Tips to Consider When Aiming for Virality

  • January 26th 2023

Virality is an unpredictable concept when it comes to posting media content, whether it is across social platforms or the big screens of Hollywood. When talking about how the movie M3GAN went viral in a recent interview, Michael Moses, the Chief Marketing Officer at Universal Pictures, said that “trying to bet on virality is…something you can prepare for, but you can’t actually create.” 

Although it is impossible to determine what content will gain significant popularity, there are methods that individuals and media agencies can implement to better the chances of boosting content to a broader audience.

1- Ask yourself why you want a piece of content to go viral. If your objective is to promote a message, even if you do not achieve millions of views on a single piece of content (especially in #B2B markets), you can repurpose concepts across thought leadership and brand profiles to accumulate the same views as one viral piece of media. It’s crucial to consider your goal and determine if there are other ways besides virality to reach it.

2- Viral content is often sparked by sharing contrarian views or a new perspective, having a catchy theme, or telling a unique story. Appeal to the emotions of your target audience. Make sure the piece of content is authentic. Evaluate what makes your content provocative and capitalize on it. Trying something out of the ordinary can increase your chances of going viral – though it is never guaranteed.

3- Follow the Linkedin guidelines, such as posting content Monday through Wednesday– the days of the week with the heaviest traffic on Linkedin. It’s also important to share posts immediately, so audiences have adequate time to interact and engage with them. Be sure to add hashtags and use media that grabs attention to widen your reach and further brand your content.

Even the best marketers and analysts can’t decipher which pieces of content will go completely viral. Various factors are at play, including what other content is on the platform competing for a piece of your audience’s attention, the relevancy of the topic, the number of people who engaged with it, and more. While popularity is not a given, and there is no formula for it, there are steps you can take to increase the chances of extremely high engagement on your most important posts.