For filmmakers and video creators, going viral is the ultimate dream. We spend our careers chasing the goal of our videos reaching millions of people. Yet, the truth is that nobody can tell you exactly what it is that makes a video go viral. A great title? A catchy hook? The perfect use of a trending sound? A totally random stroke of luck?
More than likely, it’s some combination of some — or all — of these things.
One thing’s for certain, though — creatives now have a super tool at their disposal that can help them do everything they can to increase their chances of going viral — AI.
It’s changed the way you come up with ideas, create videos, and optimize your likelihood of reaching as many people as possible. The future of online success belongs to those who embrace AI, using it as a powerful tool to enhance their creativity — not replace it.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at how you can use AI in 8 different facets of video creation in order to get one step closer to that goal of going viral.
How to go viral with AI tools
AI tools are just that — tools. They’re there to complement your abilities and help you achieve specific goals cheaper, faster, and with less effort. When it comes to video creation, AI can help at every stage, from generating fresh ideas to fine-tuning visuals and optimizing distribution.
The 8 tips below will give your videos the best chance of capturing attention and gaining traction.
1. AI-powered brainstorming: take the time to plan
Every viral video starts with a great idea. But coming up with video ideas can be hit or miss. Sometimes, you’ve got endless creative ideas to work with, but other times, nothing comes up, no matter how hard you try.
AI is a game-changer because it never runs out of fresh ideas. Unlike humans, AI-powered tools can scan millions of data points from social media, search engines, and video platforms to identify what’s trending right now.
Platforms like Trend Hunter AI, Palowise, and Trendtracker can reveal what audiences are engaging with the most, pointing you toward topics that might go viral.
If you want to create a reaction video, AI tools can suggest the hottest viral moments to cover. For those running a tutorial channel, AI can show you the most searched “how-to” questions in your industry. Entertainment content creators can use AI-driven insights to capitalize on memes, challenges, and viral formats.
You can also use AI writing tools like ChatGPT and Copy.ai to come up with video concepts for your specific niche.
For example, you can try a prompt like “Give me 5 viral video ideas based on upcoming movie trends” or “I’m a YouTuber who makes content about historical fashion. Help me come up with 10 video ideas for my next video.”
Not everything will be a winner, but you’ll get plenty to work with to kickstart your brainstorming process.
Once you’ve got a few solid ideas, you can take things further by visualizing your concept with Artlist’s AI Image & Video Generator. Just input a prompt and instantly generate high-quality visuals in a range of styles. It’s a great way to bring abstract ideas to life early on — perfect for pitch decks, storyboards, or setting the creative tone before you start filming.
2. Use AI writing tools to write compelling scripts
Once you’ve got a video idea, you can use AI writing tools to help you flesh it out into a video script or outline. Starting with a blank page can be intimidating, but AI can give you something to work off of, whether it’s an opening hook, a rough video outline, or a full-on video script.
When using AI to come up with video scripts, remember that what makes viral videos so shareable is that they often spark a strong emotional response. So, it’s important to balance AI’s creativity with your human touch.
AI might have good ideas for how to add suspense or pathos to a video. It’s usually a bit weaker when it comes to humor. Whatever emotion you’re working with, always remember to double-check your AI tool’s work to make sure that your script sounds authentic to you and your voice.
3. Make your videos stand out with AI-powered effects
In an era when 75% of people watch mobile videos on mute, the visual aspect of your videos is more important than ever. Thankfully, AI can help anybody create eye-catching visuals, whether you’re an advanced cinematographer or a newbie with an iPhone.
These days, you can use AI tools for everything, including:
- Generating images and animations
- Applying color correction and grading
- Creating entire videos
AI image creators make video creation more accessible, requiring less time, money, and skill than ever before. There are many powerful AI-driven tools to choose from. Artlist’s AI Image & Video Generator, lets you create cinematic visuals from text prompts, animate them with movement, and apply styles like “Cinematic Earth” or “Modern Anime.” Whether you need footage for reels, mood pieces, or narrative videos, it offers a fast and flexible way to build custom visuals, even if you don’t have a camera.
Aim for bold color combinations, graphic fonts, eye-catching motion —- whatever grabs people’s attention and stops the scroll.
4. Boost engagement with the right sound and captions
TikTok has shown that sound is just as important for a video’s virality as visuals. Music and sound effects play a huge role in making content engaging and memorable, and captions and voiceovers can make it more dynamic, accessible, and shareable.
You can ask an AI tool to analyze your viral video idea and suggest background tracks, genres, and sound effects that match the mood. Whether it’s upbeat, cinematic, or dramatic, Artlist offers a vast library of royalty-free music and SFX that you can choose from to apply AI’s suggestions.
And if your video includes dialogue, AI voiceover tools let you produce a professional, high-quality narration without hiring a VO artist or investing in expensive recording and soundproofing equipment.
Since most people watch your videos on mute, captions and on-screen text are a must. This ensures that your content is engaging and accessible to a wider audience, improving your chance of creating a viral video.
Again, AI is a game-changer here. AI-driven captioning tools like Captions.ai can:
- Automatically generate accurate subtitles in multiple languages
- Sync captions perfectly with spoken dialogue
- Improve viewer retention by making content easier to follow
Just remember, while AI can handle most of the work, it’s important to review and edit subtitles for accuracy, especially for complex terms or names. Clean, well-timed captions make videos more professional and keep audiences watching longer.
5. Generate effective thumbnails
As the first thing a potential viewer sees before watching your video, the thumbnail is often the deciding factor in whether someone clicks to watch. That’s why some creators will spend just as long making their thumbnails as they do their videos. Some AI tools that can help you make clickable thumbnails are:
- Canva’s AI thumbnail generator: This tool automatically generates editable thumbnails based on a text description of your video.
- Thumbnail.ai: Similar to Canva, it makes thumbnails based on your video title.
- Test my thumbnails: This tool can generate thumbnails based on text or a link to your YouTube video.
Some best practices for viral thumbnails include:
- Use high-contrast images that pop against YouTube’s background
- Include minimal but bold text to make the subject clear at a glance
- Choose an expressive face or dynamic action shot for a stronger emotional impact
- Avoid clutter—too much detail can make a thumbnail harder to read on small screens
6. Drive clicks with AI-generated titles
Just like thumbnails, a compelling title can dramatically increase views. What seems more clickable to you: “A Day in My Life” or “I Tried Living Like a Celebrity for 24 Hours — Here’s What Happened”?
Instead of brainstorming titles manually, AI-powered tools like Hootsuite’s AI YouTube Title Generator, VidIQ, and Copy.ai can save you time by:
- Suggesting high-performing SEO keywords based on trending searches
- Generating multiple variations so you can choose the best one
- Analyzing competitors’ titles to find patterns in successful videos
What makes a title more appealing to click on?
- Clarity: Clearly describe what viewers will get from the video — Check out industry tips here.
- Curiosity: Use intrigue without being clickbait (e.g., “I Tried Austin’s Most Expensive Gym — Here’s What Happened”).
- Power words: Words like “wild,” “unexpected,” or “genius” create excitement.
- Numbers: List formats often perform better (e.g., “5 Hacks to Train Your Dog Faster”).
7. AI-driven social media engagement after posting
If you want to make a video go viral, your work doesn’t stop after editing and uploading. Engagement is key to boosting your video’s visibility, driving interactions, and getting more exposure.
AI can help with all of this without requiring a tremendous amount of manual effort. It can:
- Recommend the best times to post: AI can analyze when your audience is most active.
- Suggest replies to comments: AI can draft responses that keep conversations going.
- Repurposes video clips: AI tools can cut highlights from longer videos for Instagram, TikTok, or Shorts.
Recommended tools include:
- Buffer: AI scheduling posts at peak engagement times
- Planable: Generating engaging replies
- Opusclip: Repurposing long videos into shareable social clips
Instead of spending hours manually promoting your video, you can automate distribution and interaction, ensuring it reaches the largest possible audience.
8. Analyze performance with AI-driven insights
One of the best things you can do to get more views with every new video is to track your content’s performance. Understanding your audience means you can give them more of what they want and less of what they don’t. With AI tools, you can monitor your video’s success in real time and get insights that help you refine your strategy for future content.
AI-powered analytics tools like Mandala and Ocoya can break down critical performance data such as:
- View count: How many people watched your video?
- Watch time: How long did viewers stay engaged?
- Retention rate: Where do people drop off?
- Shares and comments: Is the video encouraging interaction?
Instead of manually sifting through data, AI can recognize patterns, predict trends, and suggest improvements based on audience behavior. If retention drops, AI can help identify why, whether it’s pacing, content, or audio clarity.
By continuously analyzing video performance, AI allows you to adjust your content strategy in real-time without the need for guesswork, making sure each video performs better than the last.
Ready to go viral?
Going viral may take a bit of luck, but the right strategies and tools can boost your chances of success.
AI can help at every stage—brainstorming viral-worthy ideas, crafting compelling scripts, producing high-quality visuals and audio, and optimizing content for maximum reach. It’s all about working smarter, not harder, so you can focus on what matters most: connecting with the widest possible audience.
Remember, the key to success is using AI to amplify your creativity — not replace it. These tools give you a data-driven advantage, but your unique voice and storytelling skills will always be what sets you apart. To better understand how AI works, check out our blog post, What is Generative AI?
And if you want to take your next idea even further, Artlist’s new AI Image & Video Generator lets you turn a simple prompt into scroll-stopping visuals or even short animations. It’s fast, intuitive, and built for creators like you. Try it out now and bring your next viral video idea to life. Your viral moment is just one great idea away.
Did you find this article useful?
