Why You Should Not Focus on Going Viral

Everybody wants to go viral these days. Small businesses are striving so hard for more views, more followers, and more engagement.

And don’t get us wrong, going viral is all good and well but there is a dark side.

In today’s post, we’re going to explore why going viral is bad for your business and what you can do instead.

What Does It Mean To Go Viral?

It means you have a social media post, usually a video like a Reel or TikTok, that gets a crazy large amount of views and engagement in a short period of time.

It usually spans multiple social media platforms, and it means your content is taking off rapidly at an unusually fast pace.

That sounds like a good thing, right? Quick, mass exposure of your small business brand.

Why Going Viral Is Bad For Your Business: The Downside To Virality

It’s twofold.

1. It doesn’t connect you with your real audience.

The reason is that everybody is posting the same, regurgitated content over and over again. You see the same videos across TikTok that you do on Instagram.

You hear the same little songs that get stuck in your head because everybody is posting their version of the same trends- small business brand accounts included.

So the outcome is that you get viewers who aren’t really connecting with your brand because you’re not really making content for them.

But rather, you’re making content for a broad internet audience that you hope will make your content viral.

2. It doesn’t get you qualified leads who may actually buy from you. 

Yes, you may get views but they probably won’t include qualified people who actually want to purchase your products or services.

Instead, your views will consist of people who think the trend in the video is funny or cute or whatever the emotion is.

So, you end up with a one-hit wonder of videos so to speak, and an audience that isn’t really invested in your brand. That’s one of the reasons why going viral is bad for your business.

In one sentence, when we chase likes and views, we compromise the authenticity of our brand…

…and start creating content solely for the purpose of going viral, which can lead to a lack of connection with our audience.

And before you click out of this post like “Oh, that doesn’t matter,” guess what?

Statistically, it does. It REALLY does.

“88 percent of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support.”

And that’s why “92% of marketers claim that brand authenticity is essential to their brands.”

Moreover, “46 percent of consumers say that they would pay more to purchase from brands they can trust.”

They’d pay more from brands they can trust and what builds trust? Authenticity.

What doesn’t build authenticity? Posting unoriginal, unhelpful, regurgitated trends in hopes of views. Do you see where we’re going with this?

Let’s look at one more because this one really intrigued us.

“According to a survey, three in four consumers (about 74 percent) say transparent communication has become more important after the pandemic.

This includes transparency in communication and a personal touch.”

That last part is the part that got us – a personal touch, because what is personal about making viral content?

Obviously, the goal of any small business marketing on social media is ultimately profits, right?

Yes, we want to establish brand awareness and cultivate a following, but we do that so that our followers will ultimately convert into customers.

That’s why looking at those numbers around authenticity is so important because they reveal how authenticity and genuine connections lead to more meaningful and sustainable results.

When your content lacks genuine connection and simply aims for shock value or viral views, you risk losing the trust of your followers.

And we saw from the numbers earlier that trust is what leads to sales.

3 Things You Can Do To Create Meaningful Content

1. Prioritize authenticity

If the post you’re drafting doesn’t connect with your audience on a deeper level by sharing genuine stories and experiences, it needs more work.

If you need help in creating a content calendar that your followers will love, here’s a post to help you get started.

2. Focus on value

Create content that educates, entertains, or inspires your audience, rather than relying solely on shock factors or trends.

3. Cultivate community

Engage with your followers, respond to comments, and foster a sense of belonging- all of which build trust. Because a trusting community converts into what? Customers.

So those are the top reasons why going viral is bad for your business and what you can do instead to achieve the reach, engagement, and conversions that you want.