Tips for Creating Content that Goes Viral Evoke an Emotional Response Whether it’s a sense of amusement, affection, interest, or surprise, content that engages our emotions (preferably positively) is more likely to get shared. To elicit an emotional response, focus on these three points: 1. Make your content visual. We are visual creatures who respond to images. They grab our attention, captivate us, and increase our sense of connection to a piece of content. If you always make sure that your content is visually engaging, you will find that people share it more. For some tips on how to do so, check out this guide to visual content marketing. 2. Make your content entertaining. Most of us have exceedingly short attention spans. If you want to make your content stand out, try entertaining your audience. Take a humorous, witty, or novel approach to presenting your messages. Your audience will thank you and be much more likely to encourage others to check out your content. 3. Make your content personal. Be more than just a company to your audience. Put a face to your content by attributing it to people within your organization who have bios and photos on your website. You could also tie your blog posts back to your personal experiences. The point is that it is often more interesting to read about people than about companies, so bring your people into your content. Deliver Content that Provides Real Value The second major factor influencing content virality is how valuable people find it. Are you solving a particular problem for them? Have you answered one of their questions? Have you gathered and conveniently packaged a bunch of information that they need? As this post about creating useful content explains, there are several ways in which your content can become a valuable asset for your readers: » Create how-to content that provides practical advice or step-by-step instructions » Offer thought leadership about what’s going on in your industry rather than just information about your product or company » Share proprietary research, analysis, and insights that people won’t get anywhere else » Point people to valuable resources, even if they are not your own » Develop online assessments and other tools that people can use to evaluate something and get feedback to help them improve Ultimately, the more actionable and utilitarian your content is, the higher the dividends it will pay for your content marketing program. It Takes a Content Factory! | 83