A viral post on Facebook is a post that spreads quickly and gets a lot of engagement from users. Virality occurs when users start sharing, commenting on, and reacting to a post in large numbers, causing it to be seen by more people organically. There are several factors that can make a Facebook post go viral.
Having Shareable Content
The content of the post itself plays a big role in its viral potential. Posts with content that invokes strong emotions, humor, inspiration or information people find useful or interesting are more likely to be shared. Some types of easily shareable content include:
- Entertaining or funny videos, memes, or gifs
- Interesting insights or facts not many people know
- Inspirational stories
- Controversial or provocative ideas
- Cute animal photos or videos
- DIY tips or life hacks
- Quizzes, polls and surveys
Posts that elicit an emotional reaction from users or satisfy their curiosity tend to get high engagement. People also love sharing practical tips and advice from experts that makes their lives easier or improves them in some way. Amusing, uplifting or informative content gives people a reason to share.
Using Attention-Grabbing Visuals
Posts with eye-catching visuals like photos and videos tend to attract more attention and shares. High-quality, funny or cute images and videos that immediately capture attention can increase viral potential. Even simple posts can go viral if the visual is unique or striking enough to stand out in people’s feeds. Other effective visuals include:
- Photos of cute babies or animals
- Infographics summarizing data
- Impressive photography or landscape images
- Memes using trending templates
Posts with multiple images or a strong lead photo also tend to perform better than text-only posts. Images allow ideas and emotions to be conveyed more vividly. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is very applicable to viral posts.
Using Powerful Headlines
The headline or title of a post impacts how many people will click on it. Strong headlines that create intrigue and urgency get more attention. Some headline formulas that work well include:
- Asking a question – e.g. “What’s the One Weight Loss Tip That Actually Works?”
- Calling out numbers – e.g. “Tom Brady Only Eats This 3 Times Per Day to Stay in Shape”
- Using superlatives – e.g. “The Cutest Puppies You’ll See All Day”
- Naming extremes – e.g. “World’s Biggest Flying Animal Caught on Camera”
Headlines that promise to reveal interesting information get people curious to check out the post. Numbers and superlatives that exaggerate capture attention by making impressive claims. Asking questions also engages readers by getting them thinking.
Leveraging Facebook Features
Taking advantage of built-in Facebook features can also help posts gain traction. For example:
- Using hashtags in the post or as a caption to tap into specific communities.
- Tagging relevant Facebook pages in the post to reach their audiences.
- Sharing in Facebook Groups related to the post topic.
- Going live to engage viewers in real time.
- Using the Check-In feature when sharing location-based updates.
Strategically using features like Groups and tags extends the reach of a post to more potential sharers. Tapping into existing communities and loyal audiences gives a visibility boost.
Posting at Optimal Times
When a post is shared can impact its viral potential too. Considering your audience demographics and when they are most active on Facebook can improve performance. Some tips include:
- Early morning – Prime engagement time as people check Facebook with their morning coffee.
- Early afternoon – Posts can gain traction when people take a post-lunch social media break.
- Evenings – After work and dinner is done, engagement picks up again.
- Weekends – Saturdays and Sundays typically see high Facebook usage and more viral content.
Analyzing when your audience is online and curating content for them during those windows helps increase the odds of going viral.
Encouraging Engagement
The more people interact with a post, the more it gets exposure in feeds. Tactics to spark engagement include:
- Asking questions to get comments rolling in.
- Running a contest or giveaway to increase likes, shares and follows.
- Requesting taggable friends to spread visibility.
- Using CTAs to have people react or share instantly.
Prompting interactions through questions, calls-to-action, and incentives gives the post activity signals to generate more organic reach. A popular post that already has momentum is likely to spread further.
Leveraging Influencers
Getting influencers with large followings to share the post expands the potential audience exponentially. Some tips for influencer marketing success include:
- Identifying influencers who are a natural fit with your industry or content.
- Offering influencers exclusive content or deals to share.
- Co-creating content with influencers that leverages their followers.
- Encouraging user-generated content featuring your brand for influencers to reshare.
The built-in audiences of relevant influencers provide a viral springboard to gain more impressions. Even nano and micro-influencers with smaller, targeted networks can drive strong results.
Promoting Outside Facebook
Driving traffic to the Facebook post from other channels gets more initial momentum. Some cross-promotion tactics include:
- Sharing a link on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
- Embedding posts on a company website or blog.
- Promoting in email newsletters.
- Running Facebook ads to the post.
Bringing external traffic sources to the post gives it an initial boost to help trigger the Facebook algorithm. More seed exposure makes it easier for the viral effects to take hold.
Conclusion
Creating viral Facebook posts takes strategy but can yield huge results. Focusing on shareable content, powerful headlines, engaging visuals and optimal posting times sets posts up for success. Sparking user engagement, leveraging influencers and promoting posts across channels helps them gain momentum to reach viral status. With proper planning and execution, any brand can create content that catches fire on Facebook.