I’ll cut to the chase, you can’t plan to create viral LinkedIn posts. Or any other type of viral marketing.
Any marketer worth listening to will tell you that it’s not possible, or damn near impossible, to manufacture virality, or be sure that a post will resonate at a viral level.
The very definition of virality will differ depending on who you ask. Some consider viral content to be that which generates millions of likes and sales, while others may consider virality to be reaching an impressive number of clients across a niche industry.
My own definition of “going viral” across LinkedIn, is if your post reaches 100,000 impressions or more,
“Reach” can be tough on LinkedIn, and a number of factors (relevant to the account posting) determine a post’s reach, including: number of connections, who they are, and the account’s history. Content spreads well if it hits just the right wave of the algorithm but going into getting impressions into the millions is very tough, though not impossible.
In the 15 years I’ve been posting to Linkedin, I’ve only had 2 viral LinkedIn posts, or posts that meet my definition of virality.
The first was about Elon Musk as he switched Twitter to be called X, which hit just over 100,000 impressions.
The second one, however, really took off. It talked about the problem of selecting glasses in Specsavers, and currently stands at 310,827 impressions. Take a look and let me know which glasses you think I should buy.
Is there a key to virality?
What began as a throwaway idea late on Friday afternoon became a viral LinkedIn post over just a few days. I’ll never really know why the post went so crazy across the platform, but I’ve tried to rationalise why below.
First of all, the post goes against all the conventional social media best practice about posting to social media in general:
- No Hashtags
- No mass tagging of people
- It was posted late Friday afternoon, which is seen as a bad time
- It was posted in the twilight period just after Christmas when very few people were actually back at work
- The copy wasn’t extensive
- The selfies were bad (I couldn’t see)
- Analysing our viral LinkedIn post
My theory is:
- It had a story that people could relate to. Most people have chosen glasses at some point and struggled with getting the right pair.
- The photos weren’t curated or crafted (I’m generally bad at selfies).
- Even though it wasn’t the plan, many people saw it as a kind of poll and voted on which glasses I should choose.
- The day and timing meant that lots of people had switched off from work, and my post was easy to react to and comment on.
- I kept up with the comments on the post and engaged where I could, there were a lot of comments, so sorry If I didn’t reply to yours.
What did I gain from the post?
- I got into lots of people’s feeds I hadn’t reached before.
- I got some great connection requests in the business areas I’m focused on.
- I gained lots of new followers, some great, some not so great.
- It was all free coverage.
- I got a real buzz from seeing the number climb.
The stats on the post has updated since we took this screenshot
A word of warning – Fame fades fast
Yes, it was brilliant that this post did so well and my social graph shot through the roof, but soon after, normal service returned and my post reach dropped back to between 500 – 5,000. It can be that stark, one minute you are flying high and the next wondering where everyone went.
Coincidentally the follow-up post to the viral glasses post talked about its results, and reached a very respectable 10,010 impressions! – Pretty impressive, but sadly not an ultra meta viral LinkedIn post about going viral!
Consistency is the key to LinkedIn success
From my viral glasses post, I gained a lot of followers and interaction, but as I don’t post about glasses very often, that audience has understandably drifted away. However, I got lots of exposure from a post with a marketing angle that attracted a portion of my target audience – marketing managers and marketing directors.
With these new followers and connections, my aim is to continue to provide insightful content and information that will resonate with them, which has ultimately always been my goal across the platform. Sure, this content may have viral potential, but at the end of the day, it can just be valuable info. However, I advise that you stay open to ideas like my glasses posts, those that can catch the wind and fly, to create more opportunities for viral LinkedIn posts.
Looking to create viral LinkedIn posts – Don’t bother
If there was some formula that worked to guarantee a viral post on LinkedIn, or any other social media channel for that matter, then everyone would do it, which would level the playing field, and ultimately kill the concept of virality.
Instead of focusing on creating viral LinkedIn posts, focus on what value you can add for your target clients, which can be information, insights, funny posts, white papers, videos events etc. And if they happen to go viral then enjoy the ride, just don’t expect it to happen very often.
Can we help you with your LinkedIn marketing strategy?
Struggling with more than just what to post on LinkedIn?
We run LinkedIn marketing strategies and campaigns for lots of businesses, and if you are struggling with how to run your feed, there are a few ways we can help.
- Book your team on our LinkedIn Training Course.
- Get in touch and talk to us about how we can run your social media on LinkedIn using the form below.
