Going Viral: 7 Great Tips for Viral Marketing

If you own a business you may be wondering if it is worth the effort to go viral, and, if so, how to do actually do this. Here are 7 Tips to get you started.

1. Going viral means your content is being shared across many platforms. For this to happen, you need make sure your pages have the appropriate sharing buttons on them. This one step will go a long way in helping your company go “viral”. Some studies have shown that sharing buttons can increase CTR by as much as 120 percent or more over email campaigns. Best of all, they easy to embed and use.

2. If your content contains facts, figures, prices, etc make sure you set up a Twitter account and “Tweet” your pertinent posts. This is an excellent way for you to get a lot of exposure with doing very little work as others will pass your message along for you.

3. Use images to promote your content via social media. A good image can catch the eye and that is what you want in today’s busy world. Include images with your Tweets and media updates. Studies have shown that adding a great image to LinkedIn updates can generate nearly 95 percent more comments; Tweets with images are re-tweeted nearly 94 percent more; and Facebook has similar results.

4. Consider and plan your message length according to the channel’s rules. Each channel has its own max length for messages, so you need to be versatile. Avoid being too wordy and avoid being too stingy.

5. Use the right tone of voice for each channel. For instance, posts that are placed on LinkedIn should be more professional and corporate in tone, whereas posts on Twitter can be more relaxed. The only way to know which tone is right for each channel is to read some and see what others are doing.

6. Engage your readers. This means to have conversations instead of trying to sell, sell, sell. Use the 80-20 principle: 80 percent of your post is engaging with your readers; 20 percent is marketing and promotion. Not only does this instill confidence with your readers, but it also makes it easier for them to pass your message along to others.

7. Create great headlines! No one wants to be bored. Spend some time creating the best headlines for your posts, including humor when possible. Be different and stand out from the crowd. You can also target your reader audience by adding a keyword to the headline. For instance, if you are trying to reach accountants, create a great headline that includes that word.

So, to get your content viral, know what your readers are looking for and want, deliver it to them through great headlines and messages that are length specific for the channel you are using, and add images and sharing buttons. Put these tips to work and you will be viral before you know it.