Earlier I posted a conceptual model for thinking about viral video. The short version is that people link viral video because it makes ’em look cool. So the upshot for vid producers is: give them vids that will make the sender look cool if they ping it out to all their friends. Video (or any content) on the net is social ammo.
Jeff Jarvis, who is qualified to talk about this with some authority, seems to agree in his thoughts on the nature of the web:

The internet is more about connections and relationships — that’s where the core value is and content is a vehicle for that.

My italics, and the point bears repeating: content on the internet is a vehicle for relationships. This turns the usual content producer’s audience model inside-out and then wobbles it around some. It’s a completely different approach, but it makes a hella lot of sense in a world where everyone is their own multimedia channel.

Jarvis again:

The internet is about making connections. Those who enable those connections win.

Indeed.