A viral post is the holy grail of all social media marketers. It is the elusive cup that almost everybody wants to get their hands on. And just like the search for the sacred cup, numerous books and articles have been written which claimed the secret formula on how to create a viral post.
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While most of what is written somehow make sense and really convincing, there is no guarantee for 100% success rate regardless if you follow it to the dot. To put it simply, there is no secret to the formula, going viral is anybody’s game, it’s unpredictable and happens when least expected.
Why do I need a viral post?
Viral comes from the word virus which is described as something contagious and easily transmitted which can infect any organism. In the cyber world, any piece of information or content that is shared from one person to another and spreads like wildfire across social media sites is viral.
To be a successful social media marketer, you need to invest a good amount of time and effort in building connections. To achieve that, you got to have a strategy, a good one at that. A viral post is a good source of traffic and would greatly help you in boosting your social media exposure which can possibly lead to gaining new followers.
How can I go viral online?
Although there is no exact formulation for your posts to go viral, there are several pointers you can consider that may give you a better chance of going viral online.
Be up to date on what’s IN and what’s OUT
By nature, people want to be always on top of recent happenings. Always take time to read the news and check out what’s trending on Twitter and Facebook, take note of the hashtags and keywords used. Google Trends is also a good source trending stories.
Ponder on your keywords and hashtags
You don’t need to be a superb writer to create a viral post. However, you do need to know what keywords to use and where to place them.
Think of keywords that easily identify your topic and relevant to your niche. Try to add as many keywords as you can which can best describe your content. In addition, also use the appropriate hashtags or tags that would help make your post more searchable.
Create an awesome video
The best videos are the ones that capture raw emotions such as funny or inspiring moment, something that your viewers can definitely relate to. Keep in mind that when you share something, you do it because it triggered something in you.
Have a great sense of Humor
Everyone loves a good laugh. Thus, show the comedic side of you by incorporating humor into your posts. Funny posts the most shareable content on almost all social media sites. The more hilarious it is the more likely it will spread.
If you can’t be funny, you can try to be controversial. Just like what celebrities use to say, positive or negative, it is still publicity and that is all that matters. Being popular for something bad may not be ideal but it would definitely bring traffic and result to good interaction rate considering all the reactions you’ll be stirring up. You can expect that hate comments will come pouring in. Therefore, unless you are prepared to deal with the forthcoming hostility, stick with being funny.
Be very creative with your visuals
Visual content is not just about crisp images. However, it should be good enough to catch the attention of the readers in a blink of an eye because most people would just quickly scroll down their feed. Hence, you only got a few seconds to make an impression.
Try to focus on being ingenious with your images in the sense that it is expressive and witty at the same time. You can use memes or GIFs which you can create or download from sites that specialize in such images.
Start a contest
If you can afford to give away something of great value to your followers, don’t just hand it over. Let your audience compete for it. This tactic would increase the engagement on your account and has the potential to attract new followers too.
Build up your credibility
All relationship regardless if it is personal or business is based on trust. You need to gain your audience’s trust through your posts. Avoid being an advocate of fake news, research carefully on your sources. You should always be accountable for what you publish. When people feel that you are a reliable source, it would translate to higher odds of getting shared.
Be smart when scheduling your posts
Last but definitely not the least, you need to know when your followers are online and most active. This technique results in a higher probability for post reach. Do a couple of experiments on each social network you have before deciding on the best time to publish your post.
Also, to manage your time more effectively, use a top notch automation tool like JARVEE for posting and sharing on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, GooglePlus and Tumblr.
Final Thoughts
All it takes is one viral post to make your social media presence known. It will not happen overnight, at least not for most. But when it does happen, seize the moment and own the opportunity by strengthening your relationship with your followers; strive to be consistent, reliable and upbeat.
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