How to make digital content go viral

Producing engaging digital content can potentially attract new clients and heighten a company’s credibility. But how can you format your online content so it will maximise the number of people that read and share it? In other words, how can you make your digital content go viral?

To produce a format for digital content to go viral, it is essential to understand the reasons why people share content in the first place.

Research conducted by The New York Times found that some of the principle reasons for sharing content were primarily for self-fulfilment, people found it made them feel more involved in the world.

The study also found that it helped people to stay connected with others and it allowed them to share content about causes that they have an affinity for. It is also widely regarded that people also share content to warn others of potential danger and to share helpful tips and advice.

The potential if your content goes viral

Digital Marketing Institute, highlighted the enormous success of a post named – ‘21 things you know only if you have been friends for 10 years’. The post was shared an astounding 1.6 million times, with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest being the main avenues people shared it on.

The success of the article’s viral status is attributed to the writer following some of the principle formats that are known to engage people’s interest.

Leading UK content marketers, Effective-Group, examine some of the methods used to help your digital content go viral.

Top tips for making your digital content go viral

LISTS: This was the method used in the aforementioned article. It is one of the simplest ways for viewers to consume written content. By creating your content in the format of ‘The best 3 ways’ or ‘The top 10 tips’ you will be following a tried and trusted method that is regarded that gets most shares.

Challenge established thinking: This form of digital content is also renowned for gaining the public’s interest. Challenging the norm can provide you with a very eye-catching title that will compel people to read further.

Entrepreneur and small business expert – Carol Roth – states that she received: “A lot of click-through and social sharing” for her article titled ‘Why smart people make bad entrepreneurs’. It is certainly, a thought provoking headline that grabs attention.

Myth Busting: This is a compelling method to attract a following and is also proven to be extremely shareable. However, with this method it is imperative that you deliver what you promise, otherwise the article will fail. Consider the title you would like to run with, but be cautious that your article will need to dispel a belief. If you can link your myth busting article with the list format mentioned previously, then all the better.

Head to head: Part of the make-up of the human psyche is our interest in competition. As such, comparing different groups is a great way of creating interest. Therefore, by creating a post with a competitive angle such as – cats v dogs, SME’s v national corporations – you will be creating an article that caters for that level of the human psyche.

For instance, your title could read – ‘Why there should be more women than men in every boardroom’ – Thus bringing a sense of rivalry to your article.

Humour: People love to laugh and we tend to like people who can make us laugh. It is also a reason why people love to share funny content online and is one of the main reasons that articles go viral.

It is reported that Andy Borowitz’ article for The New Yorker, titled – ‘Earth endangered by new strain of fact-resistant humans’ got an astonishing 1.5 million shares. Of course, it is easy to offend people, so even if your article is meant to be a light-hearted jibe, it is advisable to show caution when using this format.

Forums: A great way to reach a large audience quickly is to post a snippet of your title on forums or groups that are related to the topic that you are writing about. Always be sure to include your name, your website and the blog URL so that it links to where the article is located.

For the best advice on how you can make your digital content go viral, contact the experts at Effective-Group. Our friendly team have great experience in helping firms attract extra custom through digital marketing.