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Going Viral: What Types Of Content Are The Most Shareable?

Generally speaking, every marketer wants their campaigns to reach the largest possible audience. Moreover, getting content to “go viral” is one of the most common goals of most social media campaigns.

That said, there are a few common denominators towards the types of posts that receive a significant amount of shares and strong sentiment (whether it is positive or negative) across platforms.

It Evokes Powerful Emotions

Virtually no one shares something online with having a strong need to share it because it provokes significant positive or negative feelings. Whatever end of the spectrum of emotion works best for your overall content strategy, you need to inspire that spark and the accompanying effort to

Bored readers don’t share content - and we all know that boring content that lacks emotional appeal doesn’t go viral.

Improve Your Reader’s Lives

Practical or helpful content tends to be some of the most shareability across digital platforms - people naturally want to spread the word about something that improves their lives in some way. This applies to both to B2B and B2C marketers. Whether it is something as simple a basic household cleaning or cooking tip or an extended piece on how to create remarkable presentations, or even just a funny video of a cat, if your content makes your audience feel that their lives are improved in some way they will be much more likely to share it.

Viral Content Commands Attention From The First Click

Your headline is perhaps the most important of your article or post, so write it wisely! And it is probably the first thing any user sees before they even consider Go with something that stands out in an authentic and remarkable way and most importantly, makes the reader want to learn more.

The ability to write eye catching titles is one of the most important weapons in a social marketer or copywriter’s article - trigger someone’s innate human curiosity, and they’ll click.

Timing And Location Are Crucial

Know when your target audience is not only likely to be online, but actively looking for a distraction, entertainment, or something to do. The ideal time is different for every business and their associated goals, of course, but consider when your customers are most likely to be on social media.

During their commutes to and from work, when they are in line at the grocery store or running similar boring errands, or during lulls in the work day all tend to work well. And for more entertainment-focused industries, evenings can be also be excellent.

In addition, keep in mind what devices they might be using in particular locations and optimize your content accordingly; for instance, most people are less likely to read long form or image-heavy content on a phone or perhaps they can’t watch videos on their work computer, but they will be able to see Tweets or read emails. Optimize your exposure!

Go Where The Passion Lies - Try Niche Sites

More focused or targeted sites usually have more dedicated online communities and corresponding social networks. And since users on niche sites tend to be some of the most passionate, they may help you spread the word about your business and generate links like nothing else.

While ubiquitous platforms like Facebook and Twitter are the most well known and popular with marketers in general, starting with smaller groups like various SubReddits or Tumblr communities might result in more long-term success, since you are focusing on the users who potentially have the most passion about your content.

Never overlook sites because they don’t make the headlines on a regular basis. In fact, using Tumblr for business and therefore taking advantage of its unique user base and visually rich content is becoming a growing trend.

Draw From Your Own Experience

Lastly, consider what the last pieces of content you shared with your own networks, and why. Was it because they improved your life in some way, because they made you laugh, or perhaps because you thought that your friends and/or family could benefit somehow? Adapting those reasons to what your company has to offer is an excellent starting point to creating compelling content that eventually has a viral reach.