What it's really like to go viral on social media

The Reality of Going Viral
The Misconception of Going Viral
The Goal Shouldn't Be Going Viral
Understanding the Consequences of Going Viral
FAQ

The Reality of Going Viral

So, I have a couple of viral posts, right? I've got a TikTok that was actually my most recent TikTok, sitting at about 2.4 million views. I have a couple of YouTube videos that have done pretty well. I think the most I've probably got is around the 300,000 mark. So, whether or not you think that's viral or not, regardless, I think it's safe to say that there has been some form of virality when it comes to those pieces of content.

The Misconception of Going Viral

I've also worked with a ton of creators who have experienced a viral reel or viral video and have then been left to pick up the pieces after that piece of content. So, I wanted to film this video because there's a real reality of going viral that I don't think many people talk about. So, I want to talk about it today. If you like this type of content, then don't forget to hit the Subscribe button. I upload content like this every single week and also check out my descriptions because I've got loads of freebies that I'm sure you guys would love. Let's get straight to it.

The Goal Shouldn't Be Going Viral

So, first thing I want to say is that the goal should not be to go viral, and by the end of this video, you'll really get why. But like, the goal when you're creating content shouldn't be like, 'This post needs to blow up.' That shouldn't be the mindset that we have when we're creating content. There isn't any true formula to viral content. There is a formula to creating good content, which is well-positioned to perform well, but there's no step-by-step process you can follow that's going to guarantee that your content is going to blow up. So, for that reason, if you create content with the intention of it going viral, you're going to be disappointed quite a lot because most of the time, that's not what's going to happen, right? So instead of adopting that mindset, what I want you to do or what I encourage you to do is to think about your content as just being better than your previous post. So, if we do that and we do these micro-improvements of our content with every single post, we will get to the stage where we're sharing content that is performing really well and maybe going viral. But that's not the aim. Our aim is to perform content that is well received by our audience, and the more we do that, the more we grow. And a lot of the time, people don't even need to go viral in order to grow. You can just grow at your own kind of steady pace. So, that's the first thing that I wanted to get out of the way.

Understanding the Consequences of Going Viral

So, now that that's done, let's move on and really dive deep into what may or may not happen as a result of you going viral on any social media platform. This is applicable to any platform. So, a lot of people want to go viral because they think that if they go viral, they will grow very quickly. They'll like blow up and grow super, super quick, right? So, it just seems like a bit of an easier route instead of doing all this content that you're improving with every single post. You just do this one great piece of content, blow up, and then the job's done. And I know that sounds lovely, and that does happen to some people. However, just because you go...

FAQ

Q: What is the reality of going viral?
A: The reality of going viral includes experiencing a surge in views and engagement on a piece of content, such as a TikTok or YouTube video.
Q: What is the misconception of going viral?
A: The misconception of going viral is that it leads to instant and sustained success, when in reality, it can come with challenges and unexpected outcomes.
Q: Should the goal be to go viral?
A: The goal should not be to go viral, but rather to create high-quality content that resonates with the audience and continues to improve over time.
Q: What are the consequences of going viral?
A: The consequences of going viral can vary, from rapid growth and increased visibility to potential challenges in managing the aftermath of viral content.