Is there a formula to going viral? You’d be surprised. While the art and science behind what makes a video viral can be difficult to predict, the truth is that just about anyone can achieve more social media success if they follow certain principles. In asking Manuel Suarez, we learned about his years working on YouTube and social media—collaborating with people like Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) and Daymond John—and he offered to share a few things he picked up.
Tip #1: Discover Your Superpower
It’s true that people don’t have superpowers, and that YouTube stars are no different than most people. So why frame this tip as a “superpower”? Simple: because many people don’t know what kind of value they have to offer. And discovering that value is a bit like discovering you have a superpower.
Look around on YouTube. You’ll find that not every channel does the same thing. One person might give advice on gardening. Another might livestream themselves as they play a video game. What do they all have in common? Value for their specific audience. People are tuning in to find value, whether that’s value in the form of entertainment, education, or personal experience, as people like to be inspired by other people and learn from their experiences and adventures, even from their mistakes!
Chances are, Suarez says, there’s something in your life you’re good at. Something you can tell people about. Something interesting you can share.
Once you dig into it, you’ll find that this can feel like a superpower. Why? Because it gives you all sorts of potential content for YouTube. There’s likely something you’re passionate about, something that you love to tell people about. What is it? Where can you most offer value? Once you settle in on a distinct message and you work consistently to put that message out, it’s simply a matter of connecting with your audience.
Tip #2: Consistency and Persistence Win the Day
Ever watch a TV show in its later years? It’s a well-oiled machine. The actors are comfortable in their roles, the writers have developed the characters, and everything looks slick. Now, go back to the pilot episode. Everything is different. The writing is a little off, the actors aren’t completely settled into the characters yet and even the plot is not really clear.
What’s going on? According to Suarez, it’s simple. Consistency and persistence with anything will give you additional confidence and skill as you go on. It’s that way in every medium. Don’t expect that to change on YouTube.
What does it mean, exactly? It means don’t be discouraged if you launch your first video and find that no one likes it. It just means that you have to keep at it. Everyone goes through this, to one extent or another.
One social media account Suarez helped grow, NaturalSlim USA, started from the ground up. Across various social media channels, it’s up to millions of followers. Do you know how many it started with? The same as you. Zero.
Going viral does happen on accident sometimes. But you know what? You’re not going to catch fish if you don’t go out on the lake often enough. The same is true with social media. If you’re not creating unique posts on a regular basis, why should you expect to go viral?
Don’t aim for perfection, says Suarez. Aim for progress. As you develop your social media skills, you’ll be ready for it when viral lightning strikes.
Tip #3: Learn How to Capture Attention
You can’t very well go viral if you don’t know how to capture someone’s attention. That’s where it all starts. Many people don’t have the patience to even sit through 10-second ads, which is why they’ll often consider a YouTube Vanced APK download. No one is going to watch your valuable content if you can’t capture their attention—especially in those critical first few seconds.
Notice how many people seem to start their videos with introductions that serve little purpose. “Hey everyone, this is my YouTube video, and today, I’m going to be talking about…” Yes, you’ll see plenty of popular videos that start out this way. But does it work?
Some videos go viral precisely because they cut straight to the value. Consider a cookie recipe video that gets straight to the baking. Or a video about the outdoors that starts outdoors. That’s what people are there for. When you discover the unique value you can bring to the table, don’t waste any time! Get right to the value.
This is especially valuable if you have something unusual to offer. Our brains are hardwired to alert us when we see something that goes against the grain.
For example, do you have weight loss tips that go against the grain of the usual stuff—calorie counting, for example? And did it work for you? Then that’s what you’d lead with.
Ultimately, finding success in viral videos isn’t only about copying what you see online. It’s about finding what’s original about your view of the world—and learning how to communicate that to others.
Manuel Suarez is the CEO and Founder of AGM: Attention Grabbing Media. He has won several awards including the prestigious ManyChat “Top Performing Agency” award. He has worked with several well-known names and has helped thousands of small businesses to increase their digital presence. Click here to learn more about Manuel: https://manuelsuarez.com/speaker.
