Every brand that you see out there on various social platforms, is working really hard on their content. Whether you like it or not, there are donkey’s hours going into creating that one tiny post that you don’t feel like even ‘liking’, let alone sharing.
Time and again we have stressed on the importance of content marketing today and how content itself can speak of the innovative and customer focused side of the brand across the world. But as marketers we all realize how there is just no way to know what will go ‘viral’ and what won’t. With the marketing world changing trends almost every other day, keeping up is a task in itself.
When social media marketers spend hours on researching the trending topics and even more time on creating content that is unique to their brand, they hope for only one thing – content virality. But how many times do we see our content going viral? Once in a blue moon maybe and then we rehash our content strategy only to please our users.
But if you take a look at the content that does go VIRAL, you’ll notice a lot of them paying heed to this infographic here:
As a marketer, ensuring your brand’s content incorporates these features is like your cheat sheet to success. And by success here I clearly mean, virality. Take some time out and take a look at the content you just spent hours on and see if it includes any of these features:
Are You A Problem Solver?
Viral content just has to relate to the real world issues because technically, there are no virtual world issues except the most common one – bad network!
If you wish to create content that makes your viewers think and initiate interaction, you just have to rise above the petty ‘how to treat your dog’ kind of content. Address issues that are in sync with the real world problems – the basic, human level that a vast amount of people out there will relate to.
Yours, Emotionally!
The one element that plays a vital role in content virality is ‘emotion.’ All those reading this are surely going to agree with this after doing their own little research. The posts that inspire feelings of curiosity, amazement, interest, astonishment, uncertainty, admiration and humor are often the ones going viral. And surprisingly, anger works just fine occasionally.
But how do you go about creating this emotional stimulation? Knock – knock! Wake up that creative side of yours, get involved in some brainstorming. Come up with a variety of creative ideas – those larger than life McDowell’s kinds! The raw emotions and the effort you put in are surely going to fetch you a lot of awwws’ (awe, I mean).
The Ha-Ha Posts!
The one emotion that almost everyone out there can relate to, on a regular basis is – humor. Personally, I don’t mind reading jokes every day; it eases the flow of my day.
Most social media campaigns go viral when they make their audience laugh. Take the risk; diversify the topics your content touches upon. The change in the way you address your audience, is a sure shot way of grabbing some attention!
Time It, Pal! But Make That Worth It.
We have all come across posts suggesting the times you should post on for maximum engagement. And let’s face it; you really overlooked this vital factor. Do a little research on the time and the type of content your targeted audience indulges in on social media.
Your content should reach your audience in a way that creates the biggest wave. The biggest of the biggest brands out there are now slowly shifting their focus on quality content, but time is a factor that is always ignored.
So, how do you go about creating content that is worth the viewer’s time? Make them visually appealing! Visual content is easy on the brain and if presented properly, pleasing to the eye. Stock up on some images, infographics and videos that are unique to your brand and give them a boost. It is a sure shot hit in terms of user engagement and share-ability.
Surprise, Surprise!
Everyone likes surprises, right? Well so does your audience. Even though it is a virtual platform that you are interacting with your audience on, a surprise element can really perk up the environment! And like we all know, positive emotions play a major role in making your content go viral.
Can’t relate to this? Take a look at Samsung’s Extreme Sheep Art, invoking that element of surprise by picturing a well-trained sheep outfitted with LED lights and moving around to create hilarious artwork.
Distribute Generously.
Everything needs a little nudge, when it’s popularity that we are aiming at. Partner with social influencers to have your content shared in a bigger circle.
Update all your social platforms regularly, so that you don’t miss out on any engagement on any platform. The more visible you are, the better it is for your content. Don’t just stick to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube for promoting your products/ services; venture out and try other platforms as well. Who knows what might just work and help your content go viral?
Now before you start planning your content strategy, take a look at the viral campaigns that your competitors carried out successfully. You can’t clone it, but hey! You can learn from it. Like we all know, it’s never too late to learn.
What’s your secret to virality? Let us know and we’ll keep it safe with us. Well, maybe not.
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