If you've spent any time at all on Facebook in 2017, you've probably run into at least a few videos from Tasty, BuzzFeed's partner project that features sped-up recipes for desserts, snacks, and microwaveable hacks. The massively successful viral video series has conquered the most popular social media platforms with a simple idea: what if users could see their cookbook brought to life without devoting half an hour to a cooking channel? Garnering upwards of one million views a video and now partnering with some of the biggest names in food the world has to offer, it seems that Tasty has cracked the viral video code. Take these three lessons from the snack-sized video series and apply them to your viral content strategy in 2018!

The shorter the better. There's a reason why you aren't seeing episodes of Hell's Kitchen or Barefoot Contessa all over your Twitter feed; users want short, snappy, and engaging videos that they can watch in-between classes or while on a break at work. Tasty distills a recipe down to its most basic parts and goes one step further for the busy content consumer by speeding up tedious processes like whipping, chopping, and mashing. 

If you've been putting out video content that hasn't been getting the engagement you'd like, consider shortening the content- the magic number seems to be between one and two minutes. 

It's all about the visuals. Warm dripping syrup, gooey cheese, and bright green guacamole...watching a Tasty video will have your mouth watering. The appeal of the short clips largely lie in their ability to make a massive impact within seconds of engaging. If you are attempting to create viral video content, investing in top-of-the-line camera equipment that better captures bright colors and juicy details- this will make or break whether or not users watch past the first few seconds. 

Keep it simple. You won't be seeing a Tasty video for risotto or eggs Benedict pop up on your Facebook feed anytime soon. The video series knows that it's aimed at amateur home cooks, so creators only use simple cooking techniques and limit themselves to equipment most people would already have in their homes. This year, simplify your video content by removing technical jargon or unnecessary products from the shoot. 

2018 is expected to be the year of video marketing- hop on the train today by planning viral content that's simple, fun, and sharable!