It’s tempting to aspire for the elusive viral video campaign. Marketeers are enamored with the idea of a commercial produced inexpensively and watched by millions.

The issue with this idea, is that it’s a myth.

Consider the majority of viral media, it consists of talking dogs, and sneezing pandas. Viral videos have a natural edge in attracting large audiences because they generate social wealth for whoever helps in spreading the meme. The content is usually safe to share, and the sneezer has a very good chance to improve their own reputation.

So, if your customer happens to share a video about your newest product, you have to consider that they’re doing it to make themselves stand out, not to help you.

The good news is that profitability and success isn’t confined to virality.

The challenge is focusing on creating content that tells a story that resonates through an audience, not in attempting to be the next double rainbow guy.