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Having a piece of content go viral has nothing short of a dream come true in the marketing world. For better or worse though, we know that going viral is much easier said than done. Getting your posts to reach 100.000+ likes and shares organically is sitting at the intersection of luck and strategy, and maybe once in a blue moon, it is simply sheer luck!
Social media platforms have dramatically changed the way businesses interact with their respective audiences over the past few years. Global corporations and businesses, actors, musicians, and athletes all use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc, to share their thoughts, sell new a product, and of course promote their brands.
The thought of going viral just for brand promotion alone is overwhelming at best. But having your content climb to the highest mountains of internet fame is harder than ever before, and the competition is growing exponentially each and every day.
Are you ready to get started? Keep on reading if you really want to go viral on social media, the solution revolves around strategy, a keen eye for detail, and consumer psychology.
1. The Creation of a Viral Post: The Basics
Here at Veza Digital, we wholeheartedly believe there is a recipe for online success. To effectively attract eyes to your content, you have to follow a set of seemingly simple rules.
Even though the recipe is straightforward, implementing it might be a bit harder for some folks, depending on their niche. Viral content consists of these three elements.
- A unique/interesting hook
- Well-executed content
- Understanding what your audience wants to see
Going viral on social media is a modern paradox. Videos such as a TikTok ASMR skincare routine or a foodie eating sushi and a fruit roll-up concoction hit over a million views overnight. Although viral social media content often contains elements of luck and timing, most of the time it boils down to attention to detail and a solid strategy.
2. Video Content is King…Especially Short Videos!
We live in an era of decreasing attention spans. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is a whole book. Good lighting, location, what you look like (clothes, hair, makeup, etc), and props within the videos make a difference and can add value to the post and engage viewers.
Longer videos are not necessarily better, if you can't wow your audience within the first 30 seconds you may lose up to 33% of viewers and at a full minute, if they are not entrained or interested over 50% of people stop watching according to stats.
Engage viewers as quickly as possible, use a strong hook in the title, and add subtitles to maximize the viewing experience and capture the attention of your audience.
3. Top Strategies & Tips Can You Use To Go Viral
Know Your Audience
Their response to your content will determine if you will go viral or not. Find out what type of followers you want to attract to what followers you currently have. What do they like about your niche?
To know this you need to do thorough demographic and psychographic research which includes a social media audit to know what platforms and channels are working and which ones are not.
Testing collected data and running reports will show you if you are delivering a quality experience for your audience. This way you can create posts that capture your audience's likes and interests. It’s going to take some testing but with time you will be able to see what content your audience responds to.
Once you have a genuine understanding of your audience you will be well on your way to creating solid, successful posts with a greater potential of going viral.
Be Genuine & More Authentic
No one wants to watch a pre-planned fake video (there are so many unfunny videos). When you discover what makes your audience tick, you can share your ideas through creative and engaging social media posts.
You’ve heard it so many times that content must be genuine to build brand trust and authority, and this also applies to a viral social media post. Authenticity is the name of the game, the more genuine your post the better it will rank with audiences.
Don't forget to bring out the emotions because videos go viral when they trigger emotions. Humor, humility, honesty, fear, bravery, sympathy, and sometimes being critical can all help create the hype a viral post needs.
The story itself, combined with facial expressions and body language can trigger a wide range of emotions. As we just mentioned above, be sure you tell the story honestly and genuinely to engage your audience and keep them interested and wanting to share the experience with others.
Challenge Yourself
To tell a better story you need to try taking a new approach…push yourself and it’s guaranteed to pay off!
You may want to discuss your ideas with different people or get someone to brutally criticize your post and gather their thoughts on a piece of paper. Use these ideas and make improvements. It all boils down to experiences coming to life by leveraging storytelling.
4. Evaluate, Revisit, & Edit
Most excellent storytellers ask themselves a series of questions. Take your time and really think about your list and your answers.
- What skills do you need to develop?
- Can you do this on your own or do you need help?
- Will you benefit from learning from another source to achieve your goal?
These questions can actually help you become an authentic storyteller and give people the content they really want to watch. To create posts that are going viral, you have to learn from others. Watch other videos and posts within your niche, what they have done, and how they managed to go viral on social media.
You can even imitate their strategy as long as it fits with your brand. It is a source of inspiration. Don’t be afraid to make it your own. Try to understand their concept and don't steal their idea(s) outright.
5. Find A Unique & Interesting Hook
People want to know what they are looking at on social media. This is exactly why YouTubers who title their videos with bold caps and fascinating headlines tend to go viral.
Headlines like these catch people’s attention.
- "How DISAPPOINTING is this KKW BEAUTY CONCEALER",
- "Check out what THIS “KAREN” DID!"
- "How to get 100.000+ VIEWS on YOUTUBE SHORTS ”
- “WARNING SFX LiGhTiNg” or “ *WARNING* *FLASHING* *LIGHTS*”
People will read your headline and immediately decide if they will click through or pass.
The caption for your social media video post has to include a compelling headline with specific and actionable information. For example, you can mention a statistic in your headline or let people know how many tips they will get by watching your video. You can also take action on a hook by initiating an emotional response.
You must have come across this strategy in the past. “This video will have you CRYING, or this video will make you LAUGH”. We actively seek out content that will elicit a reaction, because we recognize that when we react, others will most likely react as well, which translates into guaranteed views and likes. Finding the right hook to attract people, will help to get you the viral views you want.
People actively seek out content that will elicit a reaction, because we recognize that when we react, others will most likely react as well, which translates into guaranteed views and likes. Finding the right hook to attract people, will help to get you the viral views you want.
6. Make Your Post Visually Appealing
When we see something that catches our eye, it becomes a visual feast for the eyes, as it is very sensory and stimulating.
This adds value to your content in an over-saturated digital world that's “plagued” by millions of visual cues regardless of the platform. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words, especially when you think about how a meme can elicit such dramatic responses in the comments.
To make matters worse, online videos on social platforms have exploded. Heavyweight social platforms like Instagram and Facebook have adapted and changed how videos are displayed on their respective platforms since TikTok made its explosive debut.
In Conclusion
All of these strategies and tips will add value to your social media posts. Getting content to go viral will not happen with every single piece of content that you create, and it can take time to build such a valuable skill.
Take each of the strategies in turn and start implementing them. This exercise is guaranteed to help you increase your shares and likes, which in turn will increase your chances of going viral on social media.
