Flashback Surf Excel’s tagline, “Daag Ache Hai”? What about some visionaries using a Ghibli-style animation or all the buzz around Samay Raina’s ‘India’s Got Latent’? There was also a Vada Pav girl who created viral sensations and also there was the unanticipated buzz moment from Dolly Chaiwala pouring tea for Bill Gates!
These are each great illustrations of content that exploded. Some were emotional, some were funny, some were just relatable, creative, and controversial.
That magic engagement post, reel, blog, or video that takes off and is getting circulated extensively without spending a single rupee on advertisements. But how do you efficiently make content go viral? Is there a formula? Is it purely chance or luck? What’s the secret sauce?
The secret sauce is primarily a creation of psychology, a savvy way of approaching the situation, and timing.
In this blog, we will go through some of the reasons as to why content goes viral, how to create content that goes viral, and also a bonus tip to try and give your next post that extra advantage.
What Makes Content Go Viral
Let’s break down what the structure blocks of a viral post are
Hooks- first impressions really matter
The quantum of content on social media can be immense and you really have seconds to make someone not scroll by. This is where your hook is key. We’ve all seen reels that start with “I almost went to jail..” or ” you wouldn’t believe this” and the first few seconds are what makes someone stop instead of scrolling.
Visual Appeal
People will scroll fast, you need your content to be eye-catching, strong colour psychology based to incite emotional response or set the mood. If your images or videos are high quality and relevant it can really make a difference. People engage with good content. Relevant & Value Based
Whether it is educational, emotional or entertaining, it all must be relevant. Additionally, your content must add value and be worthy of being shared. If your audience feels that they have gained something subjective, they are much more likely to save, share or send to a friend. In the viral content world, value = currency and if you’re looking for a digital marketing agency in Pune that truly understands how to craft such meaningful content — Get Social is the place for you.
Call To Action – CTA
Instead of hoping for people to like, comment and share try steering them. It is a strong tool to increase engagement, reach and even conversions. And best of all, CTAs don’t have to sound salesy all the time.
Here are some examples of ways you can use CTAs functionally:
Ask them a question: “What is one tip you would add to this list?”
Prompt saving: “Save this post if you’re planning to try this later!”
Drive an action larger than the post itself: “Click the link in bio for the full guide.”
How to Create Content that Goes Viral
Step 1: Know your audience.
It’s not enough to just post content. You need to know your audience- what do they like ? What makes them laugh ? What inspires them? What are the actual struggles or pain points they are facing right now? What kind of posts do they typically like, save, or share?
Step 2: Choose a ‘Viral Worthy’ Content
Find something that truly touches a chord. a topic that speaks to their needs, emotions, or everyday struggles. When your content taps into what your audience really cares about, it’s much more likely to blow up. The content usually revolves around something that’s trending, highly relatable, or a little controversial. Create online content marketing that shows personal growth like transformation series which can make people
Step 3: Add an Emotional Layer
Viral content creates a reaction in people. The more emotional your content is, the more likely it will be saved or shared.
Think of it not just in terms of facts but how it feels?
For example:
“5 Instagram Tips”
“I Was Stuck at 500 Followers Until I Did These 5 Things And Everything Changed”
That second one hits differently, right?
There is curiosity and transformation.
Incorporate story, personal experience, humor or vulnerability so that the message sticks.
Step 4: Use Strong Visuals
Visuals are usually the first thing your audience sees so make them count. When creating content for Instagram, LinkedIn or anywhere else, powerful visuals can get someone to stop scrolling and read what you have. Use the right tools first. To improve the visuals of your content, focus on some design principles. Use bright and bold colors to grab daily attention as users scroll. Use clear, readable fonts so your content is easily comprehended, especially on mobile. Including faces/emotions/gestures creates a human connection people respond more to other people than objects or text alone. Motion graphics or trending templates can add energy to your visuals while ensuring your content stays in the realm of what is currently trending online.
Just remember, the design mantra of less is more. Don’t overdo your visuals with too much text or too many parts. Simply put, clean and focused designs often deliver the best results.
Step 5 – Format for the Platform
Every platform speaks its own unique language, so you need to ensure that you format your content to fit the platform, its vibe, and user behaviour. Copying and pasting the same post across each of your platforms loses the content’s impact.
With Instagram, it’s all about visually engaging content, so consider using Reels to utilize trending audio or share quick, visually engaging information. Carousels are great for step by step tips, storytelling or for breaking up complex information for your audience. Linkedin, while more professional, also has a human side and people want to see you as authentic, so utilize storytelling to post insights, post genuine take-aways from content you read, and post lessons learned from experiences people can learn from. You want to share content that is educational learning moments, content that inspires, and content that provokes genuine talk.
On Twitter/X, concise succinct content is the name of the game. Think about punchy one-liners, hot takes, or mini threads that convey credibility through quick, sharp insights. This is a place where you can be a thought leader by sharing your opinion on things, as long as that opinion is well-defined and short, with no fluff.
On YouTube, it’s long-form content that gets the biggest wins. You can develop an emotional storytelling aspect to gain the interest of the viewer or offer high-value tutorial content to build authority. Shorts work to jump on trends quickly or as snippets from the longer content you’ve created.
Blogs are your home for deep-dive content. The goal is to write long-form content that is SEO optimized. It should include clear subheadings, bullets, visuals, and internal links. This long format allows you to build trust, create visibility in search, and offer value and if your looking for the best content marketing agency in pune then Get Social is the right place for you.
Step 6: Timing Is Everything
Producing great content is only part of the battle, the timing can make an impact on performance. The best post in the world will flop if no-one is available to see it. That’s why understanding your audience’s activity is so important.
You can use platform insights to find when your audience is taking action. Experiment with various days and time slots, and measure engagement from there. You should also be aware of events – sharing uplifting or motivational content on Monday mornings, humorous content on Friday nights, and educational tips midweek are some best practices.
Step 7: Encourage Engagement
Engagement is the magic secret to make your content go further. Each time someone likes, comments, shares, or saves your content, the algorithms are notified that the post is worthwhile to show to a wider audience. So instead of just broadcasting your message, create conversations.
Here are some tips to encourage engagement: Ask thought-provoking questions to get them sharing ( e.g. “What is your go-to morning habit?”)
Create polls to get quick feedback or trivial “this or that” style choices
Having a post that goes “viral” can seem magical from the outside, but in reality, there is a careful mix of strategy, timing, psychology, creativity, and most importantly consistency. Going viral shouldn’t look like an opportunity to chase blindly or a desire for overnight success. It is understanding your audience, meeting their needs, and building content with a connection to them in mind.
Will you go viral with every piece of content you put out? Probably not, and that’s okay. The secret is to approach content creation as a process instead of an event. The more you try out different approaches, the more you’ll uncover what works. The more you consistently do what works will increase the odds of that viral moment.
Making something go viral using content strategy has more to do with strategy than it does with trends, it combines storytelling into tailor-made content that is executed smartly. If you are looking for a way to level up your content or need a team to help you; Get Social can help you out with all your content marketing goals
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