As a business owner, you know that creating content is one of the best ways to boost your visibility online and increase the chances of bringing in new business month after month. But the best way to increase your reach is to find ways to make your content go viral or catch on with thousands of readers. When you do, people who may never have otherwise heard of your brand will suddenly know who you are and may be driven to use your services or purchase your products.
So, how can you create viral content? Here are a few steps you’ll want to follow to further boost your content’s performance and increase the chances of getting more eyes on your site.
Optimize It
Optimizing your content for search engines is something you should be doing with every post you write. But if you’re not, you simply won’t get as many eyes on your site as you should be. Take the time to optimize your post by including highly relevant interlinks to other pages on your site and linking out to authoritative sites as needed to provide clear sources for any statistics and hard data you include. You’ll also want to include keywords or search terms that your readers are looking for directly in your content.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to avoid plugging in as many keywords as possible just because you can. You still want your content to read well and speak to your audience in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Your keywords should fit naturally into the content.
Focus on What Your Core Audience Wants
The best way to go viral is to create content that your audience actually wants to read. Think about the types of questions you’ve gotten from customers and clients, and consider the news or concerns that are central to your industry. Focus on creating content that speaks to those concerns and questions.
Implement Visual Elements
Let’s face it. Walls of text can be overwhelming, and if you’re trying to go viral, long paragraphs without any breaks or visual elements just won’t be eye-catching enough to draw attention to your posts and encourage people to interact with them.
Instead, try to incorporate visual elements. These can be anything from stock photos that draw the eye to infographics and tables that add value to your content and help drive specific points home. You can also embed videos in which you go into further detail about a topic directly into your post.
The main purpose of those visual elements is to present information in different ways so you’re able to speak to more people in a way that works for them.
Encourage Social Media Engagement
Social media can be a major driving force for viral content. Once one person sees your content and starts interacting with it, others will likely follow. The more you can drive engagement, the more people will see your post and learn about your brand.
Use this to your advantage. Post new blogs and content on your social media channels and reply to comments when you receive them. Encourage conversations in those comments and let the momentum build.
Make It Skimmable
Users don’t always read every word you write. In fact, most will just skim your page and see if there are any key nuggets of wisdom worth taking away from the article. Rather than feeling frustrated, make it easier for readers to skim your page. Use headers to break up the content and guide readers through the page.
Even if they don’t realize it, these headers can actually increase the amount of time people spend on your site. By using them, you show readers that you care and want to make your information accessible. This can leave them feeling empowered and more likely to interact with your content and share it with their friends.
Don’t Just Write It
Though blogs are great and allow you to provide in-depth information, they’re not the only type of content you can or should create. Consider creating videos, TikTok shorts, or Instagram reels that talk about the key takeaways of your longer blog post. You can link to the post itself in the video’s description to increase readership, but you’ll increase your reach and build your brand recognition with people that otherwise may not read your blog. Even better, you’ll set yourself apart as a true subject-matter expert.
Encourage Readers to Share Your Posts
Almost every social media user knows how to share content that they find interesting, whether it’s a blog or a social media post linking to a blog. But that doesn’t mean they take action every time they find something interesting. Instead, they read your posts and move on.
Rather than leaving it up to chance, tell your readers to share your post. As part of your final call to action, include a quick note saying something like, “Did you find this post useful? Share it with your friends!” or something similar. This small instruction can encourage people to share your content and increase your readership.
Go Into Great Detail
Back when blogs were new, shorter posts were the industry standard. Businesses saw traction with content that was as short as 150 words. But the game has changed and both readers and search engines prefer longer content. Use your posts as an opportunity to go into great detail about whatever topic you’re covering.
Look at what your competitors are writing about and then put your own spin on the subject by going into more detail and providing more value. Aim for posts that are at least 1,000 words long when you can, and don’t hesitate to create posts that are as long as 5,000 words if you have enough information to talk about. The point is to position yourself as an expert and provide clear information that your readers can use to improve their understanding of whatever you’re covering.
Ready to Create Viral Content?
Creating viral content can feel like a game of luck, but almost all viral content has one thing in common: it’s well-written. If you’re ready to create high-quality content that will boost your site’s performance while still enticing readers, contact
Denver Website Designs today. Our team of experienced writers and website developers can breathe new life into your site.