In the context of a business, going viral means your content or some information regarding your business spreads on the internet like wildfire and gets massive attention as well as user engagement such as re-posts, memes, shares, and comments.
However, going viral is not the same as achieving business growth or success. Because millions of views don’t translate into millions of loyal customers. Why? There are many reasons for this.
Viral Posts don’t have a targeted audience
It’s not like when a wildfire spreads in the forest, it just affects some specific trees only. No, it takes everything down without any bias.
Similarly, viral content has some emotion-provoking or adrenaline-spiking factor to it that isn’t limited to a specific audience. If it was, then it wouldn’t have gone viral in the first place. It has gone viral because it has reached a broad range of audience.
Similarly, having a large follower base does not necessarily mean having a large customer base as well, at least not until you convert them. That is, after all, one of the most challenging aspects of the business – converting prospects into customers.
Even the most viral posts have fleeting engagements. So, it’s possible that many of them might not even have any interest in your business offerings. Engagement with a small, targeted, and repeat audience is more valuable than engaging with a temporary viral crowd. Because those prospects can be turned into loyal customers.
Viral Posts are a Brand Image Risk
Going viral is good if it’s about building brand awareness. But if it spirals out of control then a viral post could tarnish your brand image instead of building it. When your content goes viral, it no longer remains under your control. Along the way, if it is unintentionally linked with some controversial content or misunderstood somewhere then it could bring back all sorts of criticisms.
Once your brand reputation takes a hit, it will take forever to gain back the trust of your customers and that of the market. This could diminish your business and benefit your competitors. Therefore, your marketing strategies shouldn’t be about going viral but about your value offerings and your brand message.
Viral marketing is very distracting
In the digital age, going viral seems like winning a lottery. When businesses witness others’ rapid growth thanks to a viral post, it sets a very skewed view of success in the digital marketing arena. This not only gives way to uncommon expectations in business marketing but also distracts you from smart digital marketing and customer experience strategies.
You can’t predict whether some content will go viral or not. There is no sure recipe for such content and there isn’t any blueprint for viral marketing. Focusing on viral marketing distracts you from the core aspects of your business.
Many marketing gurus nowadays include going viral as a core KPI in their business. Although getting instant growth or brand recognition is an appealing factor, it’s not a core quality of a business. Fixating virality, something of a fleeting nature might just hinder your business from achieving sustainability, a true quality required for growth and success.
Go beyond Viral fame
Companies should never fight for short-lived attention. It’s bad for business. They must avoid all such pitfalls of marketing in a digital era and aim to build a community and serve them with valuable content. Instead of virality, focus on sustainability, instead of temporary connections, vie for meaningful engagement. You do not become successful by creating some trending content but by providing long-lasting value.
FAQs
Shouldn’t businesses strive for virality to reach a larger audience quickly?
The idea of reaching a wide range of audience is certainly very tempting but executing it is rather challenging. Additionally, viral content is fleeting, which can grasp the audience’s attention temporarily. There is no guarantee or benefit of long-term success. Thus, businesses must prioritize the establishment of a loyal customer base and the attainment of sustainable growth.
Can going viral help my business increase sales and revenue?
Going viral can definitely put your business in the limelight. But it doesn’t guarantee any improvement in sales and revenue. In addition to a valuable product or service that fulfills customer requirements, you need a smart marketing strategy that turns those viewers into customers.
What’s the harm in trying to create viral content occasionally?
Although there is no harm in trying to create viral content. However, solely focusing on viral marketing can harm your business significantly. You need to take a very balanced approach and put in consistent efforts that align well with your long-term business goals,
If I don’t aim to go viral, won’t I miss out on significant opportunities for growth?
It’s not like businesses that don’t go viral aren’t successful at all. Going viral is about entertaining people temporarily and business is about providing long-term value. Your business needs to focus on creating quality content consistently and engaging meaningfully instead of aiming to go viral. Building trust and good customer relationships is what helps your business achieve sustainable growth over time.
Kushalam 