Cooking up Viral Content: A Marketer’s Ingredients for Viral Videos

As we’ve all experienced since 2020, TikTok is the current leading social media platform for viral content. TikTok’s algorithm and strategies in combination with organic content from creators, has created the perfect recipe for videos to go viral. There are several reasons as to why content creators have become so successful, not only on TikTok, but on other platforms.

Attention potential is the primary factor in viral content. There are multiple methods and strategies proven to successfully capture the attention of an audience. Let’s continue with TikTok as an example of how content becomes a sensation:

Ingredient #1: Music, Sounds, Voiceovers, and more

 Sounds are a foundation for viral content. Today, you’ll see most trending content has a song from the top charts attached or a funny saying from a creator. Music has played a major role in viral content due to popular songs getting stuck in people’s minds or even becoming the song for specific type of content. A great example of this is showcased when holidays come around. There are songs and sounds associated with Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and many other prominent days of celebration. Also, the more popular a sound is on social media, the more creators and viewers attach it to their content.

Music and sounds are also utilized as a tool to evoke a range of emotions and actions out of viewers. There are songs of the past that capture attention due to viewers feeling reminiscent. Other songs are new and when utilized become viral content due to a new dance or video challenge that correlates with the song. Marketers should utilize this practice of selecting impactful music and sounds to create viral videos and content.

Voice pitch, tone, cadence, and more also contribute to viral video moments. TikTok Creator, Jools Lebron (@joolieannie), positively disrupted the social media and entertainment industry with her “very demure, very mindful” voiceovers in 2024. Tons of creators, major organizations, and notable figures were all utilizing these words and statements. An important part of why this sounds was successful was due to the tone of voice, cadence, pitch, and contextbeing used when the original creator utilized it. These patterns were repeated when other creators participated in the trend. The sensation Jools Lebron created with her sound is a perfect example of the impact sound can create for viral content.

Ingredient #2: Community and Comedy

Content becomes popular to the masses when people feel seen. As an application, TikTok has done a substantial job at creating community for many. There are various types of creators representing all walks of life. The content produced on TikTok is relatable, resourceful, and a reminder that there are millions of people similar to the creator and the viewer. Evoking the feelings of being understood and represented is so valuable for marketers to capture the attention of viewers. The more people that can relate to content, the more viral it will become.

Comedy is king in life and in viral content. Creating content that is funny enough to watch repeatedly is the key. This helps to increase the shares and reposts of the content, causing rapid growth and value. Sharing humor through videos with others does also add to the sense of community and relatable feeling the viewers feel. It keeps people engaged and wanting more. Marketers should strive to create these feelings and moments when focusing on what makes successful content.

Ingredient #3: Timing is everything

Time is a key factor regarding viral content. TikTok capitalized on time and timing in a smart way. TikTok in previous years, and currently, supports short form content. Videos were under 1-minute in the past versions of the app. This format kept viewers and creators engaged with a surplus of short content. Viewers were exposed to significant amounts of content to surf through and search for.

As the app has evolved to allow creators more time for their content, various types of content and influencers have come from that. Almost anything someone may want to know or learn, they can find a creator that has content about it on TikTok. Timing of when and how a viewer sees this content is something the app has cracked the code on.

TikTok’s algorithm seems to be perfected. Viewers will search for or engage in certain content or creators and only a few videos later, the algorithm will push the exact content out to for the viewer to see. Marketers should take note and pay attention to the way content is delivered to viewers in such a way that enhances the chance of it being viral. How quickly and how often a viewer is able to access content that appeals to them is an important lesson to learn.

There are countless strategies and sciences behind why content becomes viral. Ultimately, it’s the human reactions that content evokes and the attention content captures, that leads to a recipe for success for marketers and creators.