The Art of Engineering a Post that Goes Viral
One fine day, I generated over 50k views on a single post in the span of three or four days and wanted to share with you how you can do the same. I had spent the last four years racking my brain on how to answer the question I often dread, the question that people often ask when vetting a publicist, lest my ability to earn the income from clients who need our services somehow become dependent upon it.
After some time, I have come to a conclusion on what similar patterns viral posts betray and how to replicate it for those of you whose entrepreneurial pursuits have led to poring online over marketing hacks to engage an ever attention deficit disorderly crowd of folks trolling the internet.
Some tips on how to go viral such that your posts can reach the tens of thousands from a publicist who (somewhat) figured it out.
Make it a video or a GIF
Popular apps like Boomerang for Instagram that have served to loop video content so that it runs over two seconds is comical and nonsensical. A little breakup in the day and reprieve from stressful headlines of late can do so much for people who need a visual dose of life even if they cant hear the words. @stefanblomquist uses the video and clip app for iPhone to create captivating vignettes for moments in time he would like to document.
Be Light and Have fun
Stuff happens. In life there is always humor. Just like the news reporter at the BBC whose toddler walked in on the interview might have been seen as embarrassing in the moment, it later became fodder for satire in a second version with a woman instead as the interviewee managing ten different tasks at once while navigating the interview. In a sense, the commentary evolved into a parody about gender roles.
Post Authentic Content
I found that people who tried to go viral, seldom did. Hanging your hat on how many likes you will acquire after releasing a post is contrived. Just post what is on your mind and learn how to edit. Remember that once it’s out, you can never take it back. Even after it’s deleted, it is still on record. And, as I always say, if you are posting what you like, you’ll have views to count, if you are posting to get likes, you’ll be counting on views. This can be crucial to your success in getting people to hear what you are trying to say. Particularly as it relates to posted content linking to events, campaigns or other opportunities, your network will disconnect if they have had a first negative user experience. The old adage still stands: First impressions are everything and no matter what, authentic content always wins.
Even if your message is as silly as your crazy aunt who plays basketball in Louboutins, it’s still fun and it matters to you because you think your auntie is amazing and you want for others to recognize that too.
Grab a friend Who is Famous
If you are part of the privileged number of people who are friends with stars and whose accounts are verified on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and whose networks get hundreds of thousands of viewers who also enjoy sharing your content, you’re golden. In my case, it was Stefan who shot it and Elaine Eksvärd who reposted the content from his account. Elaine Eksvärd, née Bergqvist, is a Swedish author who writes about rhetoric. She has a BA degree in rhetoric from Södertörn University, and she has written five books about the subject. Wikipedia — Eksvärd is also a blogger who writes about what it takes to be a millennial mommy of three. @elaineeksvard has over 88 thousand subscribers, so that in this particular instance, she engaged almost half of her following with a comment about the video, herself an expectant mother at the time. As if by magic, Jamie Neumann stars as the booty shaking mama in this episode of nonsense, herself a rising star in the 70’s porn HBO drama The Deuce starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal set to film again for a second season. More on the art of exploding you publicity is in my online classroom lovingly named PR D.I.Y. Register here for a free session.
Seek Advice from The Experts
In a last ditch attempt to become viral, visit websites that break down the science of marketing content like my man Neil Patel who writes that the word “viral” means “relating to a piece of content that is circulated rapidly and widely from one web user to another.” In other words, you want to create great content that’s intended to be shared across social networks and spread – like a virus. Patel credits tactics such as posting emotional content and examining what types of posts have won critical acclaim for their virility from infographics to memes, to lists and the like. Other approaches include documenting your strategy and assessing your market with great detail to understand what appeals to them. Still others include registering (read: paying) into websites that serve to propagate media with your content, but this arena is often dodgy.
For more information on publicity hacks for inspired entrepreneurs who want to get maximum visibility every time you say something cool please click here for my free intro class.
