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A LESSON FROM THE OSCARS
goes viral
about creating content
that
The ‘selfie’ taken by Ellen DeGeneres at this year’s Oscars was unique and valued content as it showed a fun and cheeky side to the high profile actors at the formal event. CATRIONA POLLARD helps you to discover the content gems hidden in your business that have the potential to go viral.
Ellen DeGeneres has managed to break Twitter records after taking a ‘selfie’ with Hollywood’s hottest celebrities at the Oscars. The photo smashed the record for the most retweeted image of all time in less than an hour. The ultimate goal of every marketer is to create an idea that ‘goes viral’ and becomes instantly recognisable online. Going viral refers to when your content achieves extraordinary reach through being shared, liked, retweeted, republished and commented on, thus earning you a vast amount of views. It is a powerful outcome for your content and your brand’s reputation. Users don’t share just anything they find online. They need to see your content as valuable, feel that others will benefit from seeing it and be compelled to share it or engage with it. You need to ensure that your content offers something of value to the user, whether it is a great video, expert advice, valuable insight or a humorous image.
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Here are some tips to help get your content to go viral:
UNDERSTAND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE The key to having a successful viral campaign lies in really understanding your target demographic. The success of Ellen DeGeneres’ tweet relied on tapping into her audience’s interest in the top celebrities being honoured at this year’s Oscars. Tap into your audience and find out what their interests are, what kind of content they usually share and the social media networks they access. Tailor your content to ensure it is relevant to your target audience.
CREATE UNIQUE AND INTERESTING CONTENT Your content needs to be unique, interesting and relate to your audience in order for it to create a buzz. The Oscars ‘selfie’ was unique as it showed a fun and cheeky side to the high profile actors attending the Oscars.
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Don’t be afraid to add personality to your content and make sure it is never dry or lifeless. Make your brand feel like a friend to your followers.
The top reasons users often share content is to be: n
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Dramatic
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Cute
Ensure all the content you produce reflects your brand’s values and personality. Hold regular brainstorming sessions to try to capture a range of ideas that can be turned into exciting content.
ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT It is important to demonstrate to your audience that you genuinely care about them and what they have to say. Focus on starting a conversation as opposed to advertising your products or services. Actively engage with your audience by asking questions to generate comments, likes and replies. Reply to your followers’ questions in a timely manner. By consistently engaging with users, you can help to build a meaningful, supportive community for your brand and extend the reach of your content.
USE VISUALS If you look at posts which have gone viral, such as Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars tweet, you will find that nine times out of ten an image has been used. When users visit web pages or social media sites, their eyes are naturally drawn to the most colourful part of the page. Including images gives your content a better chance of being shared across different networks, as images grab attention and express ideas simply.