If you’re hot on content marketing, you’ll know that viral pieces are one of the best ways to grow your audience and build exposure for your brand or channel. Everyday we’re exposed to viral content online without even realising it, but what is the formula for going viral and how do you achieve it? If a video, story or image spreads rapidly across various channels on the internet, such as email or social media this is going viral. A great example of viral content would be the viral Zara dress; it sparked debate and conversation online about whether it was black and blue or gold and white. The dress was marketed so well, not just because it was perfect for women of all shapes and sizes, but because of the virality of it. Viral content and videos can expand the lifespan of your PR coverage, which is exactly what you want if you’re looking to grow your audience or spread a message across a wide online audience. Consider the following nine must-haves to go viral on social media and you will soon be creating content that is shareable amongst the masses.
- Use High Quality Video
If you’re just getting started, filming your viral content on an iPhone will work just fine. However, if you regularly create content, you should think about upping your game in terms of quality. You want to create consistency across your chosen platform and create videos that are engaging to watch and high-quality too. Consider looking into a Corporate Video Production company and strike up a rapport with a team that understands your style and goals. This will help you to create viral content that is not online impactful, but also easy to watch!
- Be Polarising
Most of the viral content out there today is pretty polarising; sitting on the fence doesn’t strike up a conversation or create “the viral factor.” Whether you’re expressing your personal opinions, creating memes or making videos on polarising subject matters, it is important to stay true to your brand values and think before you post. You can be polarising without causing offence or getting yourself into legal trouble.
- Speak to One Person
When you see viral content online, it is usually directed at one type of person, rather than speaking to the masses. Think about the language you use when you’re talking in a video or the style of copy you use in your captions. Thinking about one person when you’re writing your script or planning your viral content will really help to target your market.
- Know Your Target Audience
You should know everything about your target audience from the inside out! Conducting regular market research will help you to stay on top of trends, words, phrases and topics that are of interest to them. Staying ahead of the curve is the key to going viral, and that all stems from your target audience. Don’t shy away from interacting with the people that engage with your content as their language can be like goldust when it comes to writing stellar copy.
- Make it Shareable
Shareable content has a much higher chance of becoming viral for obvious reasons. On one level, you need to make sure your accounts aren’t private or limited to certain audiences. On the next level, you need to make sure that the content itself leans towards the shareability factor. Are people going to feel embarrassed about sharing this content? Or will the content make them look good, feel empowered or well liked? Climb inside the minds of your target audience and you should be able to make the call on whether you’re creating shareable content or not.
- Amp Up the Relatability
This must-have step goes hand in hand with knowing your target audience inside out, but it also relates to your personal brand too. Being relatable and sharing relatable content has a higher chance of going viral, so make sure you’re ticking as many of these boxes as possible. When someone can relate to a video or social media post online, they’re going to feel inclined to share it with their friends or family members – that is exactly how the magical viral train works!
- Stay Relevant and Topical
Talking about relevant topics that are going on in the world today is very important when it comes to going viral. The longevity of your content may not be as high as evergreen pieces, but you want to make a big impact when you post potentially viral content. Keep an eye on the news and scope out what people are typing in on Google; this is a great tip for coming up with content ideas regularly.
- Choose Your Timing Wisely
Your social media posting schedule will depend on a number of different things, namely your audiences’ usual activity times. There is no one size fits all when it comes to posting at the right time; ultimately good content will be shared no matter what time of day it is! On the other hand, there are completely wrong times to post certain viral content. For example, if your country is celebrating a big anniversary or something shocking has just happened in the news, the online world is going to be saturated with this content so it’s best to hold off until it dies down.
- Be Patient
Truth be told, the very first piece of content you create probably won’t go viral (unless you’re extremely lucky!). It takes time, dedication and persistence to see the results you’re looking for. Keep trying new techniques and don’t give up on creating content, even when exposure seems harder than ever to gain.
Going viral is truly possible for anyone, no matter how big or small your audience or how long
you’ve been creating content. A lot of it can be down to luck, but if you consider the nine ideas mentioned above you will have a better chance of being seen on your chosen platform.
Jessica Pardoe | PR, Marketing and Communications Blogger | See All Posts By Jessica Pardoe 