Viral content happens on a daily basis nowadays, especially when more and more Malaysians today rely on social media as their main source of news. How can you capitalize on that?
Coming from me, based on my experience as a writer with WORLD OF BUZZ, anything that captures the attention of audiences should always be deemed a topic that is newsworthy.
From stories of Ustazah’s crawling in her own classroom, bullying in schools, Kampung folk capturing thieves and stories of teenage angst, most viral stories today are making headlines all over social media, especially for pages that rely on crowd sharing content to fill their sites.
WRITE GOOD CONTENT
A problem with most sites that peddle viral stories, they fail the golden rule of writing – getting your sources right!
Like any good story, the contents of the article needs back end information not only to serve the purpose of credibility but also gives much-needed context for readers/audiences to get the full grasp of the story.
Make sure it communicates the five W’s, because it is a fact that readers will quickly abandon stories with weak content and writing. Explain what happened, explain what something means, explain how to do something or surprise the reader.
POSITIVE IS BETTER THAN NEGATIVE
Stories that evoke emotions are popular – that is why sad stories about single parents struggling to feed their children, stories of wives being left behind by their wayward husbands, stories of parents missing their children or cats punished by inhumane devils tend to become viral!
Remember, when people share your story, they are not just sharing THAT story, but are also sharing their emotions. Research has also shown that positivity is much more acceptable and shareable than negative stories.
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SWEET (KISS)
Be straight to the point. Do not beat around the bush, you are not writing a novel. Get to the point quickly and keep readers interested.
How sweet should your story be: between 500 to 1,000 words.
WRITE IRRESISTIBLE HEADLINES
NEVER EVER WRITE clickbait headlines. Write a headline that best represents your story, not speculate and not covering the story you MAY lie about in your title.
Headlines serve as gateways to your article. Spruce it up but don’t sacrifice credibility by writing titles that tell nothing about your content.
BE VISUAL
No story is complete without visuals. Where would you place such a compelling visual? Right alongside your headline.
Your gateway is not enough with you being a wordsmith but rather also relies on your skill of pairing it with a good picture as well.
Remember, one image in a Facebook or Twitter post leads to an average of twice as many shares compared to a post without images.
IT IS A NUMBERS GAME
The more you post, the more chance there is for you to go viral. NEVER trust your number of followers, most often than not, your followers are either no longer interested in what you peddle or is dead – especially when you do not keep up with the times, or post consistently.
Virality is a routine. Post up to 10/15 times a day. Though not all will go viral, you are actually increasing the chance on at least one taking off.
PLAY NICE WITH OTHERS
A pet peeve among social media practitioners especially in MALAYSIA is the action of consistently ‘stealing’ content from one another without due recognition.
Remember, show gratitude, CC and link them in your write up.
PAY ATTENTION TO STATISTICS
Understanding statistics can help tell you what works and what doesn’t. Tweak your stories to emulating which of your content have worked in your favour. Only then will you know what works best for you.
FIND THE BEST TIME
Find out when will your audience be reading your content. On their way to work? During morning tea? When they come home?
The best timing will let you know when to consistently post your stories for maximum readership.
CREATE TAKEAWAYS
What will audiences get from your stories? Helpful tips? Practical outcomes they can adopt?
Guiding your readers to understand that there is a lot they can take away from reading your article, chances of people revisiting your article will be greater!
Ready to become the next viral master? Start blogging today and reap the rewards.
