There's no manual on how to create a viral video sensation, but YouTube is hoping it will have a little luck predicting which videos are on the cusp of becoming the next big thing.

The video sharing haven is launching buzz targeting -- a system that tries to foresee which videos are about to take off and allows advertisers to target their ads to these buzz-worthy clips. An algorithm developed by YouTube determines which videos are about to go viral by examining the acceleration of views, favorites and ratings activity.

"Every advertiser hopes that their campaign will be the next big viral hit online, and they come to YouTube to reach the millions of video viewers who are on the site everyday," said Shiva Rajaraman, YouTube product manager. "Buzz targeting lets them do both at the same time. They associate their brand with the hottest content of the day, while reaching the most engaged users in our community."

Despite wide popularity, monetizing YouTube has proved difficult thus far, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt has declared it a top priority for this year. Buzz targeting is the first in a slate of new products set to launch this year.