Why does a video or a blog go viral?

Blogs can go viral for many reasons. Blogs can go viral because they relate to an issue in today's current situation. Most videos I see now days go viral simply for entertainment or because they are funny. What makes videos and blogs go viral is our ability to share them on the Internet with just a click of our mouse. On Facebook you have the ability to "share" while on Twitter you have the ability to "Re-tweet" creating a cycle where many friends can see the post and do the very same thing. I find that more videos go viral than blogs do, most likely because people are generally more willing to watch a video than read an article about the same topic. 

There are many different types of blogs. Ones about art, some about music, some are video blogs (or vlogs). The key is finding what your interest is and communicating your thoughts and ideas frequently and effectively to the right audience. Creating a decent blog takes practice, like going to the gym. The First day you go to the gym you are not going to see results. You need to dedicate yourself if you want to have a successful blog like and athlete wants to have a built body.

Comparing and Contrasting Fraser Seitel and David Scott on How to Deal with the Media

Scott:

Because of the web the rules have changed. Scott says that if you are still following the old rules they are probably less effective than his new ones. Spam is a big contribution when dealing with the media in these times. Non-targeted and broadcasted pitches are spam; news releases that are sent out and cover untraditional areas of their coverage are also spam. If reporters don’t know who you are, make sure they are able to find out about you on Google. Keep in mind that if you are a blogger and are related to the higher end of a company some reporters will find you. If you pitch to important people and they blog about you, you will get noticed by the media quicker. You should release news to the media frequently; keeping your organization busy. As an organization you should have an online media room. In that media room you should have videos and photos of your organization, depending on the type of organization you have. Having good relationships with reporters is extremely important. Be sure to explain to reports not only what your product does but also how your product makes life easier for consumers and solves their problems.  As an organization you should follow reporters to see what they are interested in.

Seitel:

The media has changed greatly since the Internet has come into play of the media distributes information. The media used to be full of “truth-seeking reporters” however, now the media is completely different. Their only objective is to get him or himself into the story personally, and they may not even have any training.

“If you’re in public relations, you must know how to deal with the press.” Anything you say to a reporter is “fair game” and can or will be used in an interview report. You should never let your guard down. As the public relations professional at your company you must always think about what you say because everyone will see your name and face on the news. Reporters should be considered “innocent until proven guilty” because they are generally just trying to do their job, just like you. PR professionals should seek to earn reporters trust, in turn you should also because a trusted resource. “Never try to threaten or coerce a journalist with advertising.” Don’t have an attitude when dealing with the media. Never lie when talking with the media. Read the paper after the fact, to see the outcome of your interview or report.

Similarities between Seitel and Scott are few and far between. Scott talks about how to use the Internet to your advantage, whereas Seitel talks about how the media is corrupted and refers mostly to face-to-face contact. What Scott and Seitel have in common is they stress the importance of having a good relationship with all reporters. The PR professionals’ best interest is to build good and strong relationships with reports so they have a good and trusted reputation.

Differences between Seitel and Scott are easily picked up. Scott talks about how spam is a new problem within the media. Before the web, you never needed to worry about spam. Scott talks about how to get your organization known on good terms throughout the media. Scott says that it is in your best interest to follow bloggers and reporters on social media so you can learn what they like best, putting yourself ahead in the game. Scott doesn’t really mention any of that; he gives suggestions on how to deal with reporters. For example, don’t lie; don’t have an attitude and so forth. Both Seitel and Scott make very important points that are important to know when working in the world of Public Relations.