Insights 31: How to go viral on LinkedIn

3 of our posts went viral on Linkedin recently. ??

We define virality as:

content views > your network size.

E.g. if 20,000 people viewed your content and you have 1000 LinkedIn connections - that's viral since it spread far wider than your network!

Let’s test your content marketing skills:

Can you spot the ONE X-factor, which made them all go viral?

(Wait for it to load… I promise it's worth it ??)

Because WE sure as hell can’t!

Was it creativity?

I mean…

H?vard’s post is maybe creative: But only because it “creatively” piggybacks a famous image.

For Kavita: From what I’ve seen over the years - Linkedin LOVES to be there when a startup is born. ?

And for Arjun?

It was probably the media feature in the clip that shows authority and social proof. ??

Look. I’ll be TOTALLY honest and transparent with you:

I didn’t expect ANY of these pieces to go viral when we posted them.

But:

as we say around here:

#Viralityluck.

Don’t get me wrong:

Going viral is a GREAT THING - it’s one of the major reasons we do content marketing at all.

But one of your posts going viral does NOT mean you’ve “blown up”.

We often politely ask our excited clients in these proud moments, to please calm their farms.

BECAUSE VIRALITY IS NOT IN YOUR HANDS!

Virality is up to LINKEDIN - and LinkedIn is FICKLE.

But here’s how you can improve your chances of going viral:

1.) Add value and SHOW UP CONSISTENTLY - same time each week!

It's the difference between motivation and posting when you feel like it and discipline of posting consistently. That we provide as a team.

2.) Stick to the format you’re KNOWN for

I really can’t stress that last one enough:

ALL my clients have a style, theme and format we design for them.

And we stick to a format WEEKLY - with each post.

It's called “branding”.

(look it up)

But:

Virality is STILL - NOT. THE. GOAL.

Why?

The quality of the interactions matter. Even 100 quality views and engagements from your ideal customers is better than a million praises on LinkedIn for posting a meme or video..

Chasing virality in content marketing is chasing the dragon. ??

If I was chasing virality, I would've stopped posting LONG ago!

When I started in content, I was getting 50,000 views per post, on average.

6 months ago, that was down to just 2,000 views per post.

I thought I was shit. Thought my market was over me ??

Nope, just an algorithm change.

It’s now gone back up to 10,000 but it’s rare to get even close to the numbers I used to get.

Why?

The platform’s been flooded. Everyone wants to win with content.

You can still cut through, but it takes WORK now.

Want more details about going viral and my content journey?

I recorded this quick 16-minute segment (released weekly) where I share deeply about my personal content journey and what I’ve been observing for the past week in the LinkedIn / marketing landscape.

Check it out?here?????

Look, if you STILL want to go viral for your ego, as a challenge or for the lols ?? - TRY THIS:

Post on a Thursday:

Take advantage of the #ThursdayPhenomenon.

What’s that?

All my clients who went viral last week posted on Thursday..

All around the same time.

The posts all went viral by the weekend.

#ThursdayPhenomenon.

I know it sounds like I’ve lost my mind, but there’s actually a good reason this happened THIS particular week:

Linkedin used to give you 30 MINUTES to hit viral status.

Now it gives you THREE DAYS!

And for some CRAZY REASON everyone is active on the weekend!

Maybe because business sentiment is tough so people are working on weekends?

With LinkedIn looking at your post's engagement over a longer time to then boost it to your network + lots of people active on weekends:

The RESULT —> the Thursday Phenomenon is born.

Try it ??

1 big point.

Going viral requires STRONG content ideas / content angles.

The team I have are very good with coming up with creative angles, and that’s why we get the results we do.

Another thing we've found, over the years:

A lot of our customers ALREADY HAD a strong message before they worked with us, but no idea how to make it pop.

It's a whole process - and it can be difficult to know where to start.

That's why we offer a?sampler call?- where we'll give you 3 great viral concepts, with no cost or obligation:

Peace, love and VIRALITY baby,

Mel

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