85% of comments under brands' viral videos are not about the product

The spread between brands is huge: X5 Group needed 16 days, "Gerakles" — a month, Alfa-Bank — 3.5 years.

After the first video with a million views, the average views of small brands' subsequent publications grow by roughly 100 thousand — from 13,019 to 108,274. Some brands' subscriber audiences grow by 30–40%; however, the researchers caution that brands simultaneously use contests and other promotional tools, so this growth cannot be unambiguously attributed to viral videos alone.

Why does entertainment engage but not sell?

The study's main conclusion: viral content attracts attention but does not convert it into interest in the product. Under entertainment posts, about 85% of comments are humor, sarcasm, and reactions. Only about 17% relate to the product, purchase, and terms.

For comparison: under commercial posts, on average about 88% of comments already concern the product. The audience of entertainment content comes for entertainment and distraction from everyday life — and reacts accordingly.

Does AI replace production?

Despite talk of an "AI content factory," fully AI-generated videos account for only 4.38% of large brands' viral content and 2.13% for small brands. Not a single brand in the sample bases its strategy on AI video: videos are still shot with real actors and employees.

At DOT, this is explained by the fact that producers of goods and services strive to showcase their product "in real footage."

What should businesses do?

Short entertainment video is a reach tool and a top-of-funnel instrument, not an entire SMM strategy. The task of viral content is to attract attention; the task of the rest of SMM is to convert that attention into interest in the brand and product.

The researchers' recommendations:

• regularly release short videos and test different creatives — it is impossible to predict a viral video in advance;
• do not expect results after 10–20 publications: small brands need an average of about 200 videos and a year of work before their first video with 1M+ views;
• use entertainment content to attract attention, and product and informational content to convert that attention into interest;
• evaluate not only views but also subscriptions, profile visits, and questions about the product;
• build a system of production and testing instead of trying to make every video a "million-view hit."

Methodology

• Social networks: VKontakte, Telegram, Instagram*.
• Tools: LiveDune service ("Trends" and "Rubricator"); data collection and processing are automated by connecting ChatGPT to LiveDune via API.
• Metrics studied: publication structure by format, frequency of short videos, average and maximum views, dynamics after a strategy change, and the nature of comments.

*The social networks Instagram and Facebook are banned in Russia; they are owned by the corporation Meta, which has been designated as extremist in Russia.