Remember when I said each week, one lucky member of the Viral Academy community will get the chance to have me break down any video of their choice? 

Well, today's the day we kick this thing off.

Before we get into it, 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. 

Today, we're looking at a viral hit from Daniel Whiffen!

📊 The Stats

Creator: @danwhiffenfs

Followers: 31.7K

Posts: 550

Video Stats: 535K likes, 8.4 million views 🤯

Pause.

Let's just take a second to appreciate how impressive that is. 8.4 MILLION views? 

That's like the entire population of London watching your video. 

Well done @danwhiffenfs 👏🏽

Now, let's break down why this video went viral:

1) Instant Hook 

The video immediately starts with something interesting to a lot of people. There’s no drawn-out intro giving people the opportunity to swipe away. It gets straight into it with a visual hook of some sick footwork – an instant attention grab. 

You've got about 3 seconds to hook people on Instagram, and Daniel nailed it here.

2) High Res Visuals

The video quality is spot on. Everything's clear, centered, and you can see exactly what's going down. No blurry or shaky cam. 

It sounds obvious but, one of the most important things to keep in mind is: 

• Make sure the viewers can clearly see what is happening.

3) Clear Text Overlay

There's text at the start explaining what's happening. Not everyone's watching with sound on, and this text gives context instantly.

4) Trending/Proven Audio 

The video uses a song that's already proven to go viral. Smart move. 

If there’s proof of concept, you’re taking the guesswork out of your strategy. It’s one less variable.

Side note: Don't just jump on any old trend – make sure it fits your content.

5) Shock Factor 

About 4 seconds in, there's a hard cut to blisters on his feet. It's a bit gross, but that shock value keeps people watching. It's unexpected, and our brains love that stuff.

Here's the genius of it: 

• You've been hooked by the slick footwork intro

• Just as you’re thinking "Okay, cool skills, what's next?", Daniel hits you with the unexpected

• That shock jolts you awake

• Your brain goes from "casual viewing" to "what am I seeing?" 

Why does this matter? Three reasons:

1. It stops you from swiping away. You're curious now. You want to know more.

2. More watch time = the algorithm's best mate. The longer you watch, the more the algorithm thinks "This is good stuff" and pushes it to more people.

3. It adds depth to the story in seconds. 

Remember, though - shock is a powerful tool. Use it wisely. If every video you make relies on shock, it loses its punch. It's the unexpected nature that makes it work.

6) Tight Editing

There's another cut while showing the blisters. They've trimmed out the boring bits, like changing feet. Every second counts. If it's not interesting, cut it. Ruthless editing is key.

7) Short and Sweet 

The whole thing's about 12 seconds. That's the sweet spot for viral content these days. 

8) The Caption

"1 like = 1 prayer for my feet 😫🙏🏽Sometimes the floor feels like lava out here, but it's worth it… I think 😂Do you play barefoot? Comment yes or no 👀" 

It's engaging, relatable, and asks for interaction. 

The algorithm eats that up.

Looking at Daniels's video like this, you can see why it went viral. 

It tells a story in seconds. 

As soon as the video starts, you see he's in Indonesia. Boom - setting established.

Next, you see him playing football with locals. There's your cultural connection and community vibe. 

Then you get a glimpse of his skills. He's got talent.

Finally, you see the blisters. That's the payoff, the consequence of his passion. 

In just 12 seconds, you've gone on a whole journey. 

You know where he is, what he's doing, how good he is, and what it's costing him. 

That's storytelling. And here's why that matters: 

Our brains are wired for stories. We connect with them, remember them, share them. 

Daniel's inviting you into his world for a moment. You feel the excitement of playing in a new place, the joy of connecting through sport, the pride in showing your skills, and the pain of pushing your limits. 

When people feel something, they share it. 

So next time you're creating content, ask yourself:

What story am I telling? What emotion am I triggering? Can someone get it in seconds? 

If you can nail that, you're halfway to viral already.

Before we wrap this up, I want to level with you all for a sec.

I've consulted for some of the biggest names in the world, helping them grow their social media platforms to tens of millions of followers. This kind of personal consultancy doesn't come cheap. We're talking serious investment for serious results.

But here's the thing - every week, one of you gets access to this for absolutely nothing. Why? Because I genuinely want to see you succeed.

Now, I'll be honest - my schedule is hectic. Between filming, editing, running my various businesses, and making quality time for my wife & one year old son, I'm stretched pretty thin. 

But I'm carving out time for this because I believe in what we're building here with Viral Academy.

Until next time, 

Jeremy

P.S. Missed the chance to submit your content? Don't worry! We'll open submissions again next month. Stay tuned! 

Don't forget to use the tips from my past 11  newsletters to keep improving. (Missed an issue? Catch up here).