown series. 

Where one lucky member of the Viral Academy community gets the chance to have me break down any video of their choice

In the first edition, we broke down why a video from Daniel Whiffen got over 535K likes and 8.4 million views.

This week, we’re looking at an Instagram reel from Dolores with just under 2000 views.

A quick reminder for anyone new:

• This is a weekly series. Every Thursday, I break down a different piece of content sent in by this community

• Videos are chosen 100% randomly from our submission pool

• Submissions open 1x per month

• I’ll either analyse why a video didn't go viral (and how to improve it) or break down why it did well

• For the full T&Cs, click here. 

sueltosxeuropa

View more on Instagram

📊 The Stats

Account: Instagram

Creator: @sueltosxeuropa

Followers: 123

Posts: 246

Video Stats: 10 Likes, 1,781 views

Now, this Reel didn’t go viral.

But even the biggest creators have videos that don't perform as well as they'd hoped. 

The key is to learn from each one and keep getting better.

So, let's break this down and see where we can make some improvements:

1) Tell a Story from the Start

Humans love a story. 

We always have & always will.  

So what’s missing here? 

Text on screen at the start to set the scene. Something like "I made my dream bedroom" would instantly hook viewers. It gives context and creates anticipation. 

Viewers love a transformation, a journey from 'before' to 'after'. Next time, try framing your content as a mini-story. 

Trust me, it makes a world of difference.

2) Don’t Forget Sound

The piano music in the video is nice but ends before the video does, causing a pause before it loops. 

This is an unpleasant auditory experience for the viewer. 

Remember for viral content - what the viewers hear is generally AS IMPORTANT as what they see on screen. 

A seamless audio experience keeps viewers engaged right to the end.

3) Create an Experience

If I were making this video, I'd have started by opening a door and entering the room. 

This technique is common in interior home virals because it creates an instant sense of the viewer being let in to see something special.

4) Flow 

Here's a subtle but important point: the video opens with the camera panning right before panning left. 

This is known as counter movement & generally virals of this nature start with a feeling of one flow & direction. 

Going back on yourself in the first two seconds breaks that flow. It's a small thing, but these details add up.

Of course, rules can be broken where appropriate, but as with mastering anything, it's best to know the fundamental rules before breaking them. 

Next time, try to maintain a consistent direction in your camera movement at least for the first 5 seconds or so.

5) Show the Whole Picture

Most viewers want to see the entire room, especially if that's what the video is designed to show. 

Ending the video without giving viewers a full view of the room can leave them feeling unsatisfied.

To achieve this, I would have probably entered the room, walked through, and then turned around to show the full room from the other side.

Fulfil the promise you made at the start of the video.

6) Mind the Details

There's an open door that creeps into the frame, and it creates a question that isn't answered. 

What's through that door? 

In videos like this, every detail matters.

Either close the door if you don't want to show what's outside the room, or reveal it so that the viewer doesn't feel like you're hiding anything. 

Again it feels like we only get to see three-quarters of the room which is a little unsatisfying. 

7) The Positives

Now, let's talk about what's working well. 

The room looks beautiful, the camera quality is good, and the music choice is very nice (it just needs to be extended to match the video length). 

Most importantly, you had the courage to post, which is half the battle!

Posting consistently is the best way to learn what performs well and what doesn't.

Takeaways

I hope that these tips help and I guarantee that if you implement them your videos will have a better chance of getting more views. 

If I could leave you with one last piece of advice:

Study the best in class within your niche. See how they present a room in their content. Success leaves clues, and there's a formula to creating viral content.

Every viral video leaves a blueprint that you can implement into creating your very own viral hits.

Watch, analyse, learn, and then put your own unique spin on it.

Last week we looked at why a video went viral, and this week we've seen how to improve one that didn't quite take off. 

That's what content creation is all about - sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but there's always something to learn.

So keep creating and keep sending it in. 

Your video might be the next one we're talking about.

Until next time, 

Jeremy

P.S.  If you missed out on submitting your content this time, no worries. We'll be opening submissions again next month.

Don't forget to use the tips from my past 13 newsletters to keep improving. (Missed an issue? Catch up here).