hottest content pieces

Brannon Powers is a Content Specialist at Express Writers. Ever wanted to see a piece of your content go viral (aka, break the internet)? It’s a dream of many of us as marketers, but in order for a piece of content to “break the internet,” it needs to go viral in a big, big way: and it takes a special mix of things in order for content to be able to do that. In addition to being interesting, it also needs to have that special “something” that gives it an edge over the competition. In this post, we’re going to break down some of our favorite viral pieces and help you understand why and how they got that way. Keep reading. What Makes Viral Content… Viral? Viral content doesn’t just happen by accident. Instead, it’s a highly strategized and intentional form of content that draws upon a few proven, essential things to become popular. There have been multiple studies conducted on the topic of what it takes for content to go viral and every study finds the same things: great content has a series of traits that help it stand out to audiences. We’ll breakdown the 7 trademarks we think all viral content has in a moment: but first, we need to take a look at a few content pieces online that deserve everyone’s attention, so you can be inspired on what they did right. Drumroll please. Here are a few of the hottest content pieces on the web in our beloved industry, content marketing and SEO. 5 Content Pieces that Went Viral 1. “Google is Hiring an SEO Manager to Improve its Rankings in Google” – Search Engine Land One of the most-shared articles on Buzzsumo under the keyword “SEO,” this sucker earned more than 21,000 shares across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. The reason for this is clear: the headline is shocking. Anyone who knows anything about SEO would know that Google is a company that does SEO, so the fact that the king of the castle would have to hire a king to teach it to be king is shocking. To provide extra value for readers, this piece of content also includes a screenshot of Google’s own job listing and excerpts about the requirements and experience needed to qualify.   2. ”7 Social Media Experiments That Grew our Traffic by 241%”– Buffer  With more than 12.7 thousand total shares, this piece is a fantastic example of content gone viral. This article was shared on Twitter by HubSpot, SEMrush, and the Mayo Clinic’s Social Media Network department, to name a few. So what makes it notable? Well, to start with, it promises great things. The article is apparently aimed at marketers, and the implication that Buffer grew its traffic by 241% (a number so large it’s almost hard to comprehend) means, of course, that the people who read the article can, as well. It’s a confident statement, but since Buffer has already done it with their own content, they’re sending the clear message that their readers can, as well. When you visit the article, the writer also does an excellent job of getting right inside your head. The opening line is, “If you’ve asked this before…’How do we get more visitors to our website?’…you’re certainly not alone…” By making the content relatable for readers, the writer inspires trust as well and a relieving feeling of “oh yeah, he gets me.” Finally, the article uses a handful of really well-done images to demonstrate its point, break up the text, and provide proof of the headline’s claim. 3. “The Nit-Picking Glory of the New Yorker’s Comma Queen” – Ted Pop quiz: what made this headline go viral? Interest, authority, and visuals? Right, you are. This article is actually a video published by Ted. It has more than 11.7 thousand total shares, with more than 9 thousand shares on Facebook alone. But why? There are a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a video, which makes it perfect for social media and quick sharing. Second of all, the title is quirky, entertaining, and authoritative. “A comma queen?” the reader thinks, “What’s that? I must know!” Once the interest has been piqued, the reader absorbs the reference to The New Yorker, which is one of the most authoritative literary journals in the world right now, so the article immediately establishes credibility. Finally, the word “glory” promises that this will be entertaining, funny, or both. Oh, also, who cares about the Oxford comma? She does. 4. “3 Unusual Hacks to Dramatically Up Your LinkedIn Game” – Moz With more than 17 thousand shares, this Moz article by Larry Kim went viral in a big way. Can you guess why? First of all, it’s the first how-to article in this list, which makes it appealing to readers right off the bat. Secondly, it offers three points, and while longer lists do tend to rank well, this one communicates to readers that it’s immediately actionable, and absorbable now. As in: they can be using these tips on their LinkedIn accounts today. This piece does a few things right. First, it’s beautifully laid out, with plenty of white space to give the reader space to navigate through the content. Additionally, it makes use of graphics that make the reader feel like they’re wandering through a great story, like this one:   Thanks to the mix of helpful text and unique graphics that give the piece a distinctly festive and fairytale-esque feel that stands out, this piece manages to be exciting to readers while also being useful, relevant, and actionable. It’s also a long piece of content, which dives into the reader’s questions, answers them thoroughly, and offers plenty of evidence, screenshots, information, and proof to back the material in the content up. 5. “Why it’s Impossible for you not to Read this Sentence” –The Independent Why did this piece go viral? If you guessed the headline, you’re right. With upwards of 5,400 total shares, this article on brainwashing and the written word reached audiences across the … Read more