It is easier said than done to go viral on social media. Experimenting takes time, effort, and a willingness to fail. Unless you are extraordinarily fortunate and achieve overnight success, you will need to put in the effort. In this guide, we have analyzed practical ways to help you go viral on your social media platforms including Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, or Youtube. Let’s get started!
‘How to go viral’ is a totally different concept in 2023 than it was in the early days of social media. Back in the mid-2000s, a viral video on YouTube was usually something goofy and odd – there are innumerable millennials who can recite a slew of bizarre llama cartoons by heart.
Becoming viral nowadays mainly refers to a video, or sometimes an image or story, spreading throughout the internet, including your Youtube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook amongst other platforms. It does so nine times out of ten using social media channels. Viral content might be relatable, provocative, myth-busting, or just plain strange; if it connects with people and inspires them to share it, it has a possibility of going viral.
There is no hard and fast rule for how many views you need to go viral. Most individuals – and social media platforms – define going viral as getting more than five million views on a single video in a week.
Other interpretations are less… terrifying. According to some, going viral means that every time someone views or interacts with your material, they share it and encourage at least one other person to do the same. On the whole. Yet, they are lofty objectives. How do you go about making it happen? Let’s talk about it.
#1. Research the best kinds of video formats
To become viral on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, you must first understand that some video formats are more likely to go viral than others. Check out the links below for some ideas.
How-to videos: How-tos and tutorials are popular on YouTube, Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter, and they can help you become viral. Why? Humans seek to learn new things. These might range from makeup hacks to woodworking walkthroughs.
‘Did you know that? videos
These small treasures, similar to How-to videos, teach viewers something new. It might be the origin of a well-known dish, a long-mispronounced phrase, or even a little-known celebrity tidbit. These bite-sized truth packets perform admirably on platforms such as Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, where nearly half of all content discovery is motivated by the desire to ‘learn something new, and in turn, it goes viral.’
‘What happens next’ videos
You may pique viewers’ interest with an interesting transformation film – catch them in with a before-and-after video of your home decor, food, wacky hairstyle, or something equally enticing.
Videos you can’t script
Coincidences, bad timing, and bizarre natural happenings all have viral potential. If you have ideas for content, keep your phone nearby and be ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. You’ll miss out on moments like this if you don’t.
#2. Read the room
The first step in going viral is to understand the folks you’re trying to reach. Define your target audience if you haven’t previously.
The set of people who are most likely to be interested in your brand or product is referred to as your target audience. This group’s members frequently share common interests, hobbies, and behaviors. Target your audience by keeping track of who follows your brand, how they interact with you, and why they follow you. Keep an eye on the external variables influencing them as well.
#3. Post at the right place and time
Each social site has a particular audience and serves a certain purpose. Facebook is essential for customer service. TikTok is well-known for its ease of discovery. Instagram is a hotspot for influencer collaborations. That’s just scraping the surface.
Every platform is important in the social media ecosystem. After you’ve identified your target audience, determine which platforms they spend the most time on and why. Plan their digital journey with your company. Once you’ve determined where to concentrate on determining when your audience is most engaged. Publishing at the right moments might help your content stand out in a crowd.
These are the best average posting times for each platform:
- Facebook: Mondays through Fridays at 3 am, Tuesdays at 10 am, and noon
- TikTok: Tuesdays 2–3 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 1–3 pm
- Instagram: Mondays at 11 am, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 am–1 pm, and Thursdays and Fridays at 10 am and 11 am
- Twitter: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 9 am
- LinkedIn: Tuesdays 10 am to noon
Finally, the optimal time to post is determined by the behavior of your target audience. Experiment to see what works.
#4. Establish an emotional connection
Building an engaged brand community necessitates making an emotional connection with your followers, whether you do so by tugging at their heartstrings or making them laugh until they weep. Connect with the emotions you want your target audience to connect with your business.
Make them feel like they can trust you and that you understand them with your content. You urge people to take action by creating an emotional connection, from following you on social media to shopping at your stores to making a positive effect on the globe. Lean on your shared ideals when making an emotional connection with your audience.
#5. Keep up with the latest trends.
Trending topics, TikTok challenges, and popular hashtags. Keeping track of anything and anything is half the battle! The ‘Trending’ sections of social media platforms are quite beneficial for keeping your finger on the pulse and delivering your hot opinion before anyone else. These trends are frequently flooded with comments and high-quality content; consider setting up Google Alerts or something similar to ensure you never miss out.
Nevertheless, trend-watching extends beyond the news agenda. The first step is to keep an eye out for content trends, new memes, popular music, and other relevant information. The actual effort begins after that; you must capitalize on trends early and produce the greatest content before everyone else!
#6. Focus on a specific niche
If someone says, ‘Make me go viral,’ they’re most likely referring to the biggest of the big. The problem with blowing up like that is that the success rate is so erratic and difficult to predict – the more ‘universal’ the topic, the more difficult it is to have an impression. As a result, identifying a specific niche can be beneficial. There are devoted fanbases in every part of these platforms. Because you have an audience to work with, tapping into these passionate networks and going viral there is slightly easier. You already know what they enjoy!
Keywords are used by search engines and social media platforms to determine what visitors want to see. You can browse manually to get a sense of what’s out there, or you can utilize a sophisticated keyword explorer like Ahrefs. Here’s how to incorporate keywords into:
- Captions: This has less to do with search engines and more to do with scrolling. Including relevant keywords in your captions will provide viewers with a quick glimpse of what you’re presenting.
- Hashtags: Trending and community hashtags might help your content stand out. Study hashtags carefully and avoid being spammy with them – only relevant terms should be included.
- Descriptions: Incorporate important keywords in the title and description, but avoid slipping into the spam trap. Don’t cram unrelated words in just for the sake of it.
#8. Create relatable content
Prepare your content yet avoid sounding scripted. It’s a difficult one to strike a balance on. Even if it’s as simple as someone walking across the hallway, slipping on a banana peel, and Mario Kart music starts playing, viral content often requires structure.
Tell stories that touch people’s emotions. Speak with your friends or coworkers. What motivates them to laugh, share, feel, and follow? You can create sporadic bursts of material and hope for the best, but if you want to know how to go viral, you must first figure out why. Music is one of several aspects that attract individuals. If the songs are catchy and fit the mood, they are more likely to be appreciated by the audience.
#9. Get assistance from well-known influencers.
This is easier said than done; you can’t simply demand that Zach King give you a shoutout. Yet, technologies such as Instagram’s Remix and TikTok’s Duets and Stitches enable you to remix content from larger producers inside the framework of your video.
You can use these methods to attract the interest of wider audiences, as well as the artist. If you strike up a conversation with one of the big dogs, don’t ask for a collaboration right immediately. Treat it like any other online friendship; when you ask for support, they’ll be more inclined to agree.
Producing material that is highly relevant, valuable, and instructional is a simple method to increase your chances of becoming viral. Make your information easily digestible and shareable to enhance social media shares. Consider infographics, short movies, and interactive content.
#11. Keep it short and sweet
Adhere to the golden rule: ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.’ Make it short and sweet. Several social media sites’ algorithms favor clips with a high completion rate; after all, it’s in their best interests to promote content that people will watch all the way through.
Play with video editing, hook the viewer early on, and keep their interest. If you have a time limit, try keeping it to fifteen to thirty seconds – it’s short enough to sit through but long enough to construct a narrative.
#12. Spread yourself across all platforms
If you want to become viral, you must use all channels, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, and others. Something may get viral on Snapchat, but it never makes it to Instagram, or Twitter, or even Youtube. Learning how to go viral on Tiktok will have different complexities and outcomes than learning how to go viral on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and the rest.
That’s perfectly fine. It’s a steep learning curve, combating the ebb and flow of trends from platform to platform. So, make sure you cover all bases; reposting your material on each network implies you’ll have a good chance.
#13. Consider platforms like Reddit
After being featured on Reddit’s front page, content frequently goes viral on your platforms including Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, or Youtube. But be cautious. You can’t just show up on Reddit and submit your movie on the first day – people will believe you’re taking advantage of the community.
Join other subreddits, figure out what the people there prefer, and become an active member of that group. When it comes time to upload your material, you’ll be recognized as a valued member who has something cool to say rather than someone searching for fifteen minutes of fame.
The simplest approach to get viral on social media networks is to:
- Investigate the finest video formats.
- Keep up with the latest trends.
- Concentrate on a specialized niche.
- With your titles, hashtags, and descriptions, use keywords.
- Get advice from well-known influencers.
- Make material that is relatable.
- Keep it brief and to the point.
- Publish content on a regular and consistent basis.
You can make a post become viral by performing the following functions:
- Understand your target audience.
- Keep an eye out for trends.
- Create a distinct brand voice.
- Examine your own posts.
- Examine the competition.
- Interact with other accounts.
- Utilize analytics to discover what has previously worked.
- Create new viral content.
How to Make Your Video Become Viral Includes:
- Provide high-quality video content on a regular basis.
- Make videos about contentious issues.
- Increase your virality by networking.
- Distribute your video using subject matter knowledge.
- Use trends to make more viral videos.
The creator fund might provide $200 to $400 for a viral video with 10 million views.
How Much does TikTok Pay?
Tik tokers make between 2 and 4 cents per 1,000 views. If your video has received 1 million views, you can expect to earn between $20 and $40. A popular video with 10 million views costs the creator’s fund between $200 and $400. Every TikToker learns differently, and their earnings are determined by a variety of criteria.
Conclusion
While becoming viral isn’t the be-all and end-all, there are valuable lessons to be learned from brands that have risen to social media popularity. Even if you can’t control your luck, you can optimize your content to increase your long-term reach. Make use of this list of best practices to fuel your content strategy. Your content will resonate with the right audience, whether you go viral or not.
- VIDEO IDEAS: Best Tips & What You Should Know
- VIRAL MARKETING: Definition and 10 Best Examples of Viral Marketing Campaigns
- BUZZ MARKETING: Definition, Best Examples & Strategies 2023
- HOW DOES TIKTOK PAY YOU
- HOW DO PEOPLE MAKE MONEY ON TIKTOK: Free Tips in 2023
- BEST BRAND STORYTELLING: Meaning, Examples, Books & Courses
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