What Does it Mean to Go Viral?

shutterstock_262360430We have all experienced it before: someone “discovered” something really funny (i.e. a funny cat video) and sent it to all of their friends. Their friends also thoroughly enjoyed it and, therefore, shared it with their friends. This one funny cat video suddenly is apparently everywhere, and even the least tech-savvy people know about it. This is what happens when a funny cat video goes viral.

But how do you design something that is going to go viral? Plenty of people believe that it’s completely random, while others insist there is a formula of some sort. While it’s true that some formulas work better than others, for anything viral online, it still doesn’t mean there is ever a way to guarantee you or your company something that will go viral.

What is “viral?”

In case you were not already aware, the term “viral” stems from the word “virus.” A virus (for humans, not for computers) is something that affects a small number of people, is easily shared, and the other people are rapidly infected as well. The speed of the infection makes it the top of many discussion topics. Content can behave in the same way. While videos are a common form of something that goes viral, they are by no means the only example of something going viral. Photos, quotes, tweets, and articles can also all go viral. As long as it is “shared by everybody,” it is viral.

Social Media

When it comes to the mystery of something going viral, social media (like Facebook and Twitter) are at the forefront of this form of mass communication. Anyone with 100+ Facebook friends can post content as their status, therefore causing 100+ of their Facebook friends to take a look – and so on and so forth.

Varying Levels of “Viral”

As with any more modern terms and ideas, the meaning of “viral” has several different prevailing options. One definition is that it is what normal people do in their everyday life. Other people consider it something that has been intentionally shared over and over again.

Why is Going Viral a Good Thing?

When something goes viral, it more or less becomes common knowledge. If you are someone who has a website or other online feature that you would like to receive more traffic about, then you should be making sure to do everything in your power to go viral. Going viral is the thing that turns previously ordinary people into celebrities, just by a few moments being captured for the internet to see.

The advantages of going viral can be huge. It means more people will know you and want to buy from you, plus your link will start appearing higher in Google search, meaning more people will visit your website. For every business, in San Antonio and beyond, higher search results is a good thing. You can’t always ensure a post will go viral but you can work on your ranking in google using SEO. Funnel Boost Media is a local SEO company that can help fully optimize your site and it’s local SEO needs.

While the term “viral” implies that it is a bad thing, going viral can be an unexpected prize that leads you to some amazing new opportunities that you probably didn’t even know existed.

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