Everyday millions of images, videos and blogs get published on the internet. While some of these are shared by people across the social media, there are many that remain unseen. It is important for online content to be shared by people if it has to go viral. While Facebook and Twitter may be the most preferred mediums to distribute your content, these are not the only platforms to use and have your brand message out.
Ever wondered why some online campaigns become so hugely successful, while others just fade away from consumer memory?
Well, there are certain predictables that distinguish viral from not-so-potentially viral content.
People share content that stokes their emotions
We often tend to share things that stimulate positive emotions, rather than elicit negative feelings like sadness. Nevertheless, you do find content that generate anger, anxiety or frustration, but only if, in the end, it conveys a positive message.
People are likely to share stuff that puts them under the spotlight
A piece of content that makes you look and feel good is most likely to be shared. For instance, in Feb 2013, when LinkedIn happened to send out emails to a few, chosen users, it read: “Congratulations, you have one of the top 5% most-viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012.”
It made the recipients feel really good and they quickly shared the post with their friends. The content made them appear smart in the eyes of their business associates. It helped them brag about themselves. It also benefited LinkedIn by increasing the number of its registered users.
People share content that has practical value
About 94% of the users check out the usefulness of online content before sharing it. That’s the reason why many ‘how to’ articles and DIY videos get shared at a feverish pitch, the moment these are posted on social media. One such blog by Litmus, on the topic- ‘The Latest in Branding and Marketing – Top Trends 2017’ garnered popularity in the online space, ranking high among the top read blog on digital marketing.
As per a study conducted by Ipsos,
– 61% of online users share things that are interesting
– 43% share things that seem funny
– 29% share things that seem unique to them
Here are a few online campaigns that have gone viral:
Fevikwik: ‘Todo Nahi Jodo’
This campaign was launched just a few weeks before the India-Pakistan ICC World Cup 2015 match. It showcased two soldiers, presumably an Indian and a Pakistani at the Wagah border. As they get ready for the ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony, something unexpected happens. The Pakistani soldier has a problem with the sole of his shoes, which the India soldier notices. He immediately pitches in to repair his shoe by putting some Fevikwik on the sole. The ad managed to earn 950,000 views once it got uploaded on YouTube. Fevikwik promoted it by using the hashtag ‘#TodoNahiJodo.’
Coca Cola – Small world machines
Almost all Coca Cola campaigns are successful, but this one was on the “Small World Machines.” This was a mission that the brand adopted to promote happiness among the people of India and Pakistan. Two vending machines were placed at strategic places, where the footfalls are high, in Lahore and Delhi. Each was outfitted with a large touch screen monitor and a webcam. It was all about earning a free coco cola if both parties happened to participate in a few simple activities, such as breaking into identical steps in a gig or making funny hand gestures. About 10,000 cans of soda were given away free during this campaign. The outcome? The “Open Happiness” campaign made many consumers happy.
Mauka Mauka by Star Sports
The Mauka Mauka campaign by Star Sports was first released on YouTube in Feb 2015. It managed to gain more than a million views in the first 12 hours of the launch. A touch of humor gave it a wonderful run on TV.
Nestle Coffee – #ItAllStarts
Nestle adopted a storyline of a standup comedian with a stammer. The storyboard presented the kind of kick that you get from drinking Nescafe Coffee. Once it went viral, Nestle followed it up with other kind of engagements.
WaterisLife
A not-for-profit organization, they chose to create awareness about clean drinking water through humorous memes. It came up with a documentary that featured unedited clips of underprivileged people with captions that were actually from the non-visible, privileged cribbers:
– “I hate it when my phone charge won’t reach my bed.”
– “When I go to the bathroom and I forget my phone.”
– “I hate when my leather seats aren’t heated.”
– “When my mint gum makes my ice water taste cold.”
The last caption read “First World Problems….. aren’t problems” and it went viral with the hashtag #Firstworldproblems.
And before, we sign off, here are a few tips that you can use to make your catch fire, virtually:
– Make your sharing buttons clearly visible. Also ensure you put up the share count
– Make sure your content triggers positive, arousal emotions in your audience
– Include interesting stories to make it entertaining, memorable, engaging and shareable
– With ‘how-to’ content, make sure it addresses the real problems that bog your targets.
– Research your demographics to understand the real issues of your audience.
– Choose from one of the trending topics to inspire debates and discussions among young users
– Throw in a few freebies and incentive such as discount coupons, access to exclusive content or rewards, recognition for your shares etc.