How to go viral

I am aware of the inherent risk involved in writing a piece with this title which will, in all likelihood, get two likes. While I do not yet understand what pleases the algorithmic overlords of LinkedIn, I have figured it out on Instagram. A recent reel of mine went viral last weekend, bringing upwards of three million new views to my page and doubling my following overnight. There are so many people out there trying to sell you the secret of how to go viral - after all, it’s good business - but in my opinion they are all focusing on the wrong stuff. Going viral is about 10% tactics and 90% messaging. It’s not about timing your posts right, using the right hashtags, making video content instead of text content, or using a ring light. Those are tactics that can help, but only incrementally. If you are looking for explosive viral growth there is only one thing that matters: finding a message that resonates.

So how do you design a viral message? It’s not random. Sure, there is an element of randomness to it. I’ve had reels that went viral on Instagram get almost no views on TikTok and vice versa, but in general, what works on one will work on the other and what works on both once will work again. In fact, I have found that no matter what format I am working with - long-form text on Substack, video, podcasting - the same messages always get the most traction.?

I’ll give a formula I think is helpful for creating a viral message in a minute, but first, here’s why it matters. In Eric Reis’s the Lean Startup he says there are three engines of growth: viral, paid and sticky. I would argue that in today’s world, having a viral message is table-stakes. The world is different from when Mr. Reis wrote his book. Back in the day, you could buy hundreds of thousands of website visits on Google for a few bucks. The price of online advertising has skyrocketed in recent years and relying on a paid engine of growth is a very risky business and can kill your margins fast. As for sticky, how do you expect customers to stick if they don’t know about your business in the first place? Virality has become an essential component of marketing in the modern era. It’s also an excellent way of validating your idea for a service or product. Dropbox got its start when the founder published a viral demo video. People spread the word for free because they were so excited about the possibilities of what he was describing.?

If your message is not getting traction it means one of two things: either you are not doing a good job of articulating your message or people are simply not that interested in your product or service. That’s a harsh way of putting it, but it’s better to iterate on a message, which is fast and costs almost nothing, than to bang your head against the wall trying to push a product you’ve plowed huge sums of money into that no one wants.?

Designing a viral message involves a lot of tweaking and experimentation, but that’s okay! Posting is fast and free and you can test as many variants as you want. But instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall, start with something that adheres to these five core principles (you can remember the acronym SCORE).?

S is for shareable. This might seem obvious, but so many marketers and content creators forget it. If it’s not highly shareable, it won’t go viral. Ask yourself: why would someone be motivated to share this piece of content? It could be a fascinating piece of information, or something they can relate to, or it’s inspiring or just funny. It also has to be short and punchy enough to get the point across quickly in a format that makes people want to share it.?

C is for clear. Is your message clear and easy to grasp? Are you using too much industry or academic jargon? Can people understand it at a glance? Does the first sentence make them want to listen to the next and the next and then eventually to share? There are so many people out there with fascinating information or products that fail to get their point across in a crisp, short message using plain language. Don’t let this be you.?

O is for original. The internet is a crowded place. For your message to get attention it needs to be surprising and original. Don’t waste your shot! Think about what is new, maybe even controversial, about your message and your position, then frontload your messaging with the most punchy content first.?

R is for relatable. Some content-creators manage to get attention by being “aspirational” but in my experience, being relatable is far more effective. If you have a worthwhile product or service then it must solve a problem for people. That problem is a source of commonality and relatability between you and your audience. It’s also often a great source of humor.?

E is for excellent. By excellent I do not mean polished. My most viral video was filmed off the cuff by putting my iphone on a shelf and talking at the screen with zero extra equipment. But my message was precise and well-rehearsed: the object of a year’s worth of deep research. Depending on your strategy and message, excellence may mean different things, but there must be something stand-out about it.?

Once you have crafted your message, start testing out various iterations. If it’s not landing, try something else. When you hit a nerve, you will know it. Don’t expect to go mega-viral right off the bat, but you should notice a serious uptick in views, engagement and shares. When that happens, you know you’re close. Once you have a formula that works, don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. My viral video was perhaps the fifth or sixth iteration of a very similar post. Previous versions had gotten lots of attention, but it wasn’t until the sixth try that I passed the 1-million-views mark.?

Good luck out there!?

Elena Bridgers is a science writer and product marketing consultant with over a decade of strategy and product marketing experience. She specializes in helping FemTech and female-founded companies to hone their message and grow their visibility. If you’re interested in a free consultant reach out to [email protected]