Successful Viral Content – Inspire Others

We always want our content to get noticed. What determines whether a content is worth viral publicity? Robert Knorpp at the BlogWorld expo explained that the single most important factor is inspiring others to react.

Inspiring others to react is the key, and that reaction doesn’t always have to be positive. Even negative reactions shall sustain your content, and ride the viral tide. No publicity is bad publicity. Rebecca Black’s music video incited mockery, but that, too, spread out virally. Because it inspired people to react. And so did the Volkswagen/Darth Vader Super Bowl commercial. It not only had humor but also showed care and love. These inspired people to react. Which in turn ensured a long life, at least in relation to an Internet lifespan.

Of course, if the reaction concerns a product you are trying to sell, you don’t want the reaction to be in the vein of “this is the worst thing ever,” which comprised a great deal what Black’s videos had to face. With that in mind, the reaction of the Darth Vader/Volkswagen commercial is what web marketers should be shooting for, but then again, not everyone can get George Lucas’ approval to use his stuff in their commercials.

To Knorpp, the key isn’t necessarily good content, but content that inspires others to react in a creative manner. The key is balance. Don’t just make a Rebecca Black style of video to promote a widget being sold, because if people actively hate the item, it’s doubtful they’ll be spending much money on it. That being said, good content is a great starting point, just be aware of the reaction it will inspire.

Of course, because of the nature of viral popularity, the content creators have little to no control over the reaction they’ll be greeted with, so be aware of trends, both negative and positive, but at the same time, don’t just copy other people’s work. Create your own piece that’s worthy of becoming viral, or as Knorpp says, keep your audience in perspective when creating this type of content.

- WebProNews