Going Viral on Social Media FAQ

You've probably heard the term "go viral" on the internet if you've been an avid user of social media. Some news channels might even report on people that have "gone viral." What exactly does this mean? How many views does it take to go viral?

Going viral can mean having your persona or even a video become well-known, almost overnight. This applies to your specific geographic location, but most commonly refers to gaining attention worldwide through your social media. Going viral has lots of benefits, including making you famous or bringing attention to an important issue.

How to Go Viral on Instagram

If you're on Instagram, the best way to go viral is to post something on Instagram that is accessible to the public. You won't be able to go viral if the account you're posting from is on your private page unless one of your followers takes your post and puts it somewhere on social media where it is visible to the public.

You might also be able to use a burner account if you don't want your account to be associated with the viral image, video, rant, etc. However, it's best to have a base of viewers to start becoming viral. If you have 100 followers, then it's better to post a video so these 100 followers can view it rather than have no followers using a burner account.

Use hashtags that are trending. For instance, if a movement to bring back the Lakers are trending, this might be a good hashtag to use (#bringbackthelakers, #lakersforever, and so on). Make sure to continue to spread your video around and ask others to share your video. If you're wondering how many likes to go viral on Instagram, it's usually over 100,000 likes.

How to Go Viral on TikTok

TikTok is a bit different than other social media platforms in the way it shares its content. Its algorithm shares videos that it believes will be of specific interest to different users. The "For you Page" on TikTok might not be the same for some users as it is for others. To go viral on TikTok, the best thing to do is to create a video that people will watch for longer periods.

TikTok's algorithm shares videos that are watched for more than a couple of seconds. If your video is watched for 10 seconds, or even 20 seconds, chances are it will be shared more than a video that's only seen for 3 seconds.

To create a viral video on TikTok, keep this in mind and use the following tips:

• Use a strong hook. Nothing is worse than watching a video and not knowing what comes next. People will scroll through your video faster.
• Use text such as "Watch to the end," or "Shocking ending!" These texts are known as clickbait titles, but they do the job of helping your audience stay on a video so it goes viral.
• Partner with other creators. If other creators point their audience to your TikTok page, you'll be able to reap the benefits of users that are already dedicated to TikTok and will follow the advice of their favorite creators.
• Use catchy music and voiceovers. These make it easy for people to already predict what will happen in a video, such as the famous "Oh no," music. This helps them stick around until the end of your video and helps it go viral.

How to Go Viral on Twitter

Twitter videos and posts go viral based on the number of retweets a post has. For instance, if you post a video and 50,000 people retweet it then it is considered viral and can spread like wildfire on the internet.

While it's difficult to determine which post will be retweeted, some tips include:

• Use the @ feature to tag famous accounts on your post. For instance, if you have a question about Nascar racing, you can @Nascar on your post.
• Create content that is relatable and that people will be more likely to retweet.
• Keep it PG. Chances are most users won't want to retweet something full of curse words.
• Interact with comments or encourage people to comment on your post. The more comments your post has, the more other users on Twitter will see your post.

How to Go Viral on YouTube - How to Make a Video Go Viral

If you want to go viral on YouTube, the best way to do so is by creating content that plays into the shortened attention spans people have today. This might sound mean, but it's true! Consider the virility of Instagram shorts and YouTube shorts. The best way to go viral on YouTube is to create a short video that goes straight to the point, has a catchy hook, and is relevant and relatable to audiences.