Are you looking for ways for your broadcast to reach a wider audience? Do you want your content to be shared at a rapid rate?
Creating viral content is the ultimate goal of content creators and streamers around the world. Achieving the goal demands an understanding of viral content marketing and the principles that make it work.
When content is shared on a viral scale, then it’s possible to increase your following, drive more traffic from Instagram, and increase your revenue.
Let’s explore practical ways to create viral content on social media, focusing on Instagram and TikTok as examples.
The Power of Going Viral
What does it mean to go viral?
As a guideline, videos that reach five million views online are considered viral. The content is shared, then re-shared, and re-shared again.
There are a few fundamentals used in viral videos. These fundamentals encourage people to tune in, double-tap the post, and share it on their feed. While it’s not possible to predict whether content will go viral or not, it’s worth considering the following.
- Emotional trigger
- Plot twist
- Sense of shareability
- Personal element
Rather than shooting in the dark, many content creators strategically focus on creating viral content. By doing so, a viral strategy offers several benefits such as the following.
- Substantial reach on a global scale with minimal effort or costs
- An organic approach to gaining followers, rather than an aggressive approach
- Great return on investment as there are no advertising costs involved
- Boost brand awareness
Put Techniques Into Action
There are several techniques that can be used to create an effective strategy and make the most of the benefits. Consider the following techniques and incorporate them in your next planning session.
Understand Your Audience
Get to know specific details about your target audience so that you know how to create an impact. For example, you can assess your current analytics and identify which content performs best. Another key aspect to consider is the platform that you post the content on, making sure that it is relevant.
Get Your Audience’s Attention - And Fast!
Make sure that you hook your audience from the get-go to ensure that they experience the content to its fullest (and pass it on to their community). Focus on the feature image, caption, and first few seconds of video content. Prioritizing high-quality content is also more important for virality.
Pull-On the Heart Strings
Research shows that virality is partially driven by physiological arousal and that positive emotions encourage virality more than negative. With this in mind, focus on funny, surprising, or feel-good content for an emotional trigger.
While being sensitive to the cause, charities can focus on emotional triggers to create viral content.
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Offer Simplified Information
Knowledge is power and there’s a lot of value in sharing valuable information in a digestible format. Creating simplified expressions of complicated current affairs through infographics and easy-to-follow videos can help spread understanding and context.
Build Relationships With Influencers
Promoting viral content is significantly easier if you have the right people sharing your content. It’s worth building strategic relationships with publishers, influencers, and other content creators to help boost your reach.
It also helps to consider timing. Posting in the right place at the right time positions your content to go viral. While virality isn’t a guarantee, strategic posting can increase the odds.
How To Go Viral on TikTok
Content creators on TikTok have put these techniques into action, producing viral content for the masses. Let’s take a closer look at viral content on TikTok.
Key Aspects of Viral TikTok Content
What is it that makes some TikTok videos spread like wildfire and others not? While most viral TikTok videos follow the same techniques as all viral content, there are a few nuanced approaches.
- Inspire people to join a trend, or challenge, by triggering FOMO (the fear of missing out)
- Focus on the first three seconds to hook your audience as it speaks volumes about the relevance of your video
- Leverage your skills to create a hook - and then deliver
- Become an early adopter of TikTok’s design tools such as their new effects and songs
- Create content that inspires people to rewatch your video, such as including a plot twist or introducing humor
- Take a risk and don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself
How To Get More Views on TikTok
Once you’ve created viral content, you need to make sure that it spreads. While making high-quality videos and exploring your creativity is a great place to start, there are other tips that you can include.
Consider the following tips to boost your views on TikTok;
- Add two to three relevant hashtags to your videos
- Collaborate with TikTok influencers and video creators
- Cross-share your content on other social media channels, such as Instagram
- Take advantage of TikFuel (TikTok’s growth tool)
TikTok Viral Content Example
It’s not only dance videos and challenges that go viral on TikTok. Social media use has increased since the pandemic, and several unexpected videos have gone viral on TikTok.
One example is Caitlin Reilly who piggybacked off of the remote-work situation and created an amusing video about the annoying coworker in a Zoom meeting. By leveraging a current affair, finding common ground with her audience, and making light of the pain point, she achieved more than 7.4 million views.
How To Go Viral on Instagram
Instagram offers the potential for high-quality images and videos that tell a story, boosting the potential for virality. Let’s dive into viral content on Instagram.
Key Aspects of Viral Instagram Content
Just like TikTok, Instagram has its own unique aspects that can improve the chance of virality. Consider the following tricks as a starting point.
- Add a special twist to your content that makes it stand out from similar content in your niche
- Take advantage of trending content on other social media platforms (and give credit to the original author)
- Offer informational value such as how-to posts, tips and lifehacks, and data-driven imagery
- Trigger an emotional response through beautiful imagery
- Be unique in your content, such as creating your own meme on a current affair
How To Get More Views on Instagram
Be encouraged to know that there are approximately one billion users on Instagram. Applying strategic techniques when posting your content could help it go viral.
- Analyze your Instagram insights to post when your audience is most engaged
- Use Instagram features, such as Reels and Stories
- Prioritize video content as it typically receives better engagement
- Invest in Instagram advertising
- Stay up to date with Instagram’s algorithm
Instagram Viral Content Example
Viral content on Instagram can cover a variety of industries, niches, and topics. Recently, an adorable corgi pup named Gus Gus crawled into the bottom of a refrigerator and chilled out (literally and figuratively). The video has received more than 18 million views. The virality of the simple moment shows the potential of animals, cute imagery, and a unique situation.
Another video that recently went viral featured a Jennifer Aniston lookalike, quoting a scene from Friends. The video received millions of views, highlighting the potential of pop culture and cult following.
Make It Easy for Followers To Take the Next Steps
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