What Makes Content Go Viral? Behind the Scenes
All of us have at one time or another been scrolling through our feed when we found that viral meme or video that made us laugh or well up with emotion. We hit that “share” button and, voilà, you’re a part of something bigger. But what makes content go viral? Why does a particular post creep around the internet, while others go largely unobserved?
Being a digital marketing student, there’s always been something that I was usually curious about when it came to virality: is it luck or timing, or is there something much deeper in this case? As I explored viral marketing, I concluded that no magic formula existed to ensure content would go viral; however, there were some fundamentals that raised the probability of taking it to viral levels. Let’s look at this most human endeavor behind the scenes and find out how we can create those shareable moments.
Emotions
The Heartbeat of Viral Content Emotions at the Heart of Viral Content There lies at the heart of every viral piece of content emotion. Be it laughter, inspiration, awe, or even anger, emotions drive people to share. When a piece of content takes someone on an emotional journey, that is when they are going to pass it on.
Do you think about it? When you come across some video of a dog saving a child or just kind of any soul-stirring story about kindness, doesn’t it trigger something inside of you? That’s the magic of emotional content: it establishes a bond between you and the content and between you and the person that you share it with. It’s like saying, “Hey, this made me feel, and I think it will make you feel it too.”
Well, from the study, I did in digital marketing, I learned that with tapping emotions one can easily come up with what to do to create viral content, though one must be sincere. The crowd senses when one is pushing their strings too hard and it falls back in their face.
Note: The next time you are creating your content, ask yourself: What emotion should it create for them? Do you want them to feel delight or surprise, or perhaps a sympathetic moment? Be intentional as to which feelings you want to have people get.
Relatability: Seeing Ourselves in the Content
Relatability is another critical element behind going viral. We share things that speak to our experiences, our thoughts, and our worldview. When we see ourselves reflected in a piece of content, we’re more likely to pass it along to others who might feel the same way.
That’s why memes, funny tweets, and “that’s so me” moments go viral. They connect on shared human experiences. This is also why brands that share authentic stories or use user-generated content perform well.
I remember doing a class project where we had devised a campaign around the theme of “firsts”such as first job, first love, and first failure. I guess the idea was very relatable for most people because everybody has that “first” story to share. I learned how much of a power play relatability can be when it comes to content marketing.
Tip: Reflect on how the content can be related to your audience’s day-to-day life. What universal truths or common experiences can you tap into?
The Surprise and Novelty Factor
They will always want more of the unexpected. Content that’s an exception to the general case or offers what no one expected attracts people’s attention. Surprise, the thing keeping audiences glued to their screens, and itching to share what they just saw, drives a consumer action.
Take examples such as viral campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge or the Mannequin Challenge. Those were surprising and novel—something people hadn’t seen before. It was this novelty of the challenge that made everyone want to participate. The simple, replicable nature of the challenge only added to the ease with which everyone could participate.
The more out of the ordinary, the more attention content tends to receive. This doesn’t say you should reinvent the wheel every time, but rather add a twist or some form of surprise that is unexpected. Make your content pop by knowing what new or unexpected element you can bring to the table. Even a small twist on a familiar concept can make a big impact.
Simplicity: Easy to Share, Easy to Spread
Easy is a big word in the fast phace of digital life. Virality comes easily when it’s quick and easy to digest-and even easier to share. Whether a 10-second TikTok video or a more catchy, shareable meme, the best viral content is easy to understand and to the point.
I have seen that firsthand studying social media trends. Content is most often shared on these forums like Instagram or Twitter in its raw, authentic, simple form rather than anything complex or polished in any way. The lesser the friction for the user in sharing some content, the more likely they are to click the share button.
Let’s take the example of TikTok. A format like that inspires short, snappy videos with popular music or trending sounds. This makes it quite easy for contents to go viral, as one need not invest too much time engaging with it.
Takeaway: Content has to be bite-sized. Break down complex ideas into small, easily understandable forms and convey them, so they can be shared quickly.
Timing: Being at the Right Place at the Right Time
While what you say matters most, the timing of your message is almost as important in terms of virality. Often, it is not just the great idea or thought-out message but being part of a larger cultural moment or tapping into trending topics.
Recall the moment of the blue and black versus white and gold dress debate? That viral moment exploded because it struck one of those veins of something that was happening at the right time when people were ready to engage. Timing is everything in content marketing. Being on the pulse of trends and being able to almost align with something that is happening in the world can be a total game-changer.
Tip: You can search trending topics on Google Trends or check the trending section of Twitter to see what people are currently fascinated by, to find out if you can create similar content at that moment. This increases the probability that you’ll go viral.
Call to Action: Engage Them
Viral content nearly always promotes engagement. It may encourage people to take a challenge, complete a quiz, or submit their own experiences. Getting people to feel included will increase shareability.
For instance, how about the now-famous #ShareACoke storm? It allowed customers to find themselves in Coke bottles and share this experience. Simple interaction made people feel related to the brand and made them talk about it.
Tip: Ask your audience to get engaged with your content. Ask questions, ask them to participate in a challenge or to tell their story .
Conclusion
Creating viral content is definitely more of an art than a science, but understanding the human elements can get you a lot closer. Heated arousal, being relatable, surprising, keeping it simple, surprising, and encouraging participation are key drivers to creating shareable moments with people.
On my journey as a digital marketing student, the word virality has brought so much focus onto me; it is beyond numbers; it’s a thing of human connection. Lastly, at the end of the day, it’s really the content provoking the people to feel, think, and share it out there.