So you want your explainer video/animation or commercial to be seen by as many of your target audience as possible. How do you do this? How do you share it with the world? Is having a video sufficient?

Well, no. Making a video and having a platform algorithm pick it and make it go viral is not something you can count on. Your audience should still be able to encounter the video somewhere, and then watch it.

How? Well, once the video is done and in your hands — on a USB stick or on your hard drive — you can still help it along on it’s journey.

A shortlist for the basics:

1. You need an video that people will respond to, so first of all you need Mutant Worm to make something memorable: an animation that sticks. What you do need is something to stick out: humor, story, message, extravaganza, beauty, shock, surprise, horror, enlightenment — anything that makes people wake up, take notice, and remember. All while remaining clear and concise in your message and target audience.

2. Place it on your video channel: be it Youtube, Vimeo, or your own server, for instance.

3. If applicable to your purposes, place it visibly somewhere on the top of your site’s start page.

4. Plug it on your social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hootsuite, whatever it is you’re using.

5. Spread your video off line as well. Tell friends and colleagues. Put a link or QR-code on your business card/postal cards. Have it with you on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, i.e. portable media players. You want to show it wherever you can; you never know who you can convince or who can make a connection for you.

6. Show it at lectures, presentations, intorductions or fairs if that fits your purposes. I’ve done many with that goal in mind. It saves repeating oneself ad infinitum.

7. Allow and promote sharing. Make the video embeddable for other people’s blogs and sites. Add share buttons for social media, a mail-a-friend function, stuff like that.

8. Connect with comments: if it applies, the best viral marketing campaign is one that creates a strong emotion, so once you have their attention, provide a means for comment to keep it going. Participate in the discussion.

9. Use it in an email. Add it to your signature. Also note that a link works better since few mailprograms can actually display videos yet. A still from the video with a play button in the middle will make people aware it’s a video.

10. Put it in a newsletter. Beware not to spam, though.

11. Post your video on other internet sites such as message boards and blogs related to your target audience. Beware not to spam, though.

12. Advertising. Think of all the social media platforms with ad functions to target your audience with your video. Because let’s be honest, these platforms will not share your video in people’s feed unless you pay them; relying on the algorithm is a fool’s game.

13. Also note that these things change, so you can probably find other ways. These days you can even ask A.I. to think along. You just have to put your — or your marketing department’s — mind to it.