Microbiology is the study of viruses – the real ones. It can provide some insights into creating a viral message on the social media networks.
Strength and Vitality
When you grow a virus in the laboratory, your first have to start with a healthy sample. This seed virus has to be strong, just as your message has to be strong. Much of the noise on the social networks is devoid of original content. It has been repurposed so many times that the original value was lost long ago.
The surest way to be relevant is to be good. If you aren't sure, compare your work to those in your space that are building authority.
As with anything else in this world, usefulness to a targeted audience is a measure of the strength of your content. When you are creating any kind of content, whether it be written, video or audio, it has to be well crafted, and also serve a vital need of a specific community. For tips on doing this well, check out the Best Of tab of this blog.
Proper Medium to Grow
A virus will only grow in an appropriate medium that has the proper nutrients to feed the virus. Without this, everything stops. For our purposes of social networking or marketing, this means choosing the right channels or networks – and tracking your results.
If the source of your content is a blog, then this is easily accomplished. Click on those links to see where they lead. As for networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, consider the audience and how well they represent your targeted market. If the response rate if low, you may have the wrong channel.
Ideal Environment
One of the standard procedures behind laboratory experiments is to control the variability of the environment to determine how it affects the results. What's too hot and what's too cold? You need to test to find out? It is just like those Bud Light television commercials. You don't want to be too heavy or too light.
What does environment translate to on the social networks? Consider the time of day, day of the week, or even the concurrent buzz of other news. Contrary to what others may suggest, I have found that posting at night can be very effective. This is a global platform. Late night in the US can be approaching prime time in the UK. Which is exactly when this post is going to hit the Web.
A Catalyst
Even when the medium and environmental conditions are just right, the results may be only average. A catalyst can make the difference. A reTweet by an influential member of your community can do wonders to set your message on its viral journey.
Unfortunately, this is where many people start. They are looking for the shortcut, the quick fix, the magic bullet. It is highly unlikely that you will get a favorable nod from a top blogger in the form of a link, comment, or reTweet if your content isn't strong. Focus on quality and the rest will happen on its own time.
While going viral seems to be a random occurrence, there really is a science behind it.
You just have to study it, work at it, and believe in what you are doing enough to do it well.
Photo Credit: PNNL
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