With the amount of people using the Internet today, it’s incredibly easy for an individual’s original content to be buried by other people’s useless posts and comments.  Having the ability to make your contribution stand out on any social media platform is a highly desired skill that some companies pay a lot of money to understand and achieve.

 

Cracking the code of Internet popularity is not as difficult as most people think.  Viral posts, pictures and videos all have certain characteristics in common that can be replicated.  As long as you follow a few important steps, just about anyone can gain a substantial following and catapult himself or herself to viral fame.

 

Here are five criteria you should follow if you want content to go viral:

 

1. Humorous: When trying to create content intended to go viral, humor is your ally.  People are much more likely to share something if it made them laugh or if they believe it will make their friends and family laugh.

 

1. Controversial: Don’t be afraid to be controversial because people are drawn to content that elicits a strong reaction.  In most cases, controversial pictures and videos are shared more frequently because people want to see how and if their peers will react in the same ways.

 

1. Trendy: Piggybacking on a trend is an almost foolproof way to increase views and likes on most social media platforms.  Put your own spin on another viral trend and watch people flock to your content (ala the Harlem Shake videos).

 

1. Visually stimulating: Use videos and photos to get your point across more succinctly.  People have shorter attention spans than ever before, so visual content like photos and videos are more likely to go viral than a typed out message.

 

1. Star factor: If you can attract the attention of someone famous, you immediately have access to their entire online fan base.  A lot of content is able to go viral because celebrities find it interesting or entertaining and begin sharing it with their friends, online communities and followers.