Crafting Shareable Content: 8 Tips For Viral Social Media Campaigns

Dreaming of viral social media content? This article unveils eight powerful tips to craft shareable content that ignites engagement and propels your brand to new heights. Learn how to hook your audience, leverage emotions, and craft CTAs that compel action.

You spend hours crafting the perfect social media post. You hit publish, brimming with anticipation. Then, crickets. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

In today's crowded social media landscape, creating content that gets noticed takes more than just a catchy caption and a pretty picture. You need content that compels people to stop scrolling, engage, and share it with their network.

That's where shareable content comes in. 

It's a piece of content that sparks conversation, ignites emotions, and begs to be passed on. But how do you create one that has that kind of magic? Here are eight tips to help you craft viral-worthy social media campaigns: 

How to Create Shareable Content on Social Media

Get ready to unlock the power of social media with actionable tips and strategies to create viral content that leaves a lasting impression! 

We'll delve into techniques that will help you harness the full potential of platforms like never before. Stay tuned for insights that will elevate your content game and propel your brand to new heights of online success.

Understanding Your Audience First

​Before delving into the development of content that can be easily shared, it's essential to have a deep understanding of your audience. Identifying who they are, their interests and their engagement patterns on social media platforms can offer invaluable insights to influence your content strategy.

The Significance of Generating Shareable Content for Brands

Generating shareable content holds paramount importance for brands due to various reasons:

• Enhances Brand Awareness: Shareable content amplifies brand visibility across social platforms, reaching a wider audience.
• Elevates Engagement: Share-worthy Content encourages interaction and dialogue, fostering more profound engagement with the audience.
• Facilitates Backlink Acquisition: Shareable content increases the likelihood of earning backlinks from other websites, enhancing SEO performance.
• Establishes Authority: Consistently producing valuable and shareable content helps establish the brand as an authoritative voice within its industry or niche.
• Captures Industry Attention: Shareable content often attracts the attention of industry leaders and influencers, leading to potential collaborations and partnerships.

What Factors Are Contributing to the Decline in Content Sharing?

 Promoting content and fostering sharing has become increasingly challenging compared to the past, as highlighted earlier in this post. But what exactly is driving this shift? 

Let's examine a selection of statistics to uncover the underlying reasons:

• According to Adweek, 91% of retail brands utilize at least two social media networks.
• Pew Research indicates a decline in Facebook usage among US teens aged 13 to 17, from 71% in 2015 to 51%.
• According to Pew Research data, only 12% of US adults obtain news through Twitter.
• Pew Research also reveals that 51% of adults express discomfort with Facebook's data management practices for advertising purposes once they understand how these practices function.

While numerous other statistics and research findings delve deeper into this subject, these insights offer several key takeaways:

• Personal connections are more important to individuals than brands or bloggers, as evidenced by Facebook's adjustment of its newsfeed algorithm to prioritize such connections. Additionally, influencer-generated content tends to outperform brand-generated content on platforms like Instagram.
• Social media networks traditionally known for content sharing are experiencing gradual declines in popularity. Despite this, Facebook remains the primary driver of social media traffic.
• Increased competition prevails on social media platforms, where brands and content creators vie for audience attention. This heightened competition and diminishing audience interest present significant challenges for subpar content.

While the landscape may appear daunting, success in creating highly shareable content on the web is achievable. 

Despite the lack of ease and forthcoming assistance, opportunities abound for those willing to innovate and adapt to evolving trends.

Here are eight tips to help you craft viral-worthy social media campaigns:

1. Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience isn't just about demographics like age and location. It's about diving deep into their online behavior. What social media platforms do they frequent? What kind of content do they typically share and engage with? What are their challenges, aspirations, and pain points?

Conduct surveys, polls, and social listening to gather intel. Analyze their online conversations. The more you understand their interests and online habits, the better you can tailor your content to resonate with them on a deeper level. This will make them more likely to stop scrolling, pay attention, and, ultimately, hit that share button.

2.Make a Great First Impression

You only have a few milliseconds to make a good first impression online. In a feed overflowing with content, that first line, image, or question needs to be a punch to the gut (in a good way).

You can start with a surprising statistic: 'Did you know the average person spends X hours a week on social media?' Open with a question that taps into a common pain point: 'Struggling to sleep? You're not alone.' Or use humor: 'What's the funniest office supply you've ever seen? We have answers.'

Consider cliffhangers, too. Tease your audience with a valuable tip you'll reveal later. These tactics spark curiosity and stop the scroll. A strong hook makes your audience remember you long enough to engage with your content. 

3.Incorporate Stunning Visuals

Words are great, but visuals are like rocket fuel for your content. Images and videos break through text overload and capture attention instantly. A well-placed infographic can explain a complex idea in seconds. A funny meme can spark laughter and spread like wildfire.

Powerful visuals not only grab attention. They also make your content more memorable and shareable. People are more likely to remember and share something they can see than just read. So, ditch the text wall and take your social media content to the next level with stunning visuals.

4.Tell a Story

Facts and figures are important, but they rarely stick with us. Stories, on the other hand, linger (for a long time). They spark emotions, create connections, and make information memorable.

Weaving a narrative into your content, whether it's a funny anecdote or a heartwarming tale of overcoming challenges, taps into something deeper. People remember stories, and when they connect with yours, they're more likely to share it with their network. It's the emotional connection that makes stories so powerful.

So, ditch the dry lecture and start telling your story. You might just surprise yourself with how much more engaging (and shareable) your content becomes. 

5.Trigger the Emotions of Your Audience

Don't be afraid to tug at your audience's heartstrings. Humor is king for engagement, so use funny memes, jokes, or lighthearted stories to tickle their funny bone. Sharing a laugh builds connection and makes people want to spread joy.

But remember, laughter isn't the only key. Heartwarming stories about overcoming challenges or acts of kindness can spark empathy and tears (the good kind!). For a different approach, pose thought-provoking questions or share surprising facts that make people stop and ponder. 

6.Keep Your Content Short and Sweet

Every second, people are bombarded with information on social media. This makes the average attention span shorter than ever. If your content is lengthy and complex, people will likely scroll right past it.

So, what should you do? Break down your content into bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest in a short amount of time. Think of it like a snack—something quick and satisfying that leaves them wanting more.

Consider these formats:

• Short videos (ideally under 60 seconds)
• Infographics with clear visuals and concise text
• Carousel posts with multiple images and short captions
• Microblogs with punchy headlines and limited text

With snackable content, you'll increase the chances of people stopping to consume it and, more importantly, sharing it with their network.

7.Leverage Current Events and Trends

Social media moves fast. So, don't get left behind! Jump on trending topics and hashtags to boost your reach. Is there a viral dance craze? Create a funny video featuring your team doing their best moves. Did a major news story spark conversation? Offer a unique perspective or analysis.

Remember, the key is to be relevant, not repetitive. Don't just copy what everyone else is doing. Instead, put your own spin on it and tie it back to your brand in a natural way.

This strategy allows you to tap into existing interests and conversations, putting your content in front of a wider audience. It's like surfing—you're catching a wave that's already in motion, propelling you forward with minimal effort.

8.Add a Clear Call to Action

So, you've crafted amazing content that captured attention, sparked emotions, and left your audience wanting more. But don't let that momentum fizzle out! Tell them what to do next. A clear call to action (CTA) is the bridge between engagement and action.

Want more website traffic? Direct viewers to a specific landing page with a compelling 'Learn More' button. Promoting a new product? End your video with a strong 'Shop Now' CTA. Running a contest? Instruct viewers to like, comment, and tag a friend to enter.

Keep your CTAs concise and action-oriented. Use strong verbs like 'download,' 'subscribe,' or 'join.' Make it easy for people to take the next step by providing clear instructions and clickable links.

Examples of Brands with Shareable Content

 Numerous brands have effectively crafted shareable content by employing the strategies above. Let's delve into a few notable examples:

• Buzzfeed: Renowned for its captivating listicles and engaging quizzes, Buzzfeed intertwines entertainment with valuable information. Leveraging vibrant visuals and witty humor, it ensures its content is highly shareable across various platforms.
• Dollar Shave Club: Through humor and compelling storytelling, Dollar Shave Club has produced viral content that resonates with audiences. Their memorable video campaigns have garnered millions of views and contributed to a significant increase in subscribers.
• Red Bull: Red Bull's content strategy revolves around showcasing extreme sports and adrenaline-fueled activities, catering directly to its audience's interests. Utilizing video content and social media platforms cultivates a sense of community and inspires followers to share their exhilarating experiences.

These brands have successfully crafted content that seamlessly combines entertainment and education. Incorporating humor, storytelling, and captivating visuals enhances their content's shareability and engagement. Moreover, they remain attuned to industry trends and current events, ensuring their content remains timely and relevant to their audience's interests. 

This proactive approach has contributed to their sustained success in shareable content creation.

Wrapping up

 Craft content that compels, entertains, or educates. Light a fire under your audience with emotional storytelling and visuals. Don't just present; make them react. Spark conversations, encourage shares, and watch your brand reach new heights. Ready to ignite your social media presence? Get started today!