Manisha Sukhyani September 23, 2021 Whether it’s to get in touch with loved ones, seek entertainment, or build a business, social networks are the first choice for multiple purposes.
And marketers are no stranger to the opportunities.
Precisely when 73% of consumers agreed to have been driven by a brand’s social media presence while making a purchase decision.
So, if you’re pondering over how to viral social media campaigns, we got your back.
This article will take you through 9 actionable steps to make your social media campaigns go viral with less effort.
So let’s dive right in.
1. Define Your Target Audience
For a social media campaign to go viral, it must resonate with your targeted audience. You need content that reflects the problems and solutions of your potential customers. Users should feel like instantly sharing your content with their friends, family, and followers.
For that, you first need to define your targeted audience before you take any step towards campaign planning.
Ask yourself the below-given questions:
- Who do you want to connect with?
- What type of content are your users looking for?
- What are the pain points, dreams, hopes, and values of your users?
- Why would anyone care about your campaign?
- What can you do to make your content shareable on social media?
Answers to all these questions paint a clear picture of who your targeted audience is.
2. Find Your Ideal Social Media Platform
Each social media platform is different. Prior to creating content, select a platform that aligns with your brand, and your audience spends maximum time.
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great platforms to start with, but your audience will differ depending on which platform you pick.
For instance, Instagram is a platform of visual learners and brands sharing visual content combined with enticing captions to spark engagement. However, LinkedIn is more about written content for professionals and thought leaders.
Your social media platform selection should be influenced by the information obtained from your buyer persona.
3. Outline Your Brand Message
You need to identify your brand message. This small message will run through the veins of all your social media marketing campaigns.
Your brand message shouldn’t directly promote your products or services but rather the benefit and value you deliver to the customers.
Here are some examples:
After determining your brand message, you need to find multiple ways to deliver this message.
Content is your answer.
Map out your content in advance. Of course, your message will be different with each piece of content. But, it must be rooted in your brand message. Every content must trace back to the value or benefit you deliver.
4. Create a Visually-Appealing Content
Visual strategy is an essential part of viral marketing campaigns because visuals give prospects an in-depth tour of your brand through images.
Have a look at this Starbucks example:
Source: FOAP
Does it leave a lasting impression?
That’s what you want in your social media campaigns.
But don’t just post images of your brand. Tell a story using various visual elements. Make sure your audience can relate to your stories. Take the help of humor or hope to create informative yet interesting visual content.
5. Ignite Emotions
Capture your audiences’ emotions. For example, you can collaborate with a comedian influencer to deliver your message funnily. Or use sentiments if you are sure that it will pull the emotional chords while generating brand awareness.
Lysol is a perfect example to share with its emotion-packed “Protect Like A Mother” message:
Source: Vimeo
Anything that makes people laugh, awaken hope, promises dream fulfillment or offers a solution works great for catching emotions.
6. Reward Those Who Share Your Content
While running your social media campaigns, promise a gift to users who will share your content. Users find it easy to share the content when receiving a free product or cash prize in exchange. Users will persuade their friends and family to share your content as they want their loved ones to get the free products.
This is the most effective and easiest way to make your social media campaigns go viral.
7. Use a Call to Action
Of course, brand awareness and engagement are your top goals. But at the end of the day, you still want users to take some action through your content. Maybe to purchase a product or subscribe to your email list. Otherwise, how will you make those users come back?
So don’t forget to put a call to action at the end of your content. Encourage your prospects to sign up for a newsletter, a free trial, a sample product, or a discounted purchase. All of these are powerful ways to boost your social media presence and stay on top of your customers’ minds.
8. Time Your Content
Timing is an essential factor in maximizing your content’s performance. An ideal time to publish the content depends on your targeted audience’s active social media time and habits.
As you progress with your campaigns, you will learn the best time to publish content via algorithms. You may have to go through some trial and error, but it’s all worth it once you understand your audience’s preferences.
9. Measure Performance And Optimize Your Campaigns
Successful social media marketers rely on analytics to measure their campaigns’ performance and understand what’s working and what’s not. The metrics and insights you get from analytics help you make necessary adjustments or alter the strategy to optimize your campaigns.
Key Takeaway
Social media campaigns are the best ways to spread brand awareness, promote advocacies, and sell products to today’s audience. That’s why going viral is crucial to your success. You will set the stage for viral social media campaigns, eventually leading to your brand’s success by putting the hacks into action.
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