Over forty hours of video are updated to YouTube every minute…what makes one stand out?

Kevin Allocca is YouTube’s trends manager, he professionally watches YouTube videos. In this TEDtalk, he shares the four reasons a video goes viral.

1. Tastemakers—like Jimmy Kimmel’s Tweeting of Rebecca Black’s video, Friday. This video has more than 30 million views.

2. Communities of Participation—when we participate in the creative phenomenon, like Nyan Cat. This video has more than 72 million views. 

3. Unexpectedness—for example, bike lanes by Casey Neistat. This video has more than five million views.

What does this mean? A new kind of media. A new kind of culture. And, the audience decides.

Just think, he was only looking to share a rainbow. (This video has more than 33 million views.)

What’s your favourite video gone viral?