According to the Web, Viral means: “(of an image, video, piece of information, etc.) circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another.”
What is viral content exactly? Since the invention of Vines, videos, images and memes have been all over the Internet and social media blows up on a daily basis with entertaining content. If you run a website of your own and are looking to understand exactly what can make your content be shared across various platforms including other websites, blogs, social media profiles and through phone sharing, then take these Tips On Making Content Go Viral:
Tip 1
Be entertaining. These days, a video on Instagram is 15 seconds, the same span it takes for someone to gain and then lose interest. How many times have you been scrolling through our Facebook wall and seen a video that looks interesting, have it play automatically and then lost interest when it seemed to drag on, only to continue looking for something to catch your eye? That’s the same for other users as well. Entertainment is key in today’s world where information is being thrown at people all the time.
Tip 2
A paper written by Jonah Berger, assistant professor of marketing at Wharton, along with Katy Milkman titled, “What Makes Online Content Go Viral?” using positive messages is more likely to go viral than negative. Heard of Jalals? They post hilarious (though extremely racist) videos of men dressed as Arabs trolling the public in the streets. It makes you laugh, you feel better after watching it and you wouldn’t mind sharing it or watching it all over again. The same holds true for your content. The importance is to add a positive message. Oprah made billions and built an empire doing so.
Tip 3
Random content will not be popular unless there is something to take away from it. You want to connect to something through a glass screen. So, whether it is an environmental issue being spoken about, a personal message, a great stand up skit or a song, make sure that you connect with your audience. If you stir some emotion in the viewer, the likelihood of your content going viral increases by leaps and bounds.
For more on the paper by Jonah Berger we mentioned earlier, and other expert tips, visit the Social Triggers Blog.
