Sales Loves Marketing

What is Viral content?

Viral content is content that spreads quickly from person to person because people choose to share it, so it reaches far more people than the publisher could reach with its own channels or paid media.

By Sales Loves Marketing teamOriginally written by Joran HofmanUpdated

Viral content is a video, post, image or article that spreads fast because people share it with others, who share it again. The reach comes from the audience, not from the publisher's own followers or ad budget.

Why does viral content matter in marketing?

When a piece goes viral, each share puts it in front of new people at no extra cost. It also arrives with a personal recommendation attached, which carries more weight than an ad. That is why viral reach overlaps with word-of-mouth marketing and social proof.

The flip side is control. Once content spreads, you can't steer how people read it. A campaign that confuses or offends can spread just as fast as one that delights.

What makes content go viral?

Nobody can guarantee virality, but research points to a few patterns. Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman analysed which New York Times articles readers shared most, then tested their findings in lab experiments. Their study was published in the Journal of Marketing Research in 2012.

  • Arousal beats mood. Content that makes the heart race, such as awe, amusement, anger or anxiety, was shared more than content that left people feeling low, such as sadness.
  • Positive slightly beats negative. Good news was a little more likely to spread than bad news.
  • Useful content travels. Practical, useful articles were more likely to be shared.

For marketers, that means a clear emotional hook and a reason to pass it on ("my team needs to see this") matter more than polish.

What does viral content look like in B2B?

In November 2013, Volvo Trucks released "The Epic Split", a 75-second ad in which actor Jean-Claude Van Damme does the splits between two reversing trucks. It was made to show the stability of the Volvo FM truck's steering. According to Wikipedia, it reached about 25 million views in its first week and won major creative awards, including a Creative Effectiveness award at Cannes Lions.

The lesson for B2B teams is that the stunt demonstrated a real product feature. It was entertaining and still about the truck.

A consumer example: in June 2018, IHOP announced it was changing its name to "IHOb". People spent days guessing what the "b" meant before the chain revealed it stood for burgers, a push for its burger menu.

How should you approach viral content?

  • Don't plan on it. Treat a viral hit as a bonus, and build the plan on content that works without one, such as evergreen content.
  • Tie it to what you sell. Reach that has nothing to do with your product rarely turns into pipeline.
  • Avoid shortcuts. Buying views or followers inflates numbers without real sharing. Clickbait can win a click and lose trust.
  • Measure sharing, not just views. Track shares, engagement rate and the leads that follow.

Frequently asked questions

What makes content go viral?

There is no formula, but research helps. Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman studied which New York Times articles readers shared and found that content that stirs high-arousal emotions, such as awe, amusement, anger or anxiety, is shared more than content that makes people sad. Useful content was also more likely to spread.

Is viral content the same as viral marketing?

Viral content is the piece that spreads. Viral marketing is the deliberate attempt to create such a piece, or to design a campaign, so that people pass the message on for you.

Can B2B companies create viral content?

Yes, though it is rare and can't be planned on demand. Volvo Trucks' 2013 ad "The Epic Split" was made to show the stability of a truck model and drew tens of millions of views within days.