In a nutshell
- The most liked video on YouTube is “How Zach King Gets Away With Doing Graffiti”
- It’s only 28 seconds long, with over 1 billion views and 28 million likes
- Shorts can generate a lot of views fast
There’s something to be said for learning from the mistakes and successes of others. It’s especially true in content creation. The key is not to “copy” those who are successful but rather to apply what you can learn from them. When you look at examples of other people’s work, focus on theory and technique. Find ways to use it in your own craft.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the most liked video on YouTube: “How Zack King Gets Away With Doing Graffiti.” We’ll dive into what has made this video so popular over time and the takeaways you can use in your future videos.
Who is Zach King?
Based in Los Angeles, Zach King has become a success story across multiple platforms. He received his first video camera at age 7 and went on to become a video creator and illusionist.
He started posting videos to YouTube in 2008 (although his current channel was started in 2013). Then, he won a commercial contest hosted by Hewlett-Packard in 2010. During the era of Vines, his six-second videos entertained millions. Now, he holds the most-liked video on YouTube and has become one of the highest earners on TikTok.
What You Can Learn From the Most Liked Video on YouTube
The video “How Zach King Gets Away With Doing Graffiti” was posted to YouTube in July 2019. This video currently has 1.1 billion views and 28 million likes. What are some of the things Zach did that made this video so great?
He incorporates a famous piece of work by another artist
In this video, the background image is a popular installation called “Love Is In The Air” by famed street artist, Banksy. This is sort of like doing a collaboration video. It instantly expands the audience because it will catch the attention of Banksy fans, street art fans, visual effects fans and illusion fans. Also to note, Banksy’s work is notably influenced by his own favorite artists. Zach’s use of Banksy’s work may even be a nod to that.
It’s a YouTube Short; the video is only 28 seconds long
Crafting a very brief video that is both interesting and entertaining is an art form in itself. This creator is particularly skilled at making Shorts. He’s made an entire career of it. Since the content of “How Zack King Gets Away With Doing Graffiti” is illusionary with clever editing, most people are compelled to watch it repeatedly to try to see how it works.
It tells a complete story
Many Shorts are created as a piece of a bigger story or intend to draw viewers into the channel for more. This video is truly a stand-alone story with characters and a plot. Viewers can enjoy it and be curious about it without knowing anything about the creator or any single component of the story. There’s no commitment or ask involved.
This is a silent film with catchy music
There are no language barriers here. You can easily understand the story without any sound at all. Plus, it’s fun to watch for viewers of any age. When you remove barriers and make videos accessible, it casts a wide net for the potential audience.
It has self-perpetuating popularity
When a video offers something unique, hits a milestone that gets noticed or can be learned from, a different kind of magic happens. People searching for terms like “most liked video on YouTube” will start finding it. They may be watching it for a more educational purpose, but those views count, too. Interestingly, these viewers are more likely to watch it many times and come back to it repeatedly.
Final takeaways
As you hone your own video skills, you should follow creators that you can learn from and be inspired by. Interweaving other people’s work is a great way to expand your audience. Be sure that you’re doing it in ways that avoid copyright strikes, though.
Particularly in short-form videos, it’s helpful to have videos that tell a complete story and don’t require any commitment or extra steps from the viewer. You want them to watch your video multiple times and be compelled to share it.
Global or viral popularity is easier to achieve when you can overcome language barriers and other accessibility issues. Plus, if viewers can learn something from the content or from the craft of your video itself, there’s a chance for additional viewership.
Lastly, never forget that YouTube and most other platforms use algorithms. It’s important to get your video watched right when it’s uploaded so it will continue to get traction. Stay consistently active on multiple platforms so that you can cross-promote and re-share your content. Following these tips gleaned from the most liked video on YouTube can help your next video shine.