Having a campaign, article of video go viral is the aim of every marketer in the industry, but it’s not always about cute cats and memes (Ok, well, sometimes it is). Creating a viral campaign takes time, planning and the right know-how on spreading your wonderful creativity around the world wide web. It can be a minefield at best, but here are some tips to put you in the right direction.
Don’t advertise
Uh, really? Yes. It may seem like the opposite thing you need to be doing in order to make your campaign go viral, but according to KISS Metrics, advertising should focus on a key trend or important issue because consumers are more interested in those than your product. Keep your promotional bits and bobs in the background so your customers don’t dismiss you straight away as another ad.
Find out what’s already successful
So we know cats, memes and BuzzFeed quizzes do well, but there are common trends and themes throughout most successful viral campaigns. Do some research and make a list of what is common between your favourite viral ads. It’s important to not get lost in a never-ending YouTube binge of ads though, try to keep it to recent campaigns so that it’s relevant!
Emotions, emotions, emotions
Viral campaigns are successful because they tug on the emotions of consumers. They’re often funny or sentimental which then influences people to share on Facebook, Twitter or around the office. That’s not saying that information won’t also go viral, but tugging on those heartstrings is far more likely to get the desired effect!
Make it shareable
This may seem like an obvious one, but a campaign can’t go viral unless it can be shared with the world. For example, if you have a paywall on your site, only subscribers will be able to see your content. There are plenty of ways to make it shareable, and those that make it easy for people to do so are always the best options. Try campaign specific hashtags and always put sharing buttons on the page.
Keep it simple
The key to a successful marketing campaign is simplicity. Anything with too much information will quickly lose the attention of your audience. A short video or funny listicle are far more likely to be shared than an in-depth scientific article. Once you’ve grown your audience, you can start to filter out additional information.