How many times have you put your content out and you witnessed it receive only a handful of comments and shares?
When this happens a bit too often, it can be disheartening.
The fact is that getting your content to go viral actually takes much more than sharing your new post on your social channels and asking your friends to promote it for you.
Here are 7 techniques to help your content get as widespread as possible.
1. Outreach to Engagers and Influencers In Your Network
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Influencers are the big names in your niche who belong to your network of followers, so they either follow you or you have a follower in common.
Engagers are those people in your network who engage with you often and they have quite a good following themselves.
When you email engagers and influencers, make sure to stress the benefits for them: will this content piece help them improve what they already do? Could be of interest to their followers? Does the piece build upon something they have written and added interesting points? Can you get them Instagram verified?
Be a helpful friend, not a bother or a spammer. You may want to follow Carol Tice’s advice on blogger outreach to avoid mistakes.
2. Turn Social Tools Into Your Best Friends
Doyan Wilfred from HowToGetMoreSalesOnline.com uses a combination of social tools to make sure her content gets in front of as many eyes as possible:
Doyan Wilfred
I have Jetpack’s publicize activated, so that as soon a post goes live its shared to all my connected social media channels.
I use Revive Old Post plugin to update blog posts to social media channels.
I also use Buffer and Hootsuite to schedule posts.
In addition I listen for any mentions and respond to them. I try to thank those who share my posts such as Seven Saints Jewelry.
PS: I have seen that it pays to comment or reply rather than use the like/favorite feature. I know its time consuming but in the long run it pays more dividends compared to a mere like or favorite.
3. Add a Freebie to Your Content
Be it a checklist, a niche guide or an infographics you made out of the most important points from your post, freebies and a clear CTA make it easy for content to get more love and shares.
You can also offer content upgrades to attract list subscribers and create a community around your content.
If you use WordPress, there’s a plugin that helps you do that.
4. Reach Out to Your Community of Friends and Followers
You can always email or message your friends and follower and invite them to help you by sharing your content with their friends and network, and offer to do the same for them.
They know you and, unlike influencers and other engagers, will be more keen to help you without second thoughts. However, still try to reciprocate.
A tip: ask your friends to personalize their share message, for example by highlighting what they like about your content and why. Their network needs a reason to check out your content in addition to you being their favorite person’s friend.
5. Engage in Conversations and Syndicate Your Content
Join communities where you can share your content, put it up for discussion and get insight from other experts in your field.
Kingged.com, for example, is an Internet Marketing community devoted to sharing, syndicating and discussing of content written by its members. When you become a member, you share and discuss others’ content as well as syndicate yours and get it commented, followed and shared.
Brandon and I (Luana) are also on Kingged, if you want to check us out!
Inbound.org is a community of marketers who discuss marketing practices and trends. Create a new thread around something you discussed in your blog post or other content (guide, ebook, infographics, etc.) and get insight from other members. Inbound.org threads get shared quite often on social media, especially Twitter, so your content has better chances to get in front of thousands of eyes and (hopefully) meet the tastes of an influencer.
GrowthHackers.com is also marketing-focused and members are on the constant lookout for quality content to follow and discuss. Make sure you read the guidelines first, though.
Kingged, Inbound and Growth Hackers are marketing communities, but you can join any serious, spam-free communities in your niche that will give you the opportunity to share your content to a large, active membership.
Of course, make sure you do the same for others!
6. Amplify Your Social Efforts
David Leonhardt, President of THGM Writing Services, suggests you use Triberr and ViralContentBuzz:
David Leonhardt
I use amplifiers of all kinds. I have a lot of social media followers, but my followers alone will never take something viral. By using Triberr and ViralContentBuzz, and by tapping into private mastermind groups, I can give my content a lot more reach, and every now and then – Wheeeeee! – it takes off on StumbleUpon or LinkedIn or Twitter.
Christopher Jan Benitez, on the other hand, highlights the importance of making sure your content sparks interest on social media:
Christopher Jan Benitez
For your content to go viral, I suggest looking up into Upworthy’s and Buzzfeed’s strategy on using compelling post title and description on social media to increase shares. It’s all about creating interest from your audience and delivering on that interest with actionable and useful content in order for your post to be shared online.
7. And 7 Rules to Virality
“To make your content viral,” says Irina Weber of SERanking.com, “you should create a piece of quality masterpiece.”
For your 7th Way, here are her 7 rules (pun intended) to ensure your content goes viral quickly:
Irina Weber
- People love lists, how-to posts.
- Create attractive headlines.
- Use more visual aspects like images, videos, infographics.
- Check your grammar.
- A touch of humor will be top notch.
- Get shared in social networks.
- Let people comment.
Are There More Virality Tips Out There?
Of course there are! Check the links below:
- 7 Ways to Make Your Content Go Viral: Insights from BuzzSumo at Digital Marketing Institute
- 9 ‘Cheats’ to Make Your Content Go Viral at Entrepreneur.com
- 5 Smart Strategies to Make Your Content Go Viral at JeffBullas.com
What is YOUR number one tip to help your content go viral?
About Luana Spinetti
