It is a goal for a digital marketer to see published content go viral.  Once content goes viral, It is sure that it has been seen and engaged with by a lot of people.  This results in credibility of the article and of the author or website.  There are many posts that gain national attention due to the hundreds and thousands of clicks. Although viral content is unpredictable, if one could get to understand the psychology of viral content then this could boost and be effective when it comes to digital marketing strategies.

Content marketing is an important strategy to gain relationships or engagements with people.  It indicates insights to a product or service by providing feedback and user awareness. However, content marketing can also be harmful if it is irresponsible and negative.  Digital marketers should be conscious of content impact for the product or service.

When content is part and parcel of a digital strategy, it can help in gaining more followers as well as enhance brand profile and online relevancy. In other words, content marketing helps in educating people and holding them to make action towards a solution to problems.

A Look at the Psychology of Story Telling

The study on viral online content is relatively new.  Research has been done to study the social sharing phenomena like the existence of spreading gossip or urban legends.

Researchers have identified shared characteristics of content that has gone viral. A study made on The New York Times website showed that content that has been widely shared have similar qualities. These qualities have been identified as:

  • Positive articles

Content that has a positive tone and tells has a feel-good narrative then it is more likely to go viral. People like to share positive stories.

  • Appeals to the emotion

When people reaction to an article, the emotions of the reader are tapped. It is like a movie that makes people cry or laugh out loud.  Such content will be shared more than just plain technical articles.

How To Design A Content That Can Go Viral

Since the qualities of a viral content has been given, this is important when designing digital marketing campaigns.  That being said, content that appeals to the emotion engages more people and Is more likely to be shared with others. People normally remembers content that has an impact on their lives and therefore the brand as well.

Below are some tips to consider when designing content to make it go viral easily:

  1. Make the content newsworthy

The content must be one that is current.  See to it that it follows the heels of headlines and trends.

  • People search for information

Humans are curious beings and they want to know what is happening or what is new. When they access content, the primary purpose is to gain information. Make content as relevant and as informative as possible.

  • Align content to the specific needs of audience

Whether content is about technology or about flowers, it should be written with the audience in mind.   What is the profile of the reader? What need are we addressing for this article? What information is relevant to the reader?

  • Provide a solution

Content marketing is all about information and offering solutions to problems.  By delving into trends or current issues, an article gets amplified easily through the shares of others.  People want others to know thus if content is good, it will surely reach other people too.

  • Make an emotional connection

Articles that have an emotional pitch gets shared more than academic content. When the reader can resonate with what has been written, it is usually shared.

  • Be relatable

The tone of the article must be relatable to the reader. Humanize the content so it will easily be shared.

Guy Galboiz and his team understands why content needs to go viral and knows its importance.  They apply the viral strategies to campaigns. Contact Guy Galboiz for any of content needs.