How Woody & Kleiny Discovered The 'Formula' For Going Viral

Woody, half of the duo Woody and Kleiny, discusses his 13-year journey as a social media creator, highlighting the evolution of content creation and the strategies behind their success. Starting as football freestylers, Woody and Kleiny transitioned into comedy and entertainment after Kleiny's back injury. They began their social media journey by creating accounts to showcase their talents, aiming for a career in presenting. Over 13 years, they have amassed 50 million followers and achieve approximately 10 billion views annually. Initially, their efforts were not driven by immediate financial gain. For five years, they worked seven days a week, balancing their day jobs with content creation, often filming until late into the night. Woody emphasizes that they invested their time because they believed in their content and its potential. He views time as the most valuable asset, and their willingness to invest it was crucial to their eventual success. Their first significant breakthrough came with a sports-themed comedy skit that garnered a million views on UniLad, a large media platform, rather than their own channel. This led to early brand deals from sports-related companies like Heineken. However, they made a strategic decision to pivot away from sports-specific content to broader entertainment. This was a bold move, as it meant sacrificing immediate income from existing brand deals. Woody explains that their focus was always on the bigger picture, longevity, and the quality of their product, rather than solely on money. He believes that if the focus is on the product and passion, financial success will follow. Woody draws an analogy between achieving virality and winning the Super Bowl. Virality, he argues, is a destination or a trophy, not the starting point. To achieve it, creators must master numerous underlying elements, tactics, and research, much like a football team prepares for a championship. He highlights that their upcoming online course distills 13 years of this learned knowledge into a structured curriculum. He shares key insights into content creation, starting with the importance of "hooks." What was once a 3-second rule for engagement has now become a 0.1-second rule, demanding instant captivation. Woody introduces an acronym, "THIS A&E," representing the core elements that can make content viral: Trends, Humor, Inspiration, Surprise, Adventure, and Emotion. He explains that incorporating one or more of these elements effectively increases the chance of content going viral. The more elements included, the greater the potential for "super viral" views, but this should not compromise content quality. The power of these elements lies in their ability to connect with different people for different reasons. For example, one person might share a video for its humor, while another shares it for its emotional impact. A video that successfully integrates multiple elements can resonate with a broader audience, leading to more shares and increased virality. Additionally, the intensity of each element matters; a highly humorous or emotional piece of content is more likely to be shared. Woody also discusses the "Disney effect," which involves character archetypes like the hero and the villain. He explains that a single person can embody multiple characters simultaneously. For instance, in a prank, the prankster can be both the villain (for doing something mischievous) and the hero (if they execute it successfully). The villain's presence enhances the hero's impact. He acknowledges the prevalence of negativity on social media and the human tendency to react strongly to negative experiences. While negative content can travel faster, Woody believes it should be used constructively, like in the Disney effect, where the villain serves to amplify the hero's positive attributes. When asked what he would do if starting his social media career today, Woody would first buy his own course to leverage 13 years of accumulated knowledge and accelerate the learning process. He emphasizes the importance of pursuing content that genuinely excites the creator, as passion translates into authentic connection with the audience. Building a community is paramount, as it fosters impact, information dissemination, and trust. He stresses that trust, once gained, must never be abused, especially when spreading messages. He reflects on their presence at the World Government Summit, noting that their role as content creators bridges a gap into a new space. Their ability to connect with audiences and build trust is valuable, particularly as Gen Z, who grew up with social media, will soon be leading the world. Addressing how governments can support content creators, Woody highlights the volatility of revenue streams due to algorithm changes. This makes it challenging for creators to build and sustain teams. He emphasizes that algorithms constantly change, and creators must adapt. However, product changes can severely impact revenue, creating financial instability. He advocates for creators to diversify their income streams across different platforms and through brand partnerships. He suggests that governments could provide support through grants or funds to help smaller creators grow and develop, ultimately empowering them to support important messages if their values align. Woody then details the lifecycle of a Woody and Kleiny video, which varies depending on the content type (skits, challenges, pranks). Pranks, for example, are often filmed without Kleiny's knowledge to ensure genuine reactions. Many attempts are made, but only the best footage makes the final cut. For more elaborate content, they hold creative sessions in their studio house, where they brainstorm ideas without judgment. They conduct extensive research on trending content and adapt existing concepts to make them their own. Strong ideas are documented using a visual "T card" system. Once enough ideas are gathered, they schedule shoots, prepare props, and bring in the necessary personnel. Woody stresses the importance of separating creative ideation from execution. They aim to shoot as much content as possible, sometimes creating multiple videos in a single day. After filming, the footage goes into editing. Their editors are trained to cut content into various lengths (clips, 1-minute, 2-minute, 3-minute, and 3+ minutes) to suit different platforms and future-proof their content library. This extensive archive allows them to upload content frequently to new platforms, such as Snapchat, without needing to create new material constantly. After editing, Woody and Kleiny conduct quality assurance, making any necessary changes before scheduling the content for release across platforms like Facebook and YouTube, aiming for daily uploads. Looking ahead to the next year, Woody's primary focus is the launch and widespread adoption of their online educational course. He believes this course, developed over two years, will provide invaluable tools for anyone seeking success on social media, regardless of their profession. He emphasizes that while the course provides knowledge, personal qualities like dedication, hard work, and sacrifice are ultimately what drive success. Woody is committed to making the course affordable and impactful, aiming for users to feel they received exceptional value for their investment. He hopes to spread this message through podcasts and other channels, leveraging their 13 years of experience and significant following to empower others.