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Content is king. Look at the Internet today, open the browser, you see information. Well, what you’re seeing is content.
When you use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any social network, content is consumed in the form of text, audio, or video.
You may notice, the concept of “content” is truly complex. Viral content, on the other hand, is quite rare. We can all produce content but only a few of us can actually “make” that content go viral.
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners believe that viral content is a result of luck and randomness. On the other hand, there are lots of marketers who state that they have a “formula” for viral content. I believe that none of these perspectives are correct, and here’s why.
Viral content is nothing but content that is appreciated and shared by a lot of people. A piece of content becomes viral once more individuals share it, so the snowball effect comes into play. Therefore, the virality of a piece of content is influenced by both the strategy that the poster is using and the quality of the information itself. Here are the 8 “secrets’ of viral content:
1. Give Amazing Value
A small business is always going to need new followers and brand enthusiasts. These are the players who help companies grow, through their moral and financial support.
If you want people to share your content, give them a good reason to do so. People tend to share information that resonates with them, or make them “look good” in front of their followers. Either way, for the content to be shared around and for the snowball effect to get started, the value of the information must be above-average.
A long blog article, called “29 Life Lessons Learned in Travelling the World”, has gotten over 53.000 Facebook shares, and a huge number of comment responses. Here’s why I believe this post went viral immediately:
- A carefully chosen video that triggers emotions to a specified target audience. Most travellers would be excited, inspired, or nostalgic when presented with “images that speak a thousand words”.
- The post’s title promises comprehensive details for all travelling enthusiasts. This is both a specific and a general content proposition.
- The author doesn’t shy away from directly asking his followers to share the video, offering a strong call-to-action at the beginning of the post.
Before you post content that is meant to go viral, always ensure that it brings a new perspective, a new idea, or a new concept, and make sure you keep it interesting, concise, and helpful.
2. Make It All About Them, Not About You
A great understanding of your small business’ target audience will raise your content’s virality chances. Of course, a viral video will reach many types of persons, as you cannot predict the preference of your readers, but you can at least have a starting point.
For example, if you post a video/article/infographic about “Top 100 Places to Visit this Summer”, your initial target audience would be passionate travellers. Therefore, when you present these places, you’ll want to present the information in such a way that it resonates with the “passionate travellers”, who are your main audience.
Use travelling words and expressions, find inside jokes and use them, and be very transparent. Use the word “you” more often, engage with questions, and keep the reading pleasant and stimulating. The rest of the magic will happen by itself.
3. Think Differently and Stand Out from the Crowd
Why post something if it has been posted countless times already? Why present the same information over and over again if the trend has already passed?
The answer is: you shouldn’t. To think differently means to find twists that haven’t been found yet. The information is there, present it in such a way that it stands out from the crowd and creates impact. The more interesting, original, and simple the content is, the more chances it has to become viral.
Old Spice, the famous company who produces and brilliantly sells deodorants, body wash, and other man fresheners managed to become viral long time ago, and continues to get viral with every new ad they post.
Their funny ads are also incredibly original and entertaining. Check out this compilation of funny Old Spice ads that got viral.
4. Understand Basic Human Psychology
Viral content is, after all, the result of mass sharing. Why would people share something with others? Well, the answer is related to simple psychology. Most of the times, people share content as a result of an intense emotion (anger, disappointment, love, attraction, fear, etc.)
Other times, people share content because they want to improve their social status. An interesting study showed that 787 participants from different backgrounds, standing on “average happiness” proved that compared to money, status is a more powerful influencer for their happiness.
Lots of people share something on their Facebook news feed because their social status needs demand it. Therefore, if the content they share is appreciated and re-shared, their self-image flourishes. Try to give them exactly that!
5. Patience, Consistency, and Persistence
Every major success is attained with hard work. Besides work, you also need certain skills and traits that will make your success possible. To generate viral content, you need to be extremely patient, consistent, and persistent. These three qualities are essential for your success in digital marketing.
Viral content can be hard to ace – you may miss 10 attempts and succeed with 1. However, if you give up after the 9th attempt, there’s absolutely no way for you to hit the 10th success. Therefore, the key is this: don’t give up on your attempts to make viral content. This is much more complicated than you’ve probably thought, so stay put and don’t give up!
6. See What Works and What Doesn’t
Start researching today and identify the most important elements. Note down all the patterns you identify and test them in your new post attempts. You can always take a “quick peek” at your competitors and learn from their expertise. Study viral video channels that are relevant to your niche and learn!
For example, if you want to promote animal clothes, you’re lucky because the “cute animals niche” has lots of benefits that will lead to virality. By leveraging the cuteness, the sorrow, the neediness of animals, you can incorporate your small business products in it. If you manage to get a video viral, you may just run out of stuck!
7. Choose the Proper Media Format
Video content seems to be the most popular type of content that goes viral. Instead of writing articles or recording audio, opt for video content. As you may notice on social networks, the majority of viral content materials happen to be video formats.
You don’t have to record your face or speak in front of the camera. There are dozens of useful video editing tools that may assist you to emphasize and display your message in front of millions.
For some inspiration, check out this “Viral Content” YouTube video – it shows you 100 viral videos from 2017. Try to find the patterns and use them in your own attempts.
8. Involve the Audience in the Process
Involve your audience in the process. That means greeting your audience with something fun, entertaining, and interesting.
For example, organize a contest and ask everybody to leave an out-of-the-box comment, tag a friend, or simply share your posts for a chance to win something.
You should always keep your promise and reward winners. Ask your winners to visit your small business at its physical location, send an email, or simply to get in touch with you, and ask for testimonials too. Also, customers loves free products and services, so offering them just that might get you some loyal customers in the end.
Takeaways
Everyone has the ability to write and publish content. However, very few can actually make their content go viral. It is like a skill – the more you learn about it and the more you practice it the easier it’ll become. With practice, hustle, attention, and smart work, the results will also exponentially grow.
The moment you master the art of viral content the moment you’re able to skyrocket the results of your small business. After all, every single unique visitor is a potential lead, and the more they are the more success will come.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
