To make sure your viral film is seen by the largest possible number of your target audience, targeted seeding and the use of the modern media buying can help enormously. Embedding links in blogs or other online publications that your target audience look at can really help to drive them direct to the video - and kick-start distribution.

And for anyone who thinks that all this is just for young people, take a look at some numbers.

Of the 17 million total unique visitors who looked at YouTube in October 2007 …

• 4.79 million were in the age range from 15 to 24
• A further 3.4 million were between 25 and 34
• Two more million came in between 35 and 44
• An even higher 2.8 million clocked in between 45 and 54
• And an amazing 3.9 million viewers were over 55

Move over, kids.