What’s a great way to get more people to discover your company? Go Viral! When your content goes viral you quickly start to see an increased following, more traffic clicking through to your website, and usually more sales. But it’s not the easiest thing to do. With these tips, we guide you through planning your content with the best chance of making your business go viral!
Make Your Brand Go Viral
Viral marketing seemingly happens overnight. Something compelling is posted and it suddenly spreads all over the globe. Of course, you want your business to be successful in the viral world. You may have tried to create viral content and are amazed at how difficult it can be to make something catch on.
While we may never know why some things go viral and others don’t, there is a formula to creating the perfect content that is likely to go viral. Here we’ll share all the details about viral marketing and the elements that make a post truly worthy of viral acclaim.
What is Viral Marketing?
Viral marketing is a method that uses word-of-mouth information about a company or its products and services that causes it to spread rapidly. Once your content casts its shadow over a larger population of the world, rather than just your target market it has gone viral.
Going viral is important when you want to increase brand awareness, promote a particular product, or get social media users to spread the news for you.
Examples of Genius Viral Marketing
Some companies have found themselves falling in the sweet spot with their campaigns.
The Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign
Launched in one witty commercial during Super Bowl 2010, it featured a well-built man asking women to look at their ladies and back at him a few times. He then noted that sadly, their man wasn’t him. But that if he stopped using lady scented body wash and switch to Old Spice, he could at least smell like him. The ad was set first in a bathroom and the scene switched to a scene at sea. There he showed off all the things that ladies love including diamonds. This was all done in a ridiculous voice and with humor. It hit the mark with the video gaining over 220k views in hours.
The Always “Like a Girl” Campaign
This one was less humorous and more socially conscious. They used a video to state common phrases that hurt the confidence and self-image of young girls. It displayed women and men who were asked to do things “like a girl”. None of this was done well. They then showed young girls doing things “like a girl” and they did things confidently. It was a great way to show how society insults regularly with female-oriented language.
Why Should Your Business Use Viral Marketing?
Viral marketing is always the best option for businesses. The costs involved are low and it works well to sell your products and impress a favorable image about your brand on viewers. Other advantages include:
The potential to reach millions around the world.
Great for brand awareness building. While sharing some will develop a connection to your brand.
Lead generation on a grand scale and at a fast pace.
It’s non-invasive. Viral marketing kind of puts information out there and steps back, never pushy.
How to Make Your Content Go Viral
- Timing is Everything
There is the right time to share content for maximum exposure. And it’s different for every platform. The best time to post on Instagram to get the biggest reach is from 9 am to 11 am eastern. Major holidays are great days to post on any platform. It can be helpful to use a social media scheduling tool to auto-post for you at the right times.
- Know Your Audience
Before you create content, you need to make sure that you know who you are talking to. If you have several audiences, try to create content that speaks to each. How else will you come up with something that will resonate with them? Build buyer personas so that you will get a comprehensive profile. Keep in mind your audience’s age, gender, and preferences while creating content. Know what makes them tick and laugh.
- Location Matters
Different platforms have success with different types of content. The best places for launching a viral marketing campaign are Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and Instagram.
- Content Matters
Your content must be interesting, convincing, and entertaining. Use emotional appeal and humor to connect with your audience.
- Influencers Matter
Many companies don’t buy into the power of influencers. They really should. Influencers are great for making messages go viral. When they share your content, it lends credibility to your brand. Get Seth Godin to share your content and you’re golden! Approach an influencer and ask them to provide a quote to use.
- Hashtags Matter
It’s important to include relevant and trending hashtags to make your branded content is noticed.
- Features Matter
Take advantage of every feature on the platforms you use. Especially audio-visual content. Videos can include infographics, memes, long-form content, and more. Use everything at your disposal.
- Appropriateness Matters
You can do all the work you want, post your content on every platform. If you have any hint of derogatory sentiments to any community, you have just wasted your time.
- Length Matters
You may think that longer pieces won’t work on social media. But it is a fact that pieces with 3k or more words are shared the most.
- Emotions Matter
Make sure your content is eliciting positive feelings! Use laughter, awe, and amusement to connect with viewers. Surprise them, give them something unexpected.
- Stories Matter
Use catchy headlines and share engaging stories. With your headline, you want to make users curious and give them the reason to stay plugged in. Tell a good story, especially personal ones.
- Boldness Matters
Why would anyone share something ho-hum or boring? Be daring while adhering to your brand image. This doesn’t mean you need to stir up controversy, just be exciting.
Sure, going viral isn’t easy. But applying these tips above can help you create a viral piece that can help increase your brand awareness and get your products and services in front of a larger audience. Make sure you stick to creating good content and keep at it. If you give up, you’ll never make it! Let us know how it’s going for you!
