July 27th 2023.
One of the first viral content pieces to capture public attention in the digital and social media era was the YouTube video, “Charlie Bit My Finger”, released in 2010. This video received 6.9 million views, an impressive feat by today's standards.
Today, one of the most popular viral sensations on YouTube is MrBeast, who has 169 million subscribers and 44 billion views from a YouTube video titled “I counted to 100,000”, which took him 40 hours to create.
It's no surprise why viral content matters; it can create wealth, attention, and fame quickly. MrBeast, at only 24 years old, has an estimated net worth of over $100 million. He has mastered the art of trial and testing different content to see what goes viral on YouTube. His first breakthrough video was an incredible 24-hour video!
The success of a viral headline is an art, combined with certain principles and copywriting tactics, though there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Certain templates, such as “X [Benefit] You Won’t Believe [Unique Twist/Revelation]”, are often used.
The rapid rise of social media and the smartphone made it much easier for people to read, create, and publish content from anywhere. This made the pursuit of viral content creation an obsession. Some media companies pushed the boundaries of the law, and sadly, Gawker Media went bankrupt in 2016 after publishing a private sex tape.
Creating viral content isn't just luck. It follows certain patterns that resonate with human psychology, such as emotional appeal, unexpected twists, high-quality visuals, relevance, storytelling prowess, humour, inspiration, and empathy. When these elements come together, they create a powerful concoction that compels people to share.
At the heart of every piece of viral content lies the ability to evoke emotions and connect with its audience on a personal level. Unexpected twists or surprises also captivate viewers, while high-quality visuals and relevance to current events make content shareable.
Ultimately, storytelling prowess, humour, inspiration, and empathy are key to creating content that resonates with the audience and goes viral. By experimenting and learning, content creators can create content that strikes the perfect balance of art and science.
One of the first viral content pieces to gain public attention in the dawn of the digital and social media era was a YouTube video called “Charlie Bit My Finger”. This video received an incredible 6.9 million views, a number that would be considered small today.
Fast forward to the present day, and MrBeast is one of the most recent viral sensations on YouTube. With 169 million subscribers and 44 billion views from a single video, it's no wonder why his content is so popular.
MrBeast, at the age of 24, has an estimated net worth of over $100 million, making it clear that getting traffic and attention online can create wealth quickly. He has perfected the art of testing and trialing different content to see what will go viral on YouTube. His first breakthrough video was a 24 hour long video - a feat that is nothing short of mind-boggling.
The key to gaining attention is understanding the formula of tenacity, passion and persistence. A viral headline is one that makes a piece of content stand out, get shared and go viral. Writing a viral headline is an art as much as it is a science, and there are various templates that can be used as a starting point.
Going deeper, the pursuit of creating viral content has become an obsession for many. Content was created to chase clicks and views, often with controversial topics. This led to companies playing close to the edge of the law, which sometimes resulted in disastrous outcomes.
The rise of smartphones and social media made it easier for everyone to read, create and publish content from anywhere in the world.
When creating viral content, there is no singular formula for success. It is a fascinating balance of art and science, where creativity meets data, and innovation meets audience needs. Common traits of viral content include emotional appeal, unexpected twists, high-quality visuals, relevance, storytelling prowess, humor, inspiration and empathy.
When these elements come together, they create a powerful concoction that compels people to hit that “share” button.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
