Imagine posting something on Instagram and waking up in the morning with thousands of likes, comments, and an insane amount of new followers.
Some people accidentally post content on this app without much calculation or strategizing around their Instagram posts and manage to go viral on Instagram.
How great does it sound if I tell you that you can go viral on Instagram, too? Of course, I’m not going to ask you to wish upon a star. I will explain to you, though, how to go viral on Instagram in the following 16 steps.
Table of Contents
16 Tips On How To Go Viral On Instagram
Here are 16 outstanding tips for more engagement and creating viral content.
1. Get To Know Your Audience
So, If you are determined to make a viral Instagram post, the first thing you should think about is – whom you want to attract.
Check out your Instagram analytics and watch how your previous posts have performed, but also check out your viewer demographic.
You could be a content creator in the field of comedy, cooking, skincare, or any other category. Try to tap into the content that mostly catches your target audience’s attention. Instagram analytics will help you track your current records.
You should definitely stick to your original ideas, but experiment a little with your content and watch your audience’s reactions to your Instagram post.
2. Get To Know Your Competitors
Healthy competition never hurt anybody. Check out your competitor’s Instagram accounts.
Remember, only you can be you, and that is your superpower. But how about checking out what other creators in your niche are doing?
There are numerous accounts that copy the best-performing content, but don’t be fooled – everybody can see the difference between an original idea and an imitation.
What you can do, though, is check out your competition and get inspired, maybe by a color scheme, music, or another detail. It’s not about copying a concept, but it is about finding inspiration to improve your own content.
3. Find Your Niche
Luckily, Instagram happens to be one of those social media platforms where so many different types of creators can find their piece of cyberspace heaven.
As I said before, experiment with your content, but try to define your niche in the early stages.
Are you a makeup guru? Create viral Instagram content through makeup reviews. Do you fall into the category of cooking video posts? Create Instagram reels and explain your recipes in a fun and quirky way.
You can pick between so many niche categories. Find the one that suits your talents and skills, and most importantly – choose the one that makes you feel the most comfortable so you can create the perfect viral Instagram post.
4. Track Instagram Trends
Have you noticed the same or maybe similar sounds while scrolling through your Instagram reels? What you might have heard were very popular viral sounds on Instagram.
The catch here is that many people will use a certain Instagram feature in the hope of going viral, and that works very often.
When you hear an often repeated sound, video template, filter, or effect – save it for later.
You don’t have to create content right away using these viral cheat codes, but keep them for later or make your own spin based on the saved features.
5. Define Your Brand
Who are you when nobody’s watching? Yeah, let’s start with this.
Your brand and your digital identity are critical – be recognizable and unique because once you go viral, you will want your new followers to see how you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Why is this so important?
Many people will create viral Instagram content, but they do not stay relevant for too long. It’s like creating a one-hit wonder and going back to creating average content.
Once your content performs so great, make sure the people see your true value and maintain this newfound engagement.
6. Use Relevant Hashtags
Instagram hashtags can be a huge boost for generating growth. They can affect the Instagram algorithm and bring you a thousand followers in moments if you use them properly.
Using specific and relevant hashtags would definitely help you go viral on Instagram.
A definite no-go would be banned hashtags. Using them would get you the opposite effects of going viral – you could possibly get shadow-banned, aka invisible to most users.
7. Engage With Other Posts
Many Instagram users will try almost everything to create traffic for their own viral content, yet they will not engage with other Instagram accounts with similar or the same content as their own.
The more you give, the more you get might sound strange in this context, but it is one way to improve your followers list and potentially go viral on Instagram and other social media platforms.
You might have a set intent and want to create viral content, but try liking, commenting, and creating traffic for another Instagram account.
8. Engage With Other Creators
Regardless if it’s about reacting to other users’ Instagram posts or Instagram stories, it is good for your socials, but also for your real-life relationship with other creators.
Having a unique and creative voice to express your ideas is one thing, but how about creating some more engagement by interacting with other Instagram creators on your Instagram feed?
Your viral post might require creating content that includes other users. Kindly ask the other user for an Instagram collab. Create photo content with the same merch or stitch video content. Create your portion of the video and allow the other creator to create theirs and stitch them together or create a mash-up of sorts.
Expose other creators to your existing following and get exposed to a new potential target audience. Viral Instagram content is possible with more potential viewers.
9. Figure Out The Best Time To Post
Very often, it really comes down to finding the best time to post on Instagram.
Making viral Instagram content can mean you become incredibly popular on the entire app, but it can also mean posting a viral video in your area or region.
There are no rules set in stone for finding the right posting times. Do remember, though, that it really does mean a lot from where you post and who is watching your content on their explore feed.
10. Be Consistent
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but creating a schedule for your posts and actually sticking to them will increase engagement and the chance of having viral Instagram content.
Even when things don’t go viral on Instagram right away, don’t mess up your posting schedule.
Decide which days are the ones you wish to post short videos or photo content. Keep up with your selected time schedule and publish posts on time.
This will successfully affect the algorithm to get you followers, and you could eventually also go viral on Instagram.
11. Recreate Viral Posts
Ever seen a fantastic viral post and wondered – hey, I could do that, but better!
I’m here to tell you to go for it if you would like to give it a try. Make it similar, but also give it your personal touch. You don’t want to be a boring copycat.
This way, many viral sounds are being slightly altered in the hopes of getting new viral music sounds.
12. Create A Contest Or Giveaway
Don’t forget to celebrate your existing followers. Did you know you could boost engagement by creating a giveaway?
Simply ask the contestants to like and share certain posts and also tag their friends, and that way, you can get even more followers!
Milestones in your follower count should be celebrated, so give back to the community you wish to build.
Go ahead and give it a try, as this is a wonderful move, and you might be surprised by the results.
13. Create Sponsored Posts
Sponsored content on Instagram and other platforms is the quickest way to get exposed to someone else’s explore page or Instagram story.
Here, you will be able to basically pay Instagram and pick the demographic you want to reach.
This does not guarantee going viral on its own since many ads are not just related to unique users but simply to brands that wish to have their ads across their social media channels.
14. Use Captions
Captions can be used to simply give more details about your video. Informing your viewers, for example, about the location of stunning scenery.
When it comes to viral videos, captions should be used in a specific way.
Practice writing very short and concise captions. Of course, if you are making a heartfelt video about something significant in your life, you go ahead and write that extra-long caption.
For viral videos, the rule is – to write them short and sweet. Alternatively, make a little joke and use an emoji.
15. Make Your Sound
Viral sounds on Instagram are often seen as the most relatable ones. If you find yourself confident enough to speak your mind, you might like this.
Instead of using an already viral sound, how about simply making a joke, a sarcastic remark, or giving some kind of inspirational advice to Instagram users?
Simply record a video without any prerecorded sound in it. It might be seen as something many people either find funny or can easily relate to, and et voilà – that’s also how to go viral on Instagram!
16. Find Your Own Voice
It only makes sense that I now tell you that spontaneous and unexpected moments recorded at the right time sometimes make the best material for creating viral content.
It doesn’t have to strictly be within your niche, but it can be something funny, unusual, shocking, or quirky that is related to your niche but also your Instagram persona.
Sometimes it takes a little creativity push and being unapologetically yourself to get quickly exposed to a large audience in moments.
What Type Of Content Goes Viral?
The type of content that has the most potential to be viral Instagram content can get the audience hooked in moments.
The focus here is on short-form videos, and it’s mostly revolving around 7-second videos in combination with viral sounds and effects.
If you wish to speak about something in your video and go viral, try to make it as brief as possible.
Pro-tip: cut the non-speaking silent parts, so basically remove the moments when you take a breath. Try to make it sound as if you’re speaking in one go.
Comedy Sketch
A comedy sketch is very convenient since it can be used in so many different niche categories. Brighten up your account with some fun videos, look into the camera, and joke a little. This can go viral as well.
Inspirational Videos
One short and simple quote might make someone’s day. Although many people prefer to view quotes in a post, why not amp it up and create viral content by simply recording a voice-over?
Make a combination of your everyday nostalgic videos and make a voice-over recording where you read a beautiful quote. You can also share your own wisdom.
Advice and Tips
Do you have some random life hacks that have made your life easier, and you’re always surprised by how much this can help a friend of yours?
Sharing advice, tips, and life hack is a fantastic way to go viral because it’s something the followers not only like, but also might need. Many people will stop scrolling, watch it and also maybe save it for later.
Conclusion
Create viral Instagram content to reach an entirely new side of Instagram and show your true colors.
Go viral by posting reels that can get your audience curious, but always keep up with the latest trending Instagram features.
Going viral on Instagram through individual posts is an outstanding feeling, but try to look behind the horizon – create a digital portrait of yourself on Instagram that can become and stay relevant beyond viral video content.
FAQ
How many views make a video viral?
The traditional viral video is considered to be a video that gains around 5 million views in a very short time frame.
As the content demands are changing, viral videos for an individual account are the ones that simply get a lot more engagement than usual and are directly exposed to the target audience.
How much do viral videos make?
Compared to TikTok, which has a specific Creator fund and pays its creators to go viral, the situation for Instagram is different.
Instagram will push your content further if you are an exceptional creator, but it will not pay for views. Even if you do have viral posts, you can not expect payments from Instagram directly.
How do I go viral fast?
Create viral content by making your videos as short as possible and getting your audience hooked. Make it bold and simple with a clear point and message, and talk about something relatable or current events.
Some users will make a single post, and immediately go viral on Instagram.
