Hey!

This week, we’re looking at a football freestyle video that's got potential but needs a bit of fine-tuning to go viral.

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. 

Here are the stats 👇

janarthan_15

View more on Instagram

📊 The Stats

Platform: Instagram

Creator: @janarthan_15

Followers: 1249

Posts: 165

Video Stats: 3499 views

Let's break this down and see where we can make some improvements:

Structure

Jan's got the skills, but his video structure could use some work. Right now, it's a continuous shot of him performing multiple touches and one pass. That's fine, but it's not maximising engagement. 

Here's what I'd suggest: 

Segment the video into clear, distinct sections. 

Number each touch or pass (Touch 1, Pass 2, etc.). This gives viewers clear 'chapters' to follow and comment on. You’re almost creating a mini-series within your video – each segment becomes its own talking point.

This structure also makes it super easy for viewers to reference their favorite parts in the comments. 

That's the kind of specific engagement we're after.

Quick tip: The skill showcase would be perfectly clean if the ball didn’t bounce before reaching Jan’s friend.

Framing

The tennis ball leaves frame twice. With football content the ball is the subject and the golden rule is it must NEVER leave the frame.

In my 15 years of creating football content you pretty much will never see the ball leave the frame.

If it does, it’s an automatic reshoot.

Another thing to consider:

The overlay text covers Jan’s face in the first second.

A general rule of thumb is never cover the subjects face with text.

Engagement

Jan's absolutely got the right idea with his "Which is better? Touch or Pass?" question, but let's improve it. 

It’s in the caption and at the start of the video as a text overlay, but then it disappears.

My advice:

With the initial text overlay, try something like “Wait for it…”

You see this on so many football virals. It very directly tells the viewer to keep watching which helps what we keep coming back to - viewer retention.

Then, I would introduce the question as a text overlay at the end of the video as a call to action.

You can’t assume your audience will remember a question you asked them at the start, so it’s in your interest to ask them to interact at the very end.

Personality 

Try adding in a genuine reaction after you pull off the touch/pass.

These reactions do two things: they inject personality into your content and they tell the viewer how they should be feeling. Think of it like adding a laugh track to a sitcom – you're guiding the emotional journey of your audience.

The more you can make your audience feel part of the action, the longer they'll watch and the more likely they are to share.

Playing it down after a skill vs celebrating - both can work, so this isn’t necessarily an improvement but it’s worth testing out.

Technical tweaks

Mix up those camera angles. 

You could start with an extreme close-up of the tennis ball, then zoom out to reveal you and the landscape. You're taking the viewer on a journey from the micro to the macro. 

This will also act as your visual hook.

As I write in almost every newsletter - you’ve got 3 seconds to grab attention. You need a pattern interrupt to stop someone scrolling. 

Don't be afraid to add some effects in post-production.

A slow-mo replay of a particularly impressive move can really emphasise your skill.

Or how about a trail effect on the ball to show its path? 

These effects, when used sparingly, can add a nice touch to your videos.

Let's talk about what Jan got right

Timing: The action matches the music beat. It looks good and keeps people watching.

Music choice: The build-up works well. It creates anticipation.

Caption: "Touch or pass?" with a poll is smart. It's easy for viewers to engage with.

Tennis ball: This is your standout feature. It makes you different from other football content. Keep using it!

Flip flops: A nice unique twist on a football freestyle video.

To wrap up

1. Look at your last video.

2. Identify one thing you can improve based on today's breakdown.

3. Implement it in your next video.

4. Track the difference in views and engagement.

That's how you improve. That's how you grow. That's how you go viral.

Now, before you go off to create your next viral hit, can I ask you for a favour? It'll take you 20 seconds, tops.

1. Think of that mate of yours. You know the one - always posting, grinding hard, but maybe not seeing the results they deserve.

2. Send them this link: Viral Academy Newsletter

3. Tell them, "You need to get on this. You're getting a mini-masterclass in content creation - in your pocket (all for free)"

Why am I asking this? Simple. If you're finding these newsletters valuable (and I hope you are), why not do something nice for a friend? Help them level up their content game, absolutely free.

I want to help as many people as possible with these newsletters so I’ll keep making them for you and I would really appreciate it if you shared with even just one friend.

Until next time, 

Jeremy

P.S. Your A-Z guide to making 💰 on Instagram

Don't forget to use the tips from my past 17 newsletters to keep improving. (Missed an issue? Catch up here).

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