Every social marketer, creator and influencer dreams of creating posts that will go viral on social media. However, going viral on social media is usually easier said than done. It takes effort, time and the willingness to experiment. With the constantly growing competition for audiences on social platforms, going viral is not something that occurs overnight. Nonetheless, it is achievable and the right viral content can help brands to boost their reach and engagements on social media.
Strategic viral marketing can significantly enhance brand awareness, build loyalty and increase engagement. The following article defines what it means to go viral on social media, its unique benefits and, essential strategies for success.
The Meaning of Going Viral on Social Media
The definition of going viral on social media has changed over the years. In the early days of social media, viral content was usually a random or goofy video on YouTube. Today, to go viral means creating content that quickly spreads across the internet. That could happen via a particular social media platform or various platforms. Nonetheless, viral content is highly relatable and could be something mythical, taboo, fun or just outright weird.
When you go viral on social media, it means you have created content that many people easily connects with and spreads around. It may not be something very unique. However, it has to be quite compelling that most people feel the urge to share it with their friends, followers and fans. Viral content could be informative, entertaining, inspiring, provocative or even too annoying that people have to stop and look.
There is no strict definition on the number of views, comments, likes or shares that your content must garner to go viral. However, most social media users and platforms consider going viral as attaining more than 5 million views on a video within one week. Others also have different opinions on what it means to go viral on social media. Nevertheless, it is all about creating highly engaging content that attracts the highest number of interactions in the shortest time.
Going viral is when a content spreads rapidly on social media platforms. The content is shared by thousands or even millions of users in a very short period. Viral social media content can take various formats including videos, images/ photos, audio, memes or text.
Strategies to Go Viral On Social Media Platforms
Trending platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube offer incredible opportunities for going viral on social. However, there are no quick hacks and straightforward rules on how to go viral on social media. It requires an equal amount of skill, creativity and sometimes, even luck. The following best practices can help you to up your game and unleash the viral magic on social media in 2025 and beyond.
- Define Your Target Audience
The first step towards going viral is understanding the specific people that you are trying to reach with your content. A target audience refers to the group of people who are highly interested in your brand or products. They often share common interests, behaviors and hobbies. Monitor the people who follow your brand, the ways they interact with you and why they follow you. You should also keep an eye on the external factors that impact them.
A good example can be drawn from the COVID lockdown. The Shedd Aquarium knew their audience was grappling with anxiety and uncertainty. They shared a video of a penguin called Wellington exploring the aquarium and meeting other animals at Shedd. The goal was to bring happiness to people’s feeds.
The post was quick to go viral on social media, attracting 3.7 million views on X alone and kick starting a viral ‘’Penguin Tour’’ campaign.
Contrary to what some may expect, the post was not about selling any product or promoting special deals. Instead, its unique edge was about sharing joy and adorable penguins.
- Make an Emotional Connection
You should build an emotional connection with your followers and fans to create an engaged community around your brand. Whether you make them laugh till they shed tears or pull their heartstrings, you need to evoke emotions to make your content go viral. However, you should focus on evoking the emotions that you want the audience to associate with your brand.
Use your content to make them feel that you understand them and they can trust you. The 2025 Sprout Social Index point to authenticity and relatability as the key elements that consumers want to see from their favorite brands.
Building an emotional connection will enable you to compel people to take action. Those actions will not only attract rapid and massive interactions with your content but, also huge followers on social media. They could also extend to increased traffic to your shopping stores and making a positive impact in the world.
A great example of how to build an emotional connection is Starbucks UK’s award-winning #WhatsYourName campaign. It tells an emotional story that many transgender people are all too familiar with. The video displays a customer’s name on a cup to symbolize acceptance and recognition. That reinforces the notion that all are welcome at Starbucks UK.
Crafting content with an emotional connection to your audience may not be the easiest thing for many social creators and marketers. A quick rule of thumb is to lean towards shared values. Focus on evoking emotions of joy, interest, trust or even surprise to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
- Focus on a Specific Niche
It can be a bit hectic to go viral on social media when you are constantly jumping from one place or topic to another. It can be more difficult to make an impact and nail things down when your content is too random and general. Focusing on a specific niche allows you to direct all your efforts towards a particular goal, significantly boosting your chances of going viral on social media.
When you focus on a given niche, you can generate more value to your audience and position yourself as a go-to resource. That could make it easier to create engaging content that will quickly get your audience hooked up. Having a clear focus means you know exactly the topics to cover, the type of content to create and how to appeal to your audience’s needs and preferences.
- Jump onto Popular Trends
Leveraging popular trends such as trending hashtags on X and YouTube or TikTok sounds can also enable you to go viral on social media seamlessly. Trends can significantly amplify your reach, allowing your content to get noticed by several users outside of your community. Whether you are on X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or other social platforms, the ‘’Trending’’ sections are very useful.
Checking the ‘’Trending’’ sections on your social platforms frequently enables you to stay on top of what’s hot and deliver your take before most people do. The trends usually highlight quality content and opinions that you can easily tap into to go viral. However, you should not just hop onto any trend on social media since users can easily detect if you are clout chasing and even avoid your content.
Watching the trends is not just about having your eyes and ears open for news-worthy content. Instead, it requires you to be on the lookout for content trends, popular sounds, new memes and the things that most social media users care about at present. Then, you should identify the popular trends and integrate them into your content before many people do.
The 2014 #IceBucketChallenge remains one of the most successful viral campaigns of all time on social media, with a massive traction on Facebook, Instagram and X. While it was initially meant to spread awareness for ALS and raise funds for a new ALS treatment, it grew into a phenomenon that made headlines globally.
- Use Keywords in the Captions, Descriptions and Hashtags
Social media platforms and search engines use keywords to figure out the kind of content that viewers want to interact with. You can use a keyword explorer or browse manually to get the feel. Remember captions have very little to do with search engines but, scrolling. Use the relevant keywords in your captions to give the audience an instant snapshot of your offerings.
Incorporating trending and community hashtags in your content can significantly boost its reach. That could also increase your chances of going viral on social media. So, take time to research hashtags and be very specific with them. Using too many hashtags will not do your content any justice. Instead, it would only make your content to get lost in the noise.
The title and description of your content should also bear the keywords. However, you must remember to be modest and avoid getting spammy. You do not have to try so hard to squeeze unconnected words into the description. Instead, use relatable keywords that align with your content and interest your audience.
- Emphasize Quality over Quantity
Some social marketers often think that posting their content several times a day is the best way to go viral on social media. The truth is, deploying too many posts will only overwhelm your audience, fatigue your team and hurt engagement rates. Besides, audiences are usually very quick to spot creators who are thirsty for attention and, they will ignore your content.
It is not very clear how often you should post to go viral on social media. However, the following schedules can help you to boost your reach and authority, without trying too hard.
- Facebook: 4 – 5 times per day
- Instagram: 1 – 2 times per day
- TikTok: 1 – 4 times per day
- Twitter/ X: 3 – 4 times per day
- LinkedIn: No more than once per day
- Pinterest: No more than once per day
Quality also means that your content should be authentic and original. Those two attributes are important because they give your brand a unique identity and allow your content to stand out from the crowd.
For example, UGG shared just two videos per day in their TikTok account in the viral campaign, #UGGSeason. The videos feature models, actresses and creators wearing their famous boots. The brand has recently transformed its image, with the boots becoming an essential high-end fashion item. Posting just a few videos per day allows them to maintain a sense of mystery that keeps the audience wanting for more.
The campaign has so far attracted more than 64 million TikTok views, proof that quality outshines quantity.
Going Viral on Social Media in 2025 and Beyond
Going viral on social media is not a linear process, with specific steps and timelines for success. It is a milestone that requires constant content optimization, creativity and inspiration from brands that have shot to social media stardom. At Superior Social Boost, we help creators and brands to increase their reach and engagements on social media organically. Get in touch with us today for customized solutions on how to boost your presence and go viral on social media.