Hold your breath as we plunge into the world of making Instagram content that goes viral.
Beyond counting the likes and comments your posts receive, other factors go into creating viral content for Instagram.
Viral content means posts (pictures or videos) that people wish to share, increasing the post’s popularity. Social media users read trending text articles and videos, watch trending content, comment on it, and share the content on their personal social media profiles.
Before you even realize it, your post would have reached the masses. Well, not every social media post can go viral. Although the content creators may not have intended it, some succeed by accident.
Viral content is a boon for marketers as it helps them increase ROI without running a paid ad campaign.
Most marketers dream of creating viral content, but only a few achieve it. However, you can use techniques to master the social media virality phenomenon and leverage it to your advantage. So let’s dig in and find out how to join that elite club at the end of this article.
Here are some steps you should follow if you want to create viral content on Instagram:
1) Start with research.
You can’t hope to create viral content unless you have a solid plan with a clear-cut understanding of your audience.
It’s very important to figure out what your target audience enjoys. You can investigate about;
- Where do they hang out?
- What content do they like?
- What do they share, and engage with the most?
Use your responses to decide where to start your campaign and what medium to use (e.g., images or text).
Once you understand what your audience wants to see, tailor your posts to their interests. It will most likely take some trial and error to determine what content they respond to.
You can also research the previous examples of viral content from your competitors. Determine what made the content successful and strive to deliver something better.
2) Use a creative hook.
After you have understood your audience’s needs, you’ll probably be better able to allure them with a great hook. Finding a great hook for your posts can be one of the ways to create viral content.
A hook can be your content’s differentiator among other content available.
Think of your hook as bait. It makes your content intriguing enough so the followers would like to take the desired action like visiting your website, signing up for more content, or following you on social media.
You can hook your users using catchy taglines and headlines. Some of the hooks that can work on social media are:
- Start with a joke
- Surprise with a fact.
- Write an attention-grabbing word or expression.
- Share a quote.
3) Differentiate your content.
The best viral content on Instagram has a distinct voice and a clear point of view. Combining this with stunning images gives you the perfect recipe for a viral Instagram post.
You don’t want to get lost in an ocean of mainstream Instagram posts, do you? Concentrating on creating great and unique content distinguishes you from the crowd and doubles your chances of going viral.
You can begin by reviewing existing material on your topic and determining how you can make a difference or add more value than what is already available.
The Instagram content strategy employed by Zomato is flawless. Their posts are distinctive, mostly laced with sharp and relatable humour. A large number of their posts have gone viral to date.
Recently, Zomato posted a hilarious video where a delivery person was seen giving someone Turkish ice cream. Ever since this video was uploaded, people have viewed it 1.1 million times, and it has also received several reactions on it.
There’s a fine line between looking for content inspiration and creating something unique to you. When you achieve the latter, you’ll be surprised at how much traction it receives.
So, if you have a post based on your own experiences but are unsure about it, post it immediately because it can potentially catapult your brand to new heights.
4) Make it visual.
After you’ve decided on the type of content you want to create, it’s time to dress it up.
Infographics are more likely to be shared with others than plain text. This is because the content is designed to make complex topics easier to grasp quickly. Furthermore, it is easily consumable, entertaining, and has enormous value in a world with an ever-increasing amount of online content.
Finally, while you want to inform your audience, you also want to entertain them.
The visual formats help to increase the effectiveness of your content. A story about a prank or surprise where you can’t see the reactions would not work. Add visuals, graphics, and data visualizations to any content format. You might end up getting more engagement and shares.
5) Consider the timing and place.
Nobody distributes content merely to have it disappear. Knowing what makes online content go viral isn’t always enough. Some contents react wildly in some situations. And that situation or moment may be so cutting-edge that we aren’t even aware of it. As a result, viral content is frequently about being in the right place at the right time. You can’t predict that, but you can make your content as viral-ready as possible.
Concentrate your content creation efforts on high-arousal topics that compel people to engage in conversation.
Nobody creates content merely to have it disappear. People share content because they expect others to react and interact with it on social media – to comment on it, like it, and so on.
Conclusion:
So, there isn’t any magic formula for creating viral content. Invest time and creativity in creating amazing content that will benefit your brand.
Your goal should be to create engaging and creative posts that keep your audience’s attention and prevent them from scrolling.
Use the best practices listed above to increase your chances of going viral and enjoy the results.
Happy posting!