Let’s talk for a moment about the formula for making content go viral or better yet let’s put that term aside because it creates unnecessary chaos.
I am not a fan of hunting elephants as a business strategy for most companies. That is because it is a huge time suck and if you have limited resources it is the kind of thing that can kill you.
In concept the idea of going viral is wonderful. Suddenly you are exposed to millions of people and bam! You are an internet success, or are you?
Infrastructure Demands/Bounce Rates/Retention
I am not trying to splash cold water on your face but when I hear about going viral I think about all of the things that need to be in place.
If you are selling product/services I wonder if you have the infrastructure in place to meet the increased demand. I wonder if the traffic bump will bring down your site, if you can meet the needs of the new customers and what happens to your reputation if you can’t.
Some people might think about this as being a good problem to have and in concept it might be. But that assumes that you produce that magical piece of content that touches a nerve, most people don’t.
There is a reason why we talk about slow and steady beating the mad dash. If you are running a marathon you win by maintaining your pace and making careful moves.
The guy in the presentation is a sharp guy who has a good eye for picking out stories but look at how much time he is putting in and ask yourself if you have the resources to dedicate like that or if you would be better served by slow and steady.
You still win baseball games by hitting singles and doubles and they come more frequently than home runs.
Hi Josh,
I never liked viral content concept. I want people to really learn from what I tell and vice versa. Viral content is good for entertainment and is short lived. I would like to have far longer stable traffic on my site than a sudden spike leading to ghost town.:)
Hi Ashvini,
It was good to see you today. Stable traffic is my preference too. It is much easier and more effective to build on stability than to deal with the spikes.
Hi Josh
I suppose lots of stuff can go viral, but not all viral is going to make you a dime! If you are selling stuff you have to create physically like hair bows or wooden boxes, being your own production team and you get bombarded with orders, it could be a disaster. But if you are an affiliate to something or have your own ebook or course it should be a blessing to get tons of orders.
Going viral probably only gets you a momentary recognition and soon you are forgotten as the next viral content comes along. Sort of like the “fifteen minutes of fame”. Great until the next shiny object (person) comes along. Most of us probably will never go viral, so settling for slow and steady is worth striving for.
Mary