Going viral essentially means producing content which results in an excessive amount of views, likes or comments. While this sounds great in theory, it is not a lucrative goal to have for growing your business. Going viral and garnering tons of views on one piece of content will not result in a loyal following.
A study by Nieman Lab found that only one percent of videos on Facebook ever go viral, so why aim for the nearly impossible when you can grow a successful business without it? It’s highly unlikely to go viral once, let alone multiple times. It’s important to have achievable and sensible goals to grow your business without going viral as one of them.
Here are a few reasons why going viral isn’t enough:
- Trying to go viral diminishes the voices of your true intended audience. Garnering a large amount of views on content doesn’t mean it’s being seen by the kinds of people who will buy your product or service. If your content is viral, the chances are it’s not specific enough for your intended audience to feel connected. It also may make you come off as insincere or numbers driven, instead of relationship driven.
- Going viral only creates weak connections, if any. The whole point of social media is to create strong ties with a loyal audience. If your only goal is, “How many people can I get to watch this?,” your success will be short-lived. Quality over quantity should be the main goal, as views do not equal sales or a loyal customer base. To further strengthen bonds, you can engage with other people’s content and really for those deep connections that are not easily forgotten.
- You don’t need to go viral to be a success. Putting all your energy and resources into going viral could be spent on making high quality content for those who enjoy and appreciate what you put out. Your audience will keep coming back because they resonate with your content, and they will share it with others who they believe will also gain from watching your content. You don’t need to be a part of the small percentage of viral videos to have a large committed audience.
In the long run, maintaining sustainable growth instead of trying to go viral is a better business strategy. Social media is the main way we make connections with our audiences and show them what our businesses have to offer, so we should be marketing to who we want to sell to. Promoting content across platforms can help increase viewership and loyalty; people who start following you on Twitter are more likely to also follow you on Facebook and Instagram.
Success isn’t measured in views or shares – it’s about what comes after that, who sticks around to be a part of your community. If you’re looking for additional help in social media and building a loyal following, rAVe [CREATE] has proven success in social media marketing for the AV industry.
