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Why Do Some Posts Go Viral and Others Don’t? The Facts You Need to Know
Creating viral content is the dream of every marketer, but it’s not a simple task. Despite the allure of overnight success (whoo-hoo!) the reality is that viral content results from a mix of emotional triggers, timing, and strategic storytelling.
Research reveals several key factors that contribute to the success of viral content, offering valuable insights for marketers seeking to craft shareable posts.
Emotional Intensity: Your Key to Engagement
According to recent research, emotional intensity is the driving force behind the viral potential of content. In fact, emotional arousal accounts for about 40% of a piece of content’s shareability.
Content that evokes high-arousal emotions—such as surprise, excitement, awe, or curiosity—tends to generate more interaction, comments, and shares.
Why does this work? People share content that resonates with them on an emotional level. When someone is surprised by a story or excited by a post, they want to share that feeling with others. Content that sparks strong emotions is more likely to be seen as relatable, leading users to share it within their social circles.
For instance, videos featuring unexpected moments, emotional appeals, or jaw-dropping visuals often perform well because they spark an immediate reaction.
Brands can tap into this by designing campaigns or stories that provoke these emotional responses, rather than simply focusing on informational or transactional content.
The Importance of Timing
While creating emotionally charged content is essential, timing also plays a crucial role in determining whether content will go viral. Research shows that content posted during late-night hours or on weekends tends to see higher engagement. Specifically, content published late at night gets 15% more engagement, and posts shared on weekends experience 18% more interaction.
This pattern can be attributed to how people consume content. Late-night hours and weekends are when users are more likely to have free time to engage deeply with content.
During these times, people are not rushing through their feeds; they are more likely to spend time reading, commenting, and sharing.
For marketers, this presents a key opportunity: Timing your posts to align with peak engagement times can give your content a better chance of being seen and shared.
Tools like social media scheduling platforms allow marketers to automate this process, ensuring content goes live at the most effective times for their target audience.
The Role of Influencers and Social Proof
Finally, influencers and social proof can accelerate the virality of content. When influencers share content, it gives the content instant credibility and access to a larger, engaged audience. Social proof—whether through likes, shares, or testimonials—acts as a form of validation, making others more likely to engage with the content themselves.
By collaborating with influencers or encouraging users to share content, brands can amplify the chances of going viral. Social proof also adds to the authenticity of the content, which is a key driver of engagement.
People trust what others find valuable, and if they see that their peers are sharing content, they’re more likely to join in.
Narrative Structure: Crafting Shareable Stories
Another critical element of viral content is the type of story being told. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to capture and hold an audience’s attention, and certain types of narratives are more likely to go viral.
Research shows that content following well-known story archetypes—such as “Triumph Over Adversity” or “Hero’s Journey”—tends to see engagement increases of up to 20-23%. These archetypes tap into universal themes that resonate deeply with audiences, making the content more shareable.
For example, “Triumph Over Adversity” is a popular narrative where an individual or group faces challenges and ultimately succeeds. This type of story encourages people to root for the protagonist, and they are likely to share it as an inspiring or motivational message.
Similarly, “Hero’s Journey” stories, where an individual rises to meet a challenge, also evoke a sense of hope and achievement, which can lead to high engagement.
One reason these types of stories work is that they mirror personal experiences or cultural myths. They create a connection between the audience and the content, drawing them into the narrative.
This connection increases the likelihood that viewers will share the content, particularly when they see it as relevant to their own lives or values.
Conflict-Driven Content
Another storytelling structure that tends to generate high engagement is content based on conflict, such as the classic “Good vs. Evil” storyline.
Conflict-driven stories often evoke a wide range of emotions, from anger to joy, and people are more likely to engage with content that sparks strong reactions.
The emotional pull of conflict-driven narratives is significant. Audiences feel compelled to share these stories as they want to be part of the resolution or debate.
Whether it’s a social issue, a political conflict, or a personal challenge, content that emphasizes clear contrasts between opposing forces invites comments, shares, and further discussions.
Leveraging Trends and Hashtags
Marketers can also boost the viral potential of their content by capitalizing on existing trends or viral hashtags.
Whether it’s a trending topic on X or a viral meme on Instagram, joining the conversation at the right moment can increase the visibility of content.
By strategically inserting content into trending conversations, brands can significantly expand their reach. However, it’s important to ensure the content still feels authentic and relevant to the trend.
Jumping on a trending topic without a clear connection to the brand can feel forced and backfire. The key is to find a natural way to contribute to the conversation, keeping the content both relevant and shareable.
Conclusion: Creating Content That Resonates
In conclusion, creating viral content is about understanding what drives people to engage and share. Emotional intensity, storytelling, timing, and the strategic use of influencers all contribute to a piece of content’s shareability.
Marketers can use these insights to craft content that taps into these emotional and narrative drivers, increasing their chances of virality.
However, going viral should not be the sole focus of content creation.
Brands should aim to create valuable, relatable content, regularly, that aligns with their objectives while fostering genuine connections with their audiences.
By doing so, they can increase both engagement and long-term brand loyalty.
After all, while viral content can boost a brand’s visibility in the short term, sustained engagement is what truly drives success.
