Periodically, something comes along on the internet that captures the attention of the country and invites all those willing to participate to join in. There was the Ice Bucket Challenge, The Git Up dance craze, Gangnam Style, Lip Dubs, Planking — we could go on and on. People and businesses that successfully jumped on these crazes saw massive spikes on their social media pages and the very real possibility of a kick-start to long-term social media growth.
Having a post or video go viral isn’t easy, but with forethought and planning you can jump on a trend that could introduce your business to new audiences. We’ve even seen successful “jump–on videos” featured on the local news, exponentially increasing views of those videos.
Here’s a road map for how to take advantage of such trends:
Lie in Wait
These phenomena don’t come around every day. However, on a smaller scale, there are many other things you can do to stay relevant on social media. Make visiting Google Trends part of your morning routine. See what the world is talking about. If you’re on TikTok, the discover page shows current hashtag and video trends each day.
Pounce!
Okay, it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. A new pop song is out with a custom dance and people have started making their own versions. We need to be smart. We can’t just whip out a cell phone and start recording. The potential downside of jumping on trends is that there’s going to be a lot of competition for viewers. If we want the public and the media to watch our video, it needs to be good. Do we have someone on staff (or a local public relations agency) that can do a professional video with a quick turnaround? Let’s get them involved. Do we have staff who are excited about the idea and can put on a good face? Okay, let’s schedule our shoot! Don’t wait too long. Sometimes these fads can be gone within a week. You don’t want to be the business posting their Gangnam Style video six weeks after the world has moved on to the next shiny thing.
Spread It Far and Wide
This step leads to the most significant page growth and engagement. Take advantage of growing platforms such as Instagram Reels. To compete with TikTok, Instagram is pushing Reels content. Now is the time to use that function to grow. When posting make sure you are tagging, hash–tagging, reacting, sharing and encouraging everyone you know (especially your staff) to share. Share, share, share!
Get Ready to Do It Again!
Do you know what can help your social media grow more than one viral video? Two. Or Three. Enjoy the reviews of your first foray into viral space and get ready to do it again, and see those analytics continue to increase.