Going Viral isn’t ROI

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Everyone wants to go viral. But why? To us, virality isn’t the goal. It’s nice and fun when it happens, but it doesn’t always lead to the success we want. Think about it. What does going viral really do for a brand? Let’s talk about it.

What is “Going Viral?”

“Going viral” is what we say about a social media post that garners extreme attention in the form of engagement. It draws attention from all circles, gets people talking, starts trends, etc. We understand why this concept is exciting—especially for those who don’t have a complete understanding of how the social media marketing ecosystem works.

Clients often ask us, “Why aren’t our posts going viral?” “What are we doing wrong?”. The simple answer is that going viral is hard. For every social media post that gets lots of attention, millions more don’t. That doesn’t mean an effort is failing; it just means we didn’t get a lucky pluck from the algorithms, and the whole world may not be interested in our content. But what’s wrong with that?

Solid social media marketing means putting our audience first, and our audience isn’t the whole world.

Going Viral isn’t the Goal

Our priority for each client is ROI—whatever that means to them. For some, it’s donations and volunteers; for others, it’s sales and qualified leads. Every client is different. But we aren’t doing our job if we aren’t generating the necessary results. ROI and virality are not the same thing. Can a viral post reach some individuals who will convert into a participating audience member? Totally, and that’s great! But the success is short-term. In this scenario, there’s no downfall to going viral. It could lead to a brief spike in attention. Who doesn’t love results in all forms? But that’s not always the case.

When Going Viral Causes CHAOS

Picture this…Before you ask, yes, we’ve used this example before.

You own a restaurant with exciting menu options. You post a TikTok that goes viral and generates local attention. People are chomping to try your new menu item—how exciting! But the post keeps growing and growing.

Soon, you have a line around the block to try your food. Your staff is overwhelmed and can’t accommodate the crowd. You’re low on ingredients, customers get fed up with waiting, and it’s difficult to capitalize on the temporary success caused by the viral post.

Then, just as you’re starting to feel prepared for the anticipated rush, another restaurant in your area goes viral. Patrons flock there instead, and your business is back to normal.

Sure, it’s a specific example. But it’s all to say that attention spans on social media are short. Would you rather have a temporary flood of business or a sustainable network of interested and regular customers?

Here’s What to Do Instead

Our strategy, instead, focuses on building long-term relationships and sustainable growth with social media users who will remain interested in our content. Even if they don’t convert immediately, they will convert in the future. Going viral is fun; there’s no doubt about it. But consider this the next time you ask your social media team why your posts aren’t going viral. Is that REALLY your ultimate goal? Let us help you create a sustainable social media marketing strategy focused on ROI and results.