We all want the marketing content we create to be viral content.
Viral content is simply a blog post, tweet, video, or photo that “goes viral”; in other words, it takes the Internet by storm, gets shared millions of times, and launches its creator into the online spotlight.
Viral content gives you the opportunity to shine in front of the entire online world, making it easier than ever for your tribe (and prospective clients) to find you.
Viral content can lead to a huge surge of email opt-in’s, website views, and new customer inquiries. It’s a surefire way to get attention, so how come everyone’s not creating content that goes viral?
Because viral content must contain these key 7 ingredients. Without the right mix, your content will fall into Internet oblivion as soon as it’s posted.
Here are 7 powerful ingredients to include in each and every piece of content you share:
- Universal appeal
Content that goes viral has universal mass appeal. That’s not to say that your content can’t be industry-specific or geared toward a certain target market. But it must contain universally felt emotions or situations that can be related to by millions of people.
Example: A huge majority of viral content features the antics of babies or animals. Why? Because almost all human beings, regardless of age, ethnicity, or culture, are inherently drawn to cute little creatures doing cute things.
- Shareabillity
Just because content is universal doesn’t mean it’s shareable. Viral content becomes viral by user-generated sharing. It’s not enough to get a bunch of likes or views – you also want people to share your content with friends with a comment that reads “You have to see this.”
Example: Sorrow is a universal feeling. It’s something everyone understands. But it’s not something everyone wants to share with their friends or display publicly. This is why content that invokes joy or laughter is much more likely to go viral than content that evokes sorrow or pain.
When in doubt, make sure your content is “water cooler”-friendly. If people wouldn’t talk about it around the water cooler, they probably won’t share it online either.
- A positive spin
Positive content goes viral much more often than negative content. Sure, there is plenty of negativity online and people are quick to indulge in Twitter wars and nasty Facebook exchanges.
But viral content tends to be most popular when it has an uplifting message, is funny, or gives people practical tips on how to live a better life.
Example: In a study conducted by the NY Times, emotionally positive messages went viral far more frequently than negative messages. An article about people falling in love with New York City fared far better than an article about a baby polar bear’s caretaker dying. Sadness is especially toxic when trying to create viral content.
- Emotional arousal
If your content is universal, shareable, and positive, but lacks deep emotional appeal, it still won’t go viral.
The most effective content appeals to deeply felt human emotions like love, joy, hope, anger, and fear. Keep in mind that you can still stay positive while incorporating fear and anger into your content.
Example: The content created and shared during Charlie Sheen’s 2011 breakdown was some of the most viral of all time. Sheen’s story had emotional appeal because it was all about anger – an emotion everyone understands and can either empathize with or despise.
This emotional connection is what caused a single tweet of Sheen’s to receive over 7,000 retweets in a single day when he sought to hire an intern during the height of the scandal.
- Actionable insights
In addition to emotional resonance, viral content often becomes so because it has “news you can use,” i.e. it provides people with practical tips to make their lives better.
This includes lists, how-to content, life hacks, and unique prescriptions for better living. The key to creating actionable viral content is to give the end user a way to engage with the content and make it work for them.
Example: The most viral content on Pinterest includes pins that people can do or learn, i.e. “How to compost,” “7 things every new mom should know,” and “The best foods to grow indoors.”
- Fear and anxiety
Steer clear of sadness but don’t be afraid to create content that invokes fear, anxiety, and even anger. These emotions are just as powerful as more ‘positive’ emotions like hope and love, and are even more effective if positioned in a positive context.
Example: When Willie Nelson partnered with Chipotle to create an animated music video about factory farming, the content instantly went viral. The emotional appeal started with the fear and anxiety of a world dominated by factory farms, but ended with hope for the future of farming. The juxtaposition of both emotions in one video was the perfect recipe for viral content.
- Presence
Great viral content is always focused on the present moment. That’s not to say that it can’t deal with the past or future – in fact, some of the most popular content online comments on things we’ve done in the past or what we think the future might be like.
The key is to showcase past and future as it relates to our current times and contemporary lives.
Example: “Throwback Thursdays” are popular on Facebook because they make us remember how far we’ve come since ‘back in the day.’ They remind us where we are now and give a sense of connection with the world around us.
Creating viral content isn’t a mystery. Remember to…
- appeal to basic human emotions
- stick to topics people feel comfortable sharing
- stay positive or end on a positive note
- include practical action steps
- connect the user with the present moment
For more tips on creating viral content and boosting your online business, download your FREE Entrepreneur Jump Start Kit below.
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