Viral content is a type of content that users share quickly and with a massive scale.
Viral content differs from original, quality and interesting content in that it reaches an extremely large target audience.
Some examples of this type of content include Boo, an adorable, but very small puppy and the protein shake videos by Harlem.
The shake videos are tutorials that users share repeatedly, while Boo’s Facebook page has many followers.
The popularity of this type of content brings its authors success, popularity and can be a money maker if the interest is leveraged.
Viral content can help to bring traffic to a website, increase brand awareness and ultimately increase the number of clients.
While you might not create content that will bring millions of viewers to your site, viral content should be part of diversifying your content that will help drive traffic.
If you build quality content, it can work to drive traffic to your site for many years, but whether it becomes viral is dependent on your own curiosity, ideas, and effort.
Consider the following points when coming up with potential viral content:
1. Emotion
Viral content always has an emotional appeal.
If content does not trigger the emotions of the reader, it will not become viral.
Originality or usefulness of the information is less important than the fact that it causes laughter, contemplation or deep thoughts.
Similarly, advertising professionals recognize that the component of emotion is essential for advertising campaigns that work.
If you want content that users will share, choose something that triggers the emotions.
2. Avoid the revolutionary or outstanding
Take time to research other websites within your own market.
If you create something similar to the most popular website in your niche, you improve your chances of success.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel and repeating another’s success is doable.
3. Channel animal cuteness
We’ve all seen the pheonomeon of viral cat videos, memes, etc.
Cat’s seem to be the unoffical mascot of the internet.
One reason people often share animal content is because it provokes a strong emotional response.
If there is a way to channel this cuteness and relate it to your message it can be very powerful.
4. Headline
A great headline is the tripwire to grab people’s attention and draw them in.
Neil Patel reminds writers their headline has to be unique, useful, urgent, ultra-specific.
It’s difficult to do all four but can at least include one or two then you’re more likely to have a headline that will compel your prospective customers to continue reading.
5. Aesthetics
Look at how you are presenting content.
If you use text, choose an aesthetic font.
Apply the same principle to your images and designs.
6. Capture the moment
Produce content that someone will actually look at and read.
Monitor what you include on the site and make sure the content is accurate and resourceful.
7. Search engine optimization
Never forget the importance of content marketing, which allows your customers to learn about the great content you produce and share it.
Even though you do not produce viral quality content, good material helps to boost your SEO.
8. Mobile devices
Make sure the content you produce works on cellular devices.
Cell phones account for over half of the traffic that makes its way to your site today.
9. Lots of laughing – LOL
If your content is amusing people share it cheerfully.
Funny content unites people and increases the size of your target audience.
10. Do not be afraid to experiment
You never know what will attract people unless you try.
Vary the content, while remembering emotions, headlines and SEO.


Awesome… for beginner like me, this blog really helps!
Thanks for these tips! I’ve always felt that emotions played a huge role in content – and it’s true! By tapping into our basic instincts, dreams, and fears, we can make something that’s not just useful, but would also resonate well with audiences.
I always find virality a quite difficult topic to define. Whenever I studied viral content and tried to identify what all the different parts have in common, I could always break it down to the core of the human psyche. Content that goes viral always touches us emotionally very deeply.