December 2025
Viral formats beat viral videos
Sami Kassir
YouTube Growth Lead, Viewconomy
Viral formats beat viral videos
If you want consistent growth on YouTube, stop chasing “one big hit” and start building a format you can repeat.
A viral video is luck. A viral format is leverage.
Below is a simple 3-step framework (pulled from the transcript you shared) that explains how creators build huge followings with a concept that’s bigger than them, and how you can do the same.
Step 1: Pick a format that people can describe in one sentence
Here’s the test:
If someone can describe your channel in one sentence, you probably have a format.
If they can’t, you probably don’t.
Look at creators who became “known for the thing”:
“Bus Auntie”: records herself in front of London red buses, built a recognisable UK identity fast, then brands came to her (Burberry, H&M, even the Mayor of London).
“Chicken Shop Date”: short, awkward, flirtatious interviews in one location, same vibe every time.
“Career ladder guy”: “I have 2 minutes to guess your job.” Viewers can play along.
Notice what’s happening here: the creator becomes less important than the container the content sits in. That container is the format.
When you choose a format, you’re choosing:
what the audience expects
what the algorithm can categorise you as
what the viewer comes back for
Step 2: Repetition is everything (and most people quit too early)
Every platform rewards clarity.
When one video performs, the algorithm looks for more of the same. If your next upload is a totally different topic, the platform has nothing to recommend next.
That’s why creators who blow up then “switch it up” usually flatline.
The transcript makes a key point most people ignore:
You won’t know if a format works after 3 videos.
You only know it failed after you’ve made enough of them.
A simple rule that works:
Commit to 20–30 uploads minimum before judging the idea
50 is even better if the format is clean and repeatable
The goal isn’t “make a viral video.”
The goal is “make a system that can produce 200 episodes without falling apart.”
Step 3: Make sure you actually like the cage you’re building
This is the part that separates creators who last from creators who burn out.
A format is a gift, but it’s also a constraint.
If your format takes off, you’re signing up to repeat it. A lot.
So ask yourself this before you commit:
“If this blew up and I had to make 200 episodes, would I secretly hate my life?”
Example from the transcript: a creator who interviews people on the subway. It’s a brilliant hook, but filming on public transport is chaotic. If you don’t enjoy that environment, success becomes a trap.
Choose a format you can sustain:
logistically (easy to produce weekly)
creatively (doesn’t get boring)
socially (you’re comfortable doing it)
mentally (you can do it under pressure)
The “viral format” checklist
A great format usually has most of these:
1) A repeatable hook
A first line that stays consistent.
2) A repeatable location
A place viewers recognise instantly (London buses, chicken shop, subway, street corner, studio chair).
3) A viewer participation element
The audience can guess, predict, react, or “play along.”
4) A signature object or visual cue
Something that becomes the brand (subway card on mic, red bus backdrop, the same setting every time).
5) Clear constraints
Time limit, single question, single angle, specific topic.
Constraints are what make it scalable.
A challenge you can actually follow
If you want a real test that removes overthinking:
Pick one hook, one location, and one format.
Then create 50 videos.
Only after 50 do you decide:
double down
tweak the format
or move on to the next concept
If you keep the hook, style, length, and structure consistent, it becomes very hard not to see traction over time.
Want help turning this into a format for your brand?
At Viewconomy, we build repeatable YouTube systems that make growth predictable: proven ideas, packaging, and a cadence your team can sustain.
If you’re serious about building a channel that compounds, use the contact form and tell us:
your niche
your current output
and what “winning” looks like for you
We’ll reply with next steps.
