How to Create Viral Content

Almost everyone searches for it, but only a few achieve it, and not always. Knowing how to create viral content is the golden dream of anyone producing topics on the Internet. Do you want to learn some techniques and tricks that will help you achieve the virality of your content on the Internet, whether they are articles, videos, images, or infographics?

Let me start by saying that no one has an infallible magic formula to achieve it. However, delving into the roots of the phenomenon and analyzing some of its recurring patterns can help you make your content spread from screen to screen like wildfire.

Take note, put these strategies into practice, and let us know how they worked for you.

Why do people share content?

This is the first question you should ask yourself. And to answer it, what better than your own experience? Think about what motivates you to forward WhatsApp messages from one group to another, to hit the “Share” button on Facebook or to retweet. You will likely answer that they are clever, funny, novel, shocking, or morbid things.

Even though that content was created by someone else, the act of sharing it somehow makes us feel like participants, a kind of co-authors. That’s how our brain works: if I send it to my contacts, they will associate me with those laughs, that knowledge, or that amazement it generates. They will have fun, learn something new, or be surprised thanks to me.

This attribution, this ego boost, brings pleasure. That’s where the spark of the virality phenomenon ignites.

7 Characteristics of Viral Content

Although the type varies depending on the content format you choose (a video is not the same as a post or a quiz), generally, all viral content shares several common factors:

1. Identification with the audience. If your content presents something they are well acquainted with and you manage to make them see themselves reflected in it, they will be much more likely to share it.
2. Emotional component. Tell stories that move, make your audience smile, cry, or even get angry. These feelings will be levers for sharing what provoked them.
3. Catchy headlines. If you don’t craft an attractive hook that generates curiosity, you’re making it hard for yourself. Use content marketing techniques to capture your readers from the start.
4. SEO. Few cases will occur where content has succeeded without having worked on search engine optimization, where it will ultimately circulate as well.
5. Social media. Essential, obviously, so don’t forget the share buttons. Analyze each social network to find out their peak traffic days and hours to publish your work at the most appropriate time. Oh, and don’t leave it scheduled because it usually reduces impact.
6. Influencer factor. If a well-known blogger or a famous YouTuber promotes your article or video, congratulations, you’ve almost birthed a viral. Get ready to see your audience curve grow like never before.
7. Paid ads. A little “boosting” always helps and in this case, it doesn’t penalize. Use platforms like Google Adwords and Facebook Ads to spread your content among thousands of people.

Tricks to Seek Virality

Considering the application of the previous points, it’s time to get to work. What should I write about or what should I talk about in my video?

Okay, have you heard that saying, “the early bird catches the worm”? Well, try to tackle a novel topic (a newly launched product, a new trend...) as soon as it emerges. If you can’t be the fastest, at least try to give it an original angle, something no one expects.

Sometimes these versions work even better than the originals, especially if you provoke a bit of controversy. Controversy always works. You’ll remember the global stir caused by the color of that famous dress:

In fact, staying attuned to current events and what’s brewing on social media is essential. It will give you many clues and ideas about what interests people in real-time. The trending topics, for example, can be a great inspiration for generating “contagious” content.

Another thing you will definitely need is a quality and impactful image or graphic set. A good headline and a seductive text will be of little use if accompanied by flat and bland photographs.

Learn from the phenomenon of memes, which are the living image -no pun intended- of virality. And you know it! XD

Engage Your Audience and Create Chains

You can also leverage the interactivity of your content. Users love to be active participants in the game and not mere passive receivers. That’s why quizzes are so successful, especially those that end up “judging” the person who took them, offering a result in a friendly or humorous tone. Perfect fodder to be shared with your contacts and see if they can outdo you. A multiplier effect, without a doubt.

Involving others or challenging them is, in fact, another strategy that many viral contents exploit. This happened with the ice bucket challenge for ALS, where people were asked to do it, supposedly for a charitable cause. Or the recent case of the “Mannequin Challenge,” which generates competitiveness to see who does it better or with more people.

On the other hand, news aggregators, like Menéame, can also give you great spikes in audience, but for that, your articles or videos need to be published on their front page, which is quite coveted and requires numerous votes from regular users of the portal. You have nothing to lose by trying.

Get Inspired by Those Who Have Already Gone Viral

If something has already worked, it’s not about repeating it just like that because it won’t help you at all. But what if you improve or expand it? For example, by converting an article with many scattered ideas into a ranking or list, which are forms of presenting content that people love.

Or if you see that an article about the 10 best ways to do something went viral, make yours the 50 or even 100 if you can!

Be creative, combine topics that went viral and have no apparent relation to each other but that, when combined, generate hilarity or a surprise effect. Always keep in mind that creativity is behind a high percentage of the content that ends up going viral. The rest relies on spontaneous success cases or sheer luck, and that is beyond all control.

And always, always, whatever the format of your content, call to action. As I will do now, to finish, asking you to share your experience:

Have you turned any of your articles or videos into a viral hit? What was your strategy? What results did it give you?