How to Help Make Content Go Viral and Why it’s Important

Have you ever found something online so interesting that you just had to share it with friends? That’s what viral content can do.

Creating content that catches on and spreads fast like wildfire is a major goal for marketers and content creators. It’s the kind of success that can make a little-known brand famous overnight. 

But reaching this level of popularity can seem like a mix of skill and luck, making it a tough target to hit.

While there’s no exact formula to make your content go viral, there are best practices you can apply to your content strategy to increase your chances. 

In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about viral content and share some tips that could greatly improve your chances of making it happen.

What is Viral Content and Why it Matters

Before anything else, let’s define viral content first.

Viral content is online material that becomes incredibly popular through sharing. It can include videos, articles, images, and even memes.

This type of content spreads quickly across social media, email, and other digital platforms. They often capture widespread attention and engagement. Think of the ice bucket challenge where celebrities and the public alike participated to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

So, what are the chances that your content goes viral?

According to Forbes, there is a one-in-a-million chance for your content to go viral. This concept dates back to at least the late 90’s when the term first appeared in an article for Fast Company entitled “The Virus of Marketing,” where Jeffrey Rayport – then a Harvard Business School professor used the term “viral marketing”.

How many people need to share your content before it’s considered viral?

Well, it depends.

Determining when content goes viral isn’t as straightforward as hitting a specific number of shares. In niche markets, even a few hundred shares can create a big impact.

How Can Viral Content Help My Business?

Viral content can be a powerful tool for your business. It boosts your brand recognition quickly and at a low cost. It can also elevate a brand from unknown to well-known almost overnight. 

This was exactly the case for Enchanted Scrunch. The brand started small, promoting unique scrunchie designs on social platforms.

The shift to viral content came when they moved their focus to TikTok. Their engaging videos started to catch on, and the shares began to multiply. This surge in sharing led to a significant increase in their orders.

From just a couple of orders each week, they quickly moved to hundreds. This change was not just about numbers but about reaching a wider audience quickly.

Viral content is an effective way to make a lasting impact in the market. Its low expense compared to traditional advertising is a huge advantage.

Today, both brands and individuals aim to produce content that will capture the attention of millions. The goal is to create something that not only spreads widely but also sticks in the memory of the audience.

The Advantages of Going Viral

Going viral can be a huge catalyst for your brand growth. It suddenly puts you in the limelight and offers several benefits:

• Broad Exposure: Going viral introduces your brand to many people who might not have found you otherwise. This can quickly increase your followers and attract new customers.
• High Engagement: Your content gets lots of likes, shares, and comments when it goes viral. This catches the attention of social media algorithms, boosting your visibility even more and strengthening your connection with the audience.
• Cost-Effective: Although you might spend initially on creating engaging content, the organic spread on social media can bring huge returns without ongoing costs. This makes viral marketing a budget-friendly option for many businesses.
• Quick Growth and Trust: As your content is widely shared, it builds your brand’s credibility fast. This helps in making your brand seem more reliable, which is vital for turning new viewers into dedicated customers. The rapid increase in your audience can also lead to more leads and sales.
• Media Attention: If your viral content gets picked up by mainstream media, it gets even more exposure, often at no additional cost.

Is There a Wrong Way of Going Viral on Social Media?

Going viral on social media can sometimes hurt more than it helps. This happens especially when viral content spreads for the wrong reasons, like controversy or misinformation, damaging a brand’s reputation and attracting negative attention.

A typical mistake is sharing content that hasn’t been properly checked for sensitivity or accuracy. If people find the content offensive or misleading, it can lead to public outrage.

Take, for example, the Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner. The ad, which showed Jenner offering a Pepsi to police at a protest, was intended to convey unity and understanding. Instead, it was widely criticized for trivializing social justice movements.

Viral content can also spiral out of control. Once it’s shared publicly, creators can lose control over how it’s interpreted, possibly warping the intended message and damaging the brand’s image.

So, how do we avoid these pitfalls? Let’s explore some best practices to keep your business’s viral efforts on the right track.

How to Make Viral Content for Blogs

Making viral content for blogs isn’t easy. There’s no surefire recipe for making a post go viral. It often involves creativity, really understanding what your readers like, and a bit of luck.

Here are some tips to increase your blog’s chances of going viral.

Start with a Captivating Headline

Writing a strong headline is key to capturing the attention of your readers. It’s the first thing people see, so making a great impression is important. These first few words should grab your reader’s interest, enough to make them stop and read your article.

A good headline clearly tells the reader what the article is about. It should be directly related to what your audience cares about. This makes sure the headline meets the reader’s expectations and pulls them into reading the full post.

Headlines that evoke emotions, like excitement or curiosity, are even more effective. They create a connection with the reader in just a few words that encourage them to read more.

You can also use strong and impactful words like “proven,” “secret,” or “exclusive”. These words can make your headline more compelling. It gives your content a sense of uniqueness and importance, giving your headline an advantage over simpler ones.

Lastly, keep your headline short, ideally 8 to 12 words. You don’t want to bore your readers by making them read a very long headline.

Leverage Authenticity

Today’s consumers crave real connections. They prefer brands that seem genuine and trustworthy. This makes authenticity a powerful tool for engagement. By being real, you can build stronger bonds with your audience.

Start by embracing your imperfections. Nobody’s perfect, and your readers don’t expect you to be. When you show your human side, people find it easier to relate to you.

Next, share your personal stories and insights. These elements add depth to your voice and make your messages stand out. When readers see the person behind the words, their trust deepens. They appreciate insights that come from real-life experiences.

It’s also best to keep your tone conversational throughout the blog. Write as if you are talking to a friend. Readers prefer content that speaks to them, not at them.

Finally, be true to your voice. Don’t copy someone else’s style. Authentic writing reflects your unique perspective and personality.

It might take some time to find your voice, but the effort is worth it. Your genuine voice will resonate with the right audience, making your content more impactful.

Incorporate Visuals

Using visuals in your blog posts is a great way to catch your audience’s attention. Visuals can help you engage your audience and express your message in ways that words alone cannot.

Here are some examples of appealing visuals you can use.

• Images and infographics help simplify and clarify complex information. Infographics merge data and design, making facts easy to digest and attractive. It can also boost your SEO as they get shared and provide backlinks.
• Videos are key for quickly communicating messages and keeping viewers interested. They work well on platforms where users prefer watching than reading.
• Use GIFs and animated graphics to demonstrate processes or add motion to your posts. They are great for showing step-by-step instructions or illustrating changes over time.
• Diagrams and charts are vital for displaying data or explaining relationships between ideas. This way, you’re making complicated information easy to grasp.
• When used carefully, memes and comics can make your content more fun and relatable, especially if your audience enjoys humor.

As people are more likely to share eye-catching content, adding visuals not only makes your blog more interesting but also increases its potential to go viral.

Interactive and Surprising Content

Interactive content uniquely engages your audience. This includes using quizzes or polls that make your readers feel involved. When you foster participation on your blog, the readers are more likely to enjoy it and share it with others.

On the other hand, you can also use surprising content that can catch your readers off guard. People remember and talk about things that surprise them and grab their attention.

Incorporating surprising elements, like unexpected twists or startling facts, grabs attention effectively. When readers find something intriguing, they are more likely to share it with others.

Interactive content also improves the way users experience your blog. It changes reading from a passive activity to something more active and fun. This makes visitors enjoy their time on your site and often brings them back for more.

Finally, offering a variety of content types caters to different reader preferences. Whether they like detailed articles or visual content, providing diverse formats helps you attract more people.

Storytelling

Your blog can resonate more deeply by weaving narratives that connect emotionally with readers.

Every good story has its basic elements such as characters, conflict, setting, and plot. Structuring your stories with clear beginnings, middles, and ends helps readers follow along and stay hooked until the last word.

Emotional connection is the core of effective storytelling. Whether it’s joy, sadness, or excitement, tapping into these feelings can make your blog posts stick with readers. When people feel deep emotions about your content, they are more likely to share and comment on it.

Many different ways of storytelling can be used in your blog posts:

• Sharing personal stories lets you connect with your readers on a deeper level, making your content more relatable. These stories can range from significant life events to meaningful small moments.
• Incorporating case studies is another effective way to enhance your articles. They can be about your experiences, someone you know, or even public figures, illustrating key points more vividly.
• Using metaphors and analogies simplifies complex ideas, making them easier to understand and remember by comparing them to more familiar concepts.
• Drawing on fairy tales, myths, and legends can also enrich your writing. These timeless stories resonate widely and can provide rich context or underscore your messages.
• Fictional stories can bring fun and creativity into your writing, whether they’re brief narratives or longer pieces. It adds an engaging layer to your content.

Optimize Your Content for Search and Shareability

Content optimization boosts its performance and helps make it go viral. You can use the following steps to get your SEO right.

1. Start with the SEO basics. Include relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and titles that match what your audience is likely to search for. This will help improve your visibility on search engines.
2. Make sure your content is mobile-friendly. As more people use mobile devices to browse the internet, having a responsive design and fast loading times is crucial.
3. Utilize rich snippets and schema markup on your website. This helps search engines understand and index your content better. Rich snippets can display useful information like prices, ratings, or author details, improving your click-through rates.
4. Aim to get your content featured as a snippet at the top of search results. Optimize your content by clearly answering questions and organizing it well. Featured snippets can significantly increase your visibility and drive more traffic to your site.
5. Encourage social sharing by making it easy for users. Include social share buttons prominently on your page. 
6. Actively engage with your audience on social platforms. Respond to comments and join conversations. This can make users more likely to share your content.

Provide a Clear Call To Action with Every Article

Including a clear call to action (CTA) in every article is crucial if you want your content to go viral. When you finish a post, it’s important to guide your readers on what to do next instead of leaving your audience to guess their next steps. This clear direction can significantly boost engagement levels.

To create effective CTAs: 

• Use action words that create a sense of urgency – Words like “buy,” “sign up,” “subscribe,” or “learn more” prompt immediate responses. These commands are straightforward and help the reader decide quickly.
• Write your CTAs in the first-person voice -By doing so, you make your message feel personal and direct. For example, saying “Start your journey with us” can be more engaging than simply stating “Start your journey.” It helps the reader feel directly addressed and involved.
• Keep your CTAs short and simple – A concise CTA cuts through the noise and makes it easy for your readers to understand what you’re asking them to do. Overloading your content with too many CTAs can be confusing, so focus on one strong call to action that aligns with your goal for the article.
• Make sure your CTAs are easy to find and visually striking – Using contrasting colors and large buttons can make your CTA stand out on the page. You enhance the user experience this way, making it more likely that readers will take the action you’ve suggested.

Make It Easy to Share

To make content go viral, it has to be easily shareable. Think about where your audience hangs out online to decide which social media buttons to use. Usually, most industries focus on three main platforms their audience uses most.

Having too many sharing options might stop people from sharing at all. Instead, just a few well-placed buttons can make the process smoother.

It’s also important to take note that each social media platform works differently, so you need to plan how to use each one effectively.

• Take Facebook, for instance, which is great for sharing a wide variety of content, like articles and videos. It has a huge number of users, so content shared here can get a lot of views.
• Twitter is different; it’s best for quick updates and is good for sparking conversations as things happen.
• Instagram and Pinterest are useful for sharing visual content like infographics or photos. Its visual appeal can encourage more shares, which means more visitors to your site.
• LinkedIn, on the other hand, is perfect for more professional content like business news or advice, attracting a professional crowd.

Putting social media profiles directly on your blog posts or website also helps. It makes sharing easier and keeps your brand consistent online.

Continuous Learning

When your content doesn’t go viral, don’t see it as a failure. Think of it as a chance to learn. Each piece of content gives you insight into what works and what doesn’t.

First, reconsider how well you know your audience. Perhaps you didn’t quite understand their preferences, or maybe you chose the wrong platform to reach them. Next time, dig deeper to really grasp what they enjoy and where they spend their time.

Using tools like Google Analytics can shed light on how your blog is performing. It’s a fantastic resource for tracking who visits your blog and what they do when they get there.

Don’t overlook the general engagement on your blog either. Observing how people interact with your posts can highlight what’s working and what’s not. Maybe it’s the topics you choose or how you write about them. Use this to fine-tune your content.

Lastly, pay attention to the feedback from your audience. If comments suggest your headline was misleading or something in your content was off-putting, take note. While it’s impossible to please everyone, recurring criticisms are worth addressing.

How to Make Viral Content for Social Media

Social Media has over 5 billion users and for your content to go viral you’ll need a blend of strategic planning, understanding your audience, and leveraging the right platforms and trends.

Here are some key strategies you can implement to achieve that viral content.

Know Your Audience

If you aim to create viral content, you need to have a good understanding of who your audience is. Consider the age, location, and interests of the people you want to reach.

Are they young adults interested in technology or older individuals in health and wellness? Tailoring your content to match the interests of your target demographic is key.

You should then figure out what your audience enjoys. Learn where they spend their time online and what type of content they engage with, be it images, videos, or text. This knowledge helps you choose the right social media platform and content type for your campaign.

Also, pay attention to what your audience talks about and what they respond to. This can reveal what content types might resonate with them, whether it’s humorous clips, motivational stories, or informative articles.

Lastly, learn from what has already worked. Look at viral content from competitors or other brands that share your audience. Analyze what made those pieces successful and strive to create something even more compelling.

Understand Your Platform

Each social media platform has unique features that influence how posts perform.

For instance, TikTok thrives on quick, engaging videos that grab attention right away. Its algorithm favors videos that keep people watching and engaged. To succeed on TikTok, ensure your videos capture interest immediately.

YouTube, on the other hand, prefers videos that hold viewers’ attention for longer periods. It promotes videos based on likes, comments, and shares. To do well, create engaging content that encourages viewers to interact and watch until the end.

For Facebook and Instagram, posts that appear genuine and encourage user interaction tend to do better. Facebook offers features like Stories and Live videos for more personal engagement, while on Instagram, using compelling visuals and the right hashtags helps increase your reach.

LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals and network-building. For your content to thrive on LinkedIn, it should be value-adding to your network and needs to have a more serious and professional tone.

These platforms also provide analytics tools that can help you understand how your content performs and who your audience is. Analyzing the data allows you to tailor your content more effectively, increasing your chances of going viral.

Tap on Different Types of Content

As the saying goes: Different strokes for different folks. To make your content go viral on social media, exploring different ways how you present it is necessary.

Here’s how you can leverage a variety of formats to enhance engagement and shareability:

• Short-form video: This is king in today’s fast-paced online environment. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are ideal for quick, engaging videos that capture attention in less than a minute. They are perfect for tips, jokes, or even dramatic reveals that are easy to consume and share.
• Images: Simple yet powerful, images can convey your message instantly. They work well on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest where visual appeal is paramount. Whether it’s high-quality photos, infographics, or creative illustrations, images can effectively represent your brand and message.
• Live video: Utilizing live video on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube helps in connecting directly with your audience in real time. This format is excellent for Q&A sessions, events, or behind-the-scenes looks, adding a layer of authenticity and immediacy to your content.
• Text-based posts: Although visuals often dominate social media, well-crafted text posts have a place too, especially on Twitter or LinkedIn. These posts can be thought-provoking, informative, or entertaining, and they give a voice to your brand’s personality.
• User-generated content (UGC): Encouraging your audience to share their own content related to your brand can boost authenticity and trust. We’ve created a more detailed discussion about UGC in the later part of this article.

Be Unique

All viral content has something in common: it’s original and delivers the unexpected. This uniqueness captures attention and sets your posts apart from the rest.

Your content should have fun elements to keep users engaged and interacting longer with your content. As users spend more time on your posts, social media algorithms take note and further boost your visibility.

Originality also encourages participation. When your content is unique, people are more intrigued and likely to interact by commenting, reacting, or sharing your content with their peers.

Lastly, unique content provides valuable insights into your audience’s preferences. Interactive and distinctive elements allow you to gather data that can pave the way for your future strategies.

So, don’t shy away from being different. Embrace uniqueness in your content to capture attention and increase your chances of going viral.

Engage with Current Trends and Popular Hashtags

Are hashtags still relevant? The answer is yes, but the use of it has declined in recent years.

However, in certain platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram, hashtagged words that become very popular are often trending topics. And knowing the trending topics can help you connect with what interests the public right now.

Strategically using hashtags is also key to expanding your reach on various social media platforms:

• Instagram: Employing three to five specific hashtags can significantly boost your engagement.
• Facebook: A mix of branded and industry-specific hashtags can help spread your content more broadly.
• LinkedIn: A professional approach is preferred, with three to five relevant hashtags recommended.
• X (formerly Twitter): Keeping it to one or two hashtags can make your posts more likely to be shared.
• TikTok: Using three to five relevant hashtags is advisable to leave room for engaging captions.

Tools like RiteTag can be incredibly useful for finding trending hashtags that resonate with your audience. Most importantly, staying updated with industry trends ensures that the hashtags you use are timely and effective, thus enhancing the chance of your content going viral.

Quality Over Quantity

Creating viral content on social media is more about quality than quantity. 

It’s tempting to post frequently to stay visible. However, this strategy can backfire by overwhelming your audience. Instead, focusing on crafting high-quality posts can engage and captivate your followers more effectively.

For instance, posting once or twice a day on Instagram and only once on LinkedIn can maintain engagement without causing fatigue. This tailored approach helps keep content fresh and relevant.

Quality content tends to resonate more with your audience and encourages shares and likes. These interactions increase the likelihood of your posts going viral. Investing time in creating valuable, impactful content can lead to better engagement rates than simply flooding your followers’ feeds.

Remember, each post is a reflection of your brand. Make sure each piece of content is well-thought-out and aligns with your brand values. This strategy not only helps build a strong brand identity but also fosters a loyal following.

Leverage Influencer Collaborations

Influencers are people who have a strong impact on others’ choices because they are seen as experts in their fields. Their followers trust their recommendations, which makes their endorsements quite influential.

Working with influencers allows you to reach their followers and benefit from this trust. It can boost how many people see and interact with your content. When influencers promote your content, their followers can also share it.

Take GymShark as an example. This athletic brand used influencer marketing effectively to grow quickly. 

1. Selective Partnerships: Gymshark was selective about the influencers they partnered with, choosing those who were a strong fit with their brand values and had significant influence in the fitness community.

2. Providing Free Products: Initially, they sent free products to fitness influencers, who would then wear this apparel in their social media posts. This strategy helped create buzz and visibility for the brand among the fitness community.
3. Leveraging Platforms: They made strategic use of various social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and later TikTok by adapting their content to each platform and involving influencers in content creation.

Now valued at $1.45 billion, GymShark’s success highlights the power of viral marketing on social media.

Do take note that when planning to work with influencers, it’s crucial to choose partners who share your brand’s values and connect with your target audience. This way, your promotion feels authentic and has a greater impact.

Utilize Emotional and Relatable Content

Content that stirs strong emotions like happiness, sadness, or inspiration tends to stick with people. When viewers emotionally connect with content, they’re more likely to share it with others.

In short, emotional impact is vital for standing out on social media.

Relatability also plays a significant role in content sharing. When the content mirrors the experiences, challenges, or desires of your audience, it builds trust and connection. People are more likely to share content that reflects their own lives or societal issues.

Another important factor in viral content creation is authenticity. Users are drawn to content that feels real rather than perfectly polished. Authentic storytelling makes your brand or persona appear more genuine and trustworthy.

Lastly, adding interactive elements can boost your engagement even further. For instance, prompting users to share their stories in comments can create a community feeling. This type of interaction increases the visibility and impact of your content, making it more likely to go viral.

Incorporate User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) includes everything from reviews and videos to images and posts created by users rather than the brand itself. It acts as social proof, demonstrating that real people appreciate your products or services, which boosts your brand’s credibility and relatability.

UGC is effective because it’s genuine. Real customer experiences often connect more with people than slick brand promotions.

For instance, brands like GoPro and Starbucks have effectively utilized UGC by encouraging users to share their experiences using specific hashtags or by participating in contests, which helps spread their content wider.

There are several types of UGC you can use:

• Organic UGC: These are unsolicited shares from customers who post about your product because they genuinely like it. It’s the most authentic form of UGC.
• Photos: Images of customers using your product or showing off the results they got.
• Reviews and Testimonials: Online reviews and testimonials serve as UGC and can be shared on your website and social media to provide proof of customer satisfaction.
• Social Media Posts: Even a simple positive mention of your brand on social media can be valuable content to reshare.
• Videos: Videos that feature your product in brand reviews can illustrate others’ experiences and opinions.
• Blog Posts: Bloggers might mention your brand or product in a review or within a broader post.

To maximize the impact of UGC, it’s important to engage with the people who create it. Acknowledging their contributions can encourage more interaction and further content creation.

You can also use strategies like running contests or giveaways where users submit their content to win a prize. This can significantly increase both the amount and quality of your UGC.

Repurpose Your Content on Other Platforms

Once you identify the right platforms, it’s time to diversify your efforts. Don’t limit yourself to a single social media site.

Virality can occur unexpectedly across different platforms, so it’s important to spread your content widely. 

For instance, a video posted on YouTube might also resonate on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also re-upload TikTok videos on Instagram and Facebook reels. Once you make your content on these platforms, the possibilities are endless.

You can use tools like Buffer to streamline this process. This software allows you to automatically post your videos across multiple platforms, enhancing your reach. It integrates video, social media, and SEO, three powerful elements in the viral equation.

Experimentation is also important. Each platform has its quirks and content preferences. What works on YouTube might need tweaking to catch on Twitter or Instagram. Continuous testing and adapting your content to each platform’s unique environment can lead to greater engagement and higher chances of going viral.

The Impact of the Perfect Comment on Social Media Virality

Posting a thoughtful comment on someone else’s social media post can be a smart move for marketing.

A timely and insightful comment can grab the attention of both the original poster and their followers. This can expose your profile or brand to new people who might not have found you otherwise.

When you comment on a popular post, make sure your comment stands out by being funny, insightful, or useful. This active engagement can make your comment more likely to get likes or replies, which increases its visibility.

If your comment is interesting or helpful, people may click on your profile to see what else you offer. This can naturally grow your social media presence.

Also, interacting with others’ posts helps you build credibility in your field, potentially leading to new partnerships and opportunities. Your well-regarded contributions can also help your content be shared more widely, possibly even going viral.

Measure and Analyze Performance

Tracking performance lets you improve the quality of your content. For instance, if a post does well, you can figure out why and use that insight for your next posts.

On the other hand, learning from less successful posts helps you avoid making the same mistakes again.

Analyzing your data also optimizes when and where you post. It shows the best times for posting and which platforms are most effective. Furthermore, understanding how different content formats perform on various platforms helps you reach more people.

You can also check how well different social media campaigns are doing through A/B testing. If a campaign gets a lot of engagement or goes viral, you’ll want to know why. This helps you replicate that success in future efforts.

Rinse and Repeat

Remember, one successful viral campaign doesn’t mean you’re done. Keep working to make your next campaign just as good.

First, look back at your successful campaign. Figure out what made it work and use that knowledge to plan your next content. Use the data you’ve already collected to help you.

Next, consider your brand’s story. Think about how you can create more viral content that stays true to the message you shared in your first campaign.

Consistency is important because it makes your brand seem more genuine. Always focus on what you do best and showcase your main values.

Viral Content FAQs

Final Thoughts

While there’s no guaranteed way to make viral content, knowing your audience and what makes content shareable can greatly increase your chances.

To do this, you can start by examining viral hits in your industry, learn what appeals to your viewers, and apply these insights to your own content. 

Creating content should be enjoyable and creative, not stressful. Approach it with curiosity and openness, and always be ready to learn and adjust.

Viral content often succeeds by touching emotions, providing value, or being entertaining. Focus on these elements to improve your chances of creating something people would want to share.

But remember, the ultimate goal isn’t just viral popularity, but to forge meaningful connections and produce content that upholds your brand’s message and values. So stay consistent, be authentic, and continue to innovate creatively.