“Make it viral.” Nowadays, digital marketers are quite fed up with this phrase. But, what’s wrong with that? Everybody wants to go viral overnight. You might be wondering if that is even possible? Yes, why not? 😎
Around 2 billion active users are searching for fresh content on Instagram. All you need to go viral is just to catch their attention. However, it is not as easy as you might think. That’s why we are providing 8 proven ways to go viral across Instagram, in no time.
8 Awesome Hacks to Go Viral on Instagram
You are creating valuable content but are not satisfied with the reach, and you’ve tried everything from changing your camera to changing your costume, but nothing seems to work. Quite frustrating, isn’t it? 😒 Well, let’s have a look at some proven ways to overcome this situation! 💪
1. Identify your audience
The first step to creating a buzz on Instagram is to know your audience. You must answer the main questions related to the audience. Where do they live? What is their age? Here are some ways for that:
- Analyze your customer data: if you run a business with proper marketing data, start with that. Analyze their age group, location, and demography to identify what kind of content may strike a chord with them. 📶
- Instagram analytics: Why go for external sources if Instagram itself provides data? You can use the analytics feature available on Instagram for businesses to gain valuable insights into them. You can dig deeper into what kind of people follow you and what type of content they are interested in. 🔍
- Marketing Research: Several trusted publications, like Gartner, McKinsey Insight Stores, etc., periodically publish updated market research data. You can analyze them to get to know your customers better. 👫🏼
- Competitor audiences: Still not sure how to target the audience? Then, go to your competitor’s page and study their followers deeply. Consider them as your target audience and try to prepare a content plan for them.📝
Keep in mind the words of Instagram strategist Jenn Herman. “To go viral on Instagram, you need to understand what your audience wants and needs and then deliver it in a way that is unique, creative, and authentic.” For that, you need nothing less than proper research.
2. Reach out Instagram’s Official Page
One of the most underrated ways to improve your reach is to get featured on Instagram’s official page. Many creators misunderstand that it is far beyond their reach. But, the truth is that you don’t need to be popular to get featured on their official page.
Instagram usually picks up any random engaging content creator. And, the best part is that you don’t need to wait until their official team knocks at your inbox. You can pitch to them to introduce yourself and what you do. This way, you can grab their attention. 👀 The official team looks out for 3 main things:
- Do you entertain the audience?
- Do you inspire the audience to do something?
- Do you teach the audience something?
Your content is likely to be published on the Instagram official account if they are satisfied with any of these criteria. Even though it doesn’t make you popular overnight, it is an inexpensive method to get tremendous reach quickly.
3. Collaborate with Influencers
Instagram is a battlefield, and every content creator competes for reach: first of all, you need to change this mindset to grow in the platform. In fact, the fastest way to reach your target audience is by partnering with influencers who have built a similar audience. After all, it’s not just a matter of reach but you can also build trust among the audience through collaboration. 🤝 Here are two ways for that:
- Create content together and separate it into two parts. Then, each of you can present one part and redirect the audience for more information to the next content creator.
- Co-host an Instagram Live and interact with your collaborator’s audience directly to create a base among them.
Always, keep hunting for similar content creators like you and reach out to them with a mutually beneficial partnership plan. And, do not just confine yourself to content creator individuals. Feel free to go for famous brands, too.
For instance, Coca-Cola launched the ‘Share a Coke and Share a Song’ campaign in 2016. Selena Gomez, a pop star, joined the campaign by posting a picture of herself drinking Coke with a lyric from her song. Coca-Cola featured it on their official website, and the post stormed the Instagram feed. The photo became the most-liked image on Instagram at that time, with more than 4 million likes. 😲
4. Keep an Eye on the Algorithm
The Instagram algorithm is the force that decides what flows into your feed and who views your posts. So, if you understand the Instagram algorithm well, it could be your best friend. Well, it’s not that difficult to learn, too. All you need to do is just keep an eye on these three factors:
- User Interest: First of all, the algorithm checks what kind of content the user is interested in. If a user has engaged with similar content in the past, it may push forward your content to them. 💪
- Creator Information: Second, the algorithm considers your basic account statistics, like the number of followers, likes, and posts. Then, it checks how close the user is to the content creator. 🤏
- Content: last but not least, the Instagram algorithm checks whether content is valuable for the audience. Make sure your content has a purpose. Does it entertain them? Does it educate or inspire them? 🙌
Instagram often announces the latest updates they have made to the algorithm. It is crucial to get updated with such changes to align your content strategy with the algorithm for more reach. Moreover, many marketing bodies and industry experts regularly release reports that shed light on the inner workings of the Instagram algorithm. These reports can provide you with valuable insights and help you create content that resonates with your audience.
5. Optimize your Profile
Your Instagram profile is the first impression that you give to your users. So, make sure you create the best impression with it. 🤩 Here’s what you need to do right away:
- Use an easily recognizable and eye-catching image as the profile picture to establish personal branding among the audience. Create the design so that, at first sight of the image, your brand’s name must come to mind. 💭
- Research keywords related to the type of content you produce and fine-tune them for the account bio. This way, you can drive more viewers to the profile in an organic manner.⚡
- You can use a content-related keyword in the user’s name for better search engine positioning. Avoid placing any underscores or numbers that may confuse the audience. 😕
- Make the most of your one Instagram link in your bio. You can use a tool like Linktree or Taplink to create a landing page with multiple links to your latest featured posts. 🔗
- Switch to an Instagram business account if you haven’t already. This way, you can get more insights and analytics on your viewers for better content creation. 📸
To learn more about how to optimize your profile and attract more visitors, check out this useful guide.
6. Track the Best Time to Post
“Make hay while the sun shines,” is not just a saying but a proven advice in Instagram marketing. Remember, your followers are not scrolling the platform round-the-clock. They also need to work and sleep just like you do. So, it is important to consider the time zone of your target audience.
You can increase the chances of making your content appear in the feeds by strategically posting it during peak hours . Have a look at some possible ways to track the best time to post on Instagram:
- Analyze your follower’s demographics and understand their time zones. ⏰
- Use free Instagram Marketing tools to gain valuable insights on which hours you received more likes and engagements. 🔎
- Test different times and days for posting to make sure which one works the best. 🗓️
- Check the data and trends to make sure what time zone works best for your target audience. 🎯
As a general rule of thumb, it is better to avoid office hours for posting. As per Later, the best time to post on social media is between 12:01 AM and 9:00 AM as people are usually getting ready to go for jobs during these hours. Additionally, considering midnights for posting also makes sense as most people might be scrolling through the platform before sleep. Scheduling the posts through marketing software is a great way to do that.
7. Launch a User-Generated Content Campaign
Rewards are sure to catch the human eye no matter what kind of audience you target. That’s exactly where you need a User-Generated Content Campaign. 📢 You can give incentives to followers for creating content for you through such campaigns. If you’re a beginner, it is better to create a strategy in such a manner that the cost of the incentives should be less than the cost of marketing you’ve used to promote the campaign. In other words, you must focus more on promoting the campaign rather than spending everything on the reward.
The best part of a User-Generated Content (UGC) campaign is that it will allow you to reach new audiences without spending millions on marketing. But, the worst challenge you have to face is to drive an initial pull of the audience to it. Influencer marketing works perfectly for tackling such a situation. Here are some tips for running such campaigns:
- Define what you expect from the campaign clearly with metrics. 📊
- Create a catchy and relevant hashtag exclusively for the campaign. Then, brand it and encourage participants to use that hashtag. ️ ️ ️️️ ️️️️
- Clearly communicate what you want the participants to do and set clear criteria for success. Make the process of selecting the winner as transparent as possible. 🤌🏽
8. Post Consistently
Consistency is the key to success in Instagram marketing. If you take a long time to create content, you may slowly fade away from the memory of the audience. Only a consistent presence builds trust, both among the audience and the algorithm. Yes, the Instagram algorithm takes into account your content consistency to push it to the feeds.
However, it’s worth mentioning that over-posting might backlash your reach goals. Suppose you flush out numerous contents per day and captivate the feeds of followers, they might probably hit the unfollow button.
Various research reports show that it is better to post one or two contents per day. Not more or less. Well, this is not an exact proven figure. It ultimately depends upon the type of content you deliver and the interests of the audience. If you are in the urge to churn out more content, then consider creating carousel posts. Nowadays, scrolling posters are a great way to gain reach on the platform.
How many likes does it take to go Viral on Instagram?
Well, no specific number of views or likes will guarantee your post to go viral. Generally, posts with more than 100,000 likes or 1000 plus comments are considered viral. However, ultimately it depends upon your perspective and how you define the word ‘viral’. 📱
For example, posts of a brand that focuses on a smaller set of regional audiences can go viral with likes as few as 1000. But, that may not be the case with an international brand. So, it is better to set targets after considering your competitors.
Most Trending on Instagram
As per a Statista survey, the most popular content on Instagram is creative and funny. 50% of users prefer funny content while 46% go for unique and creative stuff. There are many who seek informational content as well.
“The best way to go viral on Instagram is to create content that is engaging, entertaining, and educational. Content that makes people laugh, cry, or learn something new is more likely to be shared and commented on,” advised Sue B Zimmerman, an Instagram Marketing expert.
Most statistics state that Reels have the highest reach rate on Instagram. Yes, we are officially in a short video era. Visually engaging and entertaining content is likely to get 650% more reach as compared to text-only posts.
As we all know, celebrity posts have the highest reach on the platform. But, a key observation over here is that celebrities get more engagement on their personal posts than on their sponsored ones. This shows that audiences value authenticity over promotion. So, try to be genuine in your content. 👌
Final Words
Let’s wind up with the words of Alex Tooby, a famous Instagram influencer. “Going viral on Instagram is not about luck or chance. It’s about creating a strategy that aligns with your goals, your brand, and your audience.”
It could be challenging but not impossible. All you need to do is just to keep an eye on the metrics and plan contents accordingly. Then, just be yourself and stand out from the crowd with a unique tone. That’s all in a nutshell. Get ready to go viral on Instagram! 👏
