Going Viral: The Ultimate Reward for Strategically Planned Social Content

Going viral. In the past, the word “viral” would have evoked widespread panic—images of quarantined hospital wings and the fear of imminent death. Today, anyone who knows anything about the digital world knows that “going viral” is the ultimate reward for strategically planned social content.

Businesses love content that goes viral and results in more customers. Publications want content to go viral for more readers and subscribers. Quite simply, “going viral” is the key to gaining a wider audience for your business’s product and/or service without spending a dime on expensive marketing tactics.

In a recent report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 71% of the approximately 24.3 million Australians are using social media. They go on to break that number down even further:

• 17 million Australians are using Facebook.
• 5 million Australians are active on Instagram.
• 2.8 million Australians use Twitter.

The question is, what’s the secret to captivating your audience’s attention and inspiring them with your content to take action and go from being a window shopper to a certified buyer?

Here are a few essential components to propel your content into the viral world:

The power of attention-grabbing video content.

A recent article published on Fortune.com professed that the content on Facebook could very well be entirely video in five years. Whether this is true, it’s evident that video is a powerful tool for businesses to use as a way to convey the benefits of owning their product or using their service.

To create video content that has the potential of being virally contagious, it’s important to implement these key factors:

• Short and sweet: Short, intriguing videos keep content fresh and entertaining for fans and have the potential of being shared virally. In fact, Facebook itself states that videos shorter than two minutes are the most effective ones. Keep in mind that when people hear something, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image or video is paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the content three days later.
• Educational: First, educate yourself about your target audience. Research what they are looking for, and then meet their needs with a captivating video. People love to get instant solutions, and if your video is what they’re looking for, not only will it compel them to action, but most likely they will be excited enough to share your content with their followers.
• Attention-grabbing: Think about your own Facebook feed and how you scroll through looking for something to pique your interest. Your business literally has just a couple of seconds to grab the attention of your viewers, and if your content isn’t interesting, they will scroll right by. The best way to boost engagement with your video content is to create curiosity by asking a question or building suspense so your viewer wants to keep watching.

A recent report published by Social Media News reveals that around 60% of the country’s population are active users on Facebook with 50% of the country logging in at least once a day. That’s a huge audience to draw from and to target for your business.

Video communication is an amazing opportunity for us to expand our ability to communicate and connect across the boundaries of language, age, gender, culture, and geography. It’s a very powerful tool and one that can help expand your brand awareness vastly!

Stay relevant by standing out.

Watch your analytics grow with timely and relevant content. By staying alert to breaking news within your industry, you can ride the wave of the social media buzz with your own unique viewpoint on the trending topic.

Use Tagboard or Hashtagify to find the hashtags that people are using to talk about your sector, and then include them in your content. By keeping your ear to the ground, you will reap the benefits of an organically growing click-through rate that gets people talking about and sharing your content.

Evoke emotion.

Memes have become a powerful marketing tool over the last several years. They grab your attention and are highly relatable. Plus, they are easily shared with just one click. In addition, they can be crafted to speak to any generation you are targeting and can evoke a wide range of emotions from humor to empathy.

One research study revealed that regular marketing graphics yielded 5% engagement on Facebook and Instagram while using memes generated about 10 times more reach with 60% organic engagement.

In addition to memes, animated GIFs are rising in popularity as well. Similarly, emojis and emoticons are effective at expressing emotion in a way that anyone can understand, interpret, and access regardless of the different languages that the creator and the viewer might speak.

It’s all about relationships.

People regard social media as a fun social space where they chat with friends, check out photos and videos, and relax. Your business needs to join conversations and become part of the community, rather than just being the business “outsider” who is trying to get people to spend their hard-earned money.

By connecting with the people who have expressed an interest in your business, you are creating a loyal community of patrons who will not only commit to you for the long haul but also become your champions, recommending your product or service to others. To cultivate an ongoing relationship with them, make sure that your content is authentic and builds on the trust they’ve already shown in you.

It’s easy to get caught up in the impersonal aspects of social media and the digital world, but it’s imperative to remember the human aspect. Do this, and you will be building a partnership of trust with a multitude of people who are interested in what you’re offering.

Of course, not every piece of content that you create is going to catch the viral bug. However, as long as you create campaigns that are relevant and address the needs and wants of your audience, your reach will continue to grow.

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