Digital marketing is getting more and more competitive and complex. Viral content is a modern enigma. And, sure, there is often an inexplicable element of luck and timing when it comes to viral content, but for the most part, it comes down to strategy, thought, and attention to detail.
The first and most important requirement for any content to go viral is that it is shareworthy. The more people who want to share your content, the more chances there are of it getting viral. Creating viral content is not easy. There is no hard and fast rule as to how content becomes viral. And, there definitely aren’t any sure-shot techniques for creating content. However, there are certain characteristics that most viral content has in common. These can provide you insights into creating viral content.
Effective tips for creating viral content
Keep it short. Short-form content is easier to grasp and share, and that’s why it has higher chances of going viral. With long, text-heavy content, people often tend to lose interest. The ideal and optimal social media video length for when you are giving information and adding value is about between 40-60 seconds at most, so, you can use short-form content for both your text and video content, to make it easier to read/watch and share.
Use attention-grabbing images. Almost all viral content becomes popular in the first place because it makes use of eye-catching visuals. For articles, the most important image is the header, since it’s always kept above the fold. This image will also accompany social media shares, making it as important as the headline for representing your content and giving people a reason to click it. Further images also add credibility to the content, even if they are only relevant to it in an abstract kind of way.
Promote sharing. The easiest way to promote sharing is to simply integrate social sharing buttons, which you should be doing anyway with every blog post and other types of content you have online. Sharing buttons allow people to quickly share content they like on their favorite networks or forward them to a friend via email with just a couple of clicks.
Make it scannable. When customers carry out a search on Google, they’re usually looking for quick, concise, and relevant answers to their questions. When someone opens up their favorite blog, they’re usually looking for some quick entertainment. As such, scannable articles that satisfy the short attention spans and constant craving for easy content tend to do much better online.
Keep it accessible. All content should be easily accessible across all platforms but, if you’re going to prioritize any one platform in particular, then make sure it’s mobile and the text size corresponds with that. To make your content more accessible, be sure to use responsive themes, large text sizes, clear typography, and simple layouts to draw attention to your content.
Evoke an emotion. A viral marketing campaign should be able to tap into the emotions of the targeted audience, with positive ones like joy and awe being the most desirable. The number one trick to creating viral content is to create something that evokes an emotion in your audience. Reactions to viral content won’t always be positive, but the key to creating viral content is to evoke an emotional response.
Provide credible sources and references. People enjoy viral content primarily as a way to be entertained, that doesn’t mean that credibility isn’t important. Determining the credibility of a source is a critical thinking skill that you can learn and develop.
Get the limit right. Crafting excellent content only represents half of the battle. There’s also the right time and place to think about. Turn up too late to the game, and your content will never take first place, so it’s important to pounce on trends and new ideas as soon as they become apparent. It is important to follow the latest trends by exploring websites with certain niches. However, it’s also important to publish your content at the right time. According to a detailed study by Sprout Social the safest time to post on social media is between 9 am and 3 pm during weekdays. But, it varies by the social media platform and industry.
Why Creating Viral Content Matters?
Viral content means that a post, image, or video has been seen by a large number of people and continues to spread. With each person, the reach for potential consumers grows exponentially. In many cases, this growth produces more brand awareness than paying for an ad during a prime-time sporting event on television. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee when or how a piece of content could go viral. Too many factors come into play when it comes to sharing on the internet. While these may not provide an overnight boost of engagement, they will vastly improve the possibility of quickly engaging a lot of people. By maximizing your efforts to create content, you improve the awareness of your brand even if the post doesn’t spread. It’s an optimization practice that will benefit your site regardless of how many shares it gets on social media.
Conclusion
Creating viral content is not easy. And even if you follow all of the tips above, there’s no guarantee that your content will go viral. However, there are things that you can do to take your best shot at creating content. Use these effective tips for creating viral content that your audience will love and want to share with their friends. Don’t be afraid to link to influential people and content elsewhere on the internet in order to start building your reputation as an authority figure.
Our approach to content marketing focuses on creating and distributing relevant, valuable content to attract and engage a particular target audience. Instead of selling your products and services, we are delivering consistent and useful information that makes your audience more informed before they buy and ultimately rewards you with their business and loyalty.
