For 7 years I have tried to help business owners understand that they can’t simply create a viral social media post - you can create a social media post and *hope* it goes viral. Online success is more likely to be a series of small successes rather than one significant viral event that changes your business forever.
Having said that, is it possible to create viral opportunities for your business? Or is it all just based on luck and happenstance?
On August 21st 2016, I experienced the impact of an enormously successful viral post that created a ton of marketing fuel for my own business. Through this experience I have identified some of the secrets to achieving viral marketing success.
The Tragically Hip and the Love of a Nation
On August 20th, 2016 a very important event took place in the lives of millions of Canadians: The Tragically Hip performed what many believe will be their final concert. The reason? The lead singer of The Tragically Hip, Gord Downie, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma - an incurable brain tumour.
After a gruelling final tour across Canada, The Hip arrived in Kingston Ontario where they would perform one final time with the entire concert streamed live and commercial free around the world. Millions of Canadians participated in what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime Canadian experience.
In 1989, the year the Tragically Hip released “Up To Here” I entered Grade 9. This album introduced me to the Rock n’ Roll/Blues fusion of New Orleans is Sinking, Boots or Hearts, 38 Years Old… and the list goes on.
Sufficed to say, throughout high school and University, The Tragically Hip truly was the soundtrack of my youth. Thus, learning that Gord Downie’s time with us was to be cut short, I was filled with sadness and a deep sense of loss that I’m not sure I entirely understand but I know I share with millions of others across the country.
So, at approximately 8:30pm EST on August 20th The Tragically Hip took the stage for the final time. They powered through hit after hit and, after 3 solid encores and nearly 3 hours of performing, Gordie finally said goodnight.
At 11:14pm, I shared a post meant to express my gratitude and sadness. To share my kinship with Hip fans. To communicate what I felt was the importance of being Canadian on this particular night...
I had no expectations for this particular post. I was just so moved by this shared Canadian experience. I also recognized that not everyone in Canada is a Tragically Hip fan. Many people truly dislike Gord Downie's voice. And that's okay! I love his poetry and ability to weave stories about the Canadian fabric. In reality, I'm not trying to connect with everyone. I'm trying to connect with those people who have things in common with me. The more interests and commonalities we share, the more opportunities for engaging conversation and deeper relationships. My goal is to connect with my tribe... and they're out there... All over the country. I just haven't met them all yet.
The Morning After
Upon waking the following morning I picked up my iPhone to check in on the world and noticed a large number of notifications for my Facebook Page. I logged into my Page only to discover that this post had spread like wildfire across the country.
Within 36 hours of sharing this tribute to Gord Downie the post had reached 711,389 people, received 30,241 reactions (likes, loves, etc), generated 22,870 post clicks (including 13,719 clicks to view my business page profile), was shared 5,000 times, andreceived 521 comments. These results were achieved entirely organically - no boosting of the post.
The momentum continues on unabated. Here is a screenshot ofFacebook post results approximately 72 hours after posting:
So far, this post has introduced my company to more than 956,000 Canadians and attracted more than 340 new Facebook fans to my Page. I have always focused on growing my Facebook Page organically so had established a small community of 464 fans prior to this new influx.
One of those new fans even reached out immediately to enquire about social media training. The long-term impact of this increased marketing awareness and these new fans is yet to be realized, however, at no cost to myself I managed to achieve what companies would traditionally be spending thousands of dollars to accomplish.
So, how did this happen? Are there lessons from this experience I can share that will help you increase the chances that a social media post for your own business could go viral?
The answer is a resounding yes! Of course, there are absolutely no guarantees, but I have put together a list of 5 important strategies to consider when sharing content that can amplify your opportunities for creating viral marketing success.
5 Critical Strategies for Creating Viral Content:
1. Identify a timely & meaningful “moment”.
Identify a timely & meaningful “moment” or experience that you can share with your tribe. Don’t seek out a random event that holds no personal meaning or you’ll end up attracting people who have no connection to you. You are trying to attract your tribe.
For me, first and foremost, the final Tragically Hip concert held personal significance. I could share my feelings about this moment with absolute authenticity.
2. Include a compelling photo (or video) that tells a unique story.
Ideally you would share your own compelling photo that really captures the moment. The worst thing you can do is visit Google Images and search for a generic image we’ve all seen a thousand times before.
The image I found of Gord Downie had been shared by the Air Canada Centre a week earlier on Twitter and had been taken during a Hip concert in Toronto. I saved a copy of the photo not because I had a plan to repost it, but because it really captivated me. The photo was something I held onto because it meant something to me personally.
3.Create a message that resonates and elicits an emotional response.
Create a message supporting the photo that resonates and elicits an emotional response from people. Let me be clear: you need to actually SAY SOMETHING that people can passionately agree (or disagree) with.
Following The Hip concert there were thousands of social media posts thanking The Hip and thanking Gord Downie. The vast majority of those posts did not go viral. I happened to connect this moment in time with a compelling photo and a compelling message (although not a unique message - in retrospect I realize it is a variation of a well-known Dr. Seuss quote). It was ultimately the combination of the powerful photo and the powerful timely message that resonated.
4. Avoid selling.
This isn’t your opportunity to subtly sell your products or services. Don’t try some awkward tie-in or contest. This is your opportunity to connect on a human level and help people discover that you exist. Once they’ve connected with you, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to communicate from a business perspective.
5. It’s not about business.
The goal of creating a post that has the potential to go viral is to help you connect with your tribe. A tribe, for those unfamiliar with the concept, is a group of people that not only share a potential interest in your products but, more importantly, share a variety of unique characteristics that can be the basis of meaningful conversation and interaction. These shared characteristics must be authentic to you if you have any hope of success.
So what does this mean for your business?
I don't want to suggest that simply by executing on the above 5 strategies you'll be reaching a half million people with every post.
However, if you apply the ideas I've outlined you can certainly expect to more consistently reach a greater number of your fans and improve engagement levels of your page. AND if you find an opportunity to share a unique experience that impacts your tribe then you can be positioned to really connect in meaningful ways, thus creating new and interesting opportunities for your business.
I know for many it will seem odd that I'm even referencing a "non business" related post. But when it comes to social media, success doesn't come from endless yammering on about your products & services. Ultimately, you're building relationships, connecting around commonalities, building trust and familiarity. Marketing through social media is about creating awareness and building opportunities for people to get to know about your business over time (not every single time you post).
Going forward, the journey for me following the success of this viral Facebook post, will be about continuing to tell my story through Facebook while sharing insights and motivation for business owners. Not everyone who chose to like my page over the last 2 days will be the right fit and some may not be interested in the type of content that I share. But if even a handful of these folks recognize that they belong in the Social Media Coach tribe then some potentially great new relationships await.
Geoff Evans is the founder of Social Media Coach and The Animated Advisor
