The question “How to go viral on Instagram” has popped into the mind of every Instagrammer aiming to grow on the platform.
While going viral is unpredictable, and takes time and patience, it can help you promote your brand and gain more Instagram followers.
With these benefits in mind, you may wonder how you can go viral on Instagram, and how long it takes to get viral. That’s what we’re going to uncover in this blog. Let’s dive in!
What Does Going Viral on Instagram Mean?
When a post goes viral on Instagram, it gains rapid popularity and spreads across the platform like wildlife. This means getting significant likes, views, and shares from users who are not your original audiences.
There’s no magic number of engagements that defines a viral Instagram post. It largely depends on the Instagram algorithm, your niche, the size of your audience, and the overall trends of the time.
What Are the Benefits of Going Viral on Instagram?
Going viral shouldn’t be the main goal in your Instagram marketing as it’s usually unpredictable. However, it can offer a few advantages to your brand and business:
- Increase Brand Awareness: Creating viral content is a killing brand awareness strategy for Instagram.
- Boost Sales and Revenue: More popularity and brand awareness will increase sales and revenues.
- Attract New Customers: Viral content can also build trust and credibility for your brand leading to new customers.
How to Go Viral on Instagram?
With those benefits in mind, here are some proven strategies to create viral content on Instagram.
How to Go Viral on Instagram
1. Create Reels
Our first tip on how to go viral on Instagram is certainly to create reels. Instagram reels have the most growth potential compared to other types of posts. According to reports in 2024, reels get 22% more interaction than standard videos.
It’s recommended to post in a 70-20-10 ratio, meaning 70% of your posts should be reels, 20% carousels, and 10% reposts of your best-performing and worst-performing content.
How to Go Viral on Instagram Reels?
Let’s explore the most effective tips to create viral reels on Instagram:
How to Go Viral on Instagram Reels
1. Create Shareable Reels
The most engagement metric related to going viral on Instagram reels is the number of shares. More shares translate to more views.
In fact, one share equals 400 views on Instagram. Here are some popular Instagram reel content ideas that encourage people to share your post:
- Funny Content: What makes people laugh, like memes or relatable jokes, tempts them to share it.
- Inspirational and Motivational Content: Posts like quotes can encourage users to hit the share button.
- Educational Content: Multiple tips, listicles, ideas, recommendations, or any educational content that lets users learn new things.
- Relatable Content: People love content that they can easily connect with or understand.
- Controversial or Unpopular Opinion: Don’t be afraid to go against common beliefs in fashion, food, lifestyle, or any other niche.
- Trending Topics or Breaking News: Make sure people are interested in what you create. Pay attention to seasonality and popularity.
Check out this reel that gained over 140M views in 2021. It’s a user-generated relatable video with a short caption.
2. Increase Your Reel’s Watch Time
High watch time is something the Instagram algorithm loves most. It indicates users are spending more time on the app which generates more revenue for Instagram. Here’s how you can increase your reel’s watch time:
- Create 5-10 seconds reels with high re-watch time or instead, try longer reels (up to 1 minute) with higher watch time. But first off, research to find out what length of reels works in your niche. You’d better observe competitors at your level and not those big ones. If you’re making a longer video, give your audience a compelling reason to watch it till the end.
- Start your first 3 seconds of your reel with a strong hook like a surprising fact or a catchy question.
- Add visual effects from simple zooming in and out to transitions and filters to make your reels more engaging. Vibrant colors, creative effects, and seamless transitions will catch the eye.
For example, look how this short reel from Samsung went viral in 2023 and got up to 300M views, thanks to using high-quality visuals, short length, and following trends (BTS group).
3. Use Trending Music in Your Reels
One proven strategy to reach more people on Instagram is to add trending music to your reels. This way, you tap into an existing audience already engaged with that sound. However, when using Instagram reels trends, choosing the one that fits your content and brand is important.
4. Write Short & Engaging Captions
Reports suggest that short Instagram captions with 21 to 50 characters work best and get an engagement rate of 7.29%. So, write captions in two sentences or fewer. Moreover, start your caption with open-ended questions like “Have you tried this” or “What do you think about this”.
5. Add Call-to-Action to Your Reels
You don’t need to be shy to ask your audience to do something for you directly. Ask them to like your reel, leave a comment, share, or save it.
6. Add Texts-on-the-Screens to Your Reel
Inserting text overlays like titles, speech bubbles, or closed captions into your reels can increase their accessibility. Many people can watch the videos with the sound off and get your key messages easily. It’s best to use multiple pieces of text in your reel videos.
2. Optimize Your Instagram Account
If you’re wondering how to make a post go viral on Instagram, then, rank for SEO. Instagram SEO simply improves your visibility, reach, and discoverability and that’s what going viral means. Here are the key points to optimize your IG account:
- Add your main keywords to your Instagram username and bio.
- Optimize every single post with keywords in the captions and text overlays.
Well-optimized Instagram Profile
3. Post Consistently at the Best Time
Consistency goes a long way when it comes to creating viral content. The more content you post on Instagram, the more chances of reaching a broader audience. Let’s discover how regularly posting can help you go viral on Instagram:
- Consistency keeps your followers engaged and coming back for more content.
- It also allows your content to appear more frequently in the Instagram algorithm, being seen by more people.
- Regularly posting can increase your Instagram engagement. Since your followers know you’re posting actively, they’re more likely to like, comment, or share your content.
- In addition, the Instagram algorithm shows the posts that get early engagement to more users.
Create an IG content calendar in which you identify how often you should post on Instagram. Also, monitor your insights regularly to define the best times to post on Instagram.
4. Publish High-Quality Content
Here’s a magic recipe for going viral on Instagram: first, develop an aesthetic and theme for your feed. Second, create visually appealing and engaging content that stands out in users’ feeds.
Don’t forget to use high-resolution images, captivating videos, and compelling captions. Instagram likes original content. So, think outside the box and add your personal touch to the content.
High-quality Content on Instagram
5. Follow the Trends
Social media are all about trends. Following up with popular challenges, songs, and topics helps you reach a larger audience on Instagram. Here’s how to use trends to go viral on Instagram.
- Regularly monitor Instagram Explore, hashtags, reels, stories, relevant accounts, and influencers to stay updated on trends.
- Make sure the trend fits your brand identity and values.
- Add your unique style. Don’t rely on copying. Remember, Instagram values original content.
- Once you identified trends, use them quickly as they have a short life.
- Like, comment, and share other users’ content related to the trend.
6. Know Your Audience
No virality happens on Instagram without creating content that interests your target audiences. Follow these three simple steps to know your target audience:
- Define Your Target Audience: Know their demographics, interests, hobbies, pain points, etc. Let’s put it this way: create a detailed buyer persona.
- Do Audience Research: Instagram insights, surveys, or competitor analysis can help you get valuable info about your audience like what influencers they follow, and what hashtags they’re interested in.
- Engage with Your Audience: Interacting with your followers through comments, DMs, and stories allows you to hit two birds with one stone: Gather insightful data about them, and build a stronger connection with them.
7. Leverage User-Generated Content
You may wonder how user-generated content can help you go viral on Instagram. Let’s explain it:
Users trust real opinions from real customers. When people share their experiences, they’re actually promoting your brand. Thus, this type of content gets more engagement and reach leading to going viral on Instagram. If you want to make the most of your UGC, consider these tips:
- Get your fans to create UGC for you through contests, challenges, and relevant hashtags.
- Repost user-generated content on your feed and stories and mention the creators to give them credit.
- Partner with relevant influencers to create a UGC that resonates with your audience.
User-generated Content on Instagram
8. Engage with Your Followers
A strong community is essential for going viral on Instagram. Here are some strategies to build one:
- Reply to comments and DMs.
- Ask questions in your captions.
- Run polls or quizzes in your stories.
- Engage with relevant accounts’ posts. Like their posts or leave comments on their posts.
9. Use Hashtags Effectively
Just like any other methods mentioned above, hashtags can increase your discoverability, reach, and engagement. Here are some helpful tips for using hashtags effectively:
- Identify and use popular hashtags related to your content.
- Avoid banned hashtags.
- Don’t stuff your post with too many irrelevant hashtags.
- Try branded hashtags to promote user-generated content.
- Keep an eye on trending hashtags to use for trending events.
Wrap Up
You learned how to go viral on Instagram and improve your brand awareness. Remember, there’s no guarantee for virality on Instagram. It usually takes time, patience, and consistency. So, regularly post high-quality content, specifically reels and carousels, with short captions. Don’t forget to add CTAs and hooks to your posts.
Ready to Go Viral on Instagram? Here’s how AiGrow can help you:
At AiGrow, dedicated account managers take over your Instagram account and grow it with the most updated Instagram marketing strategies. From designing catchy reels to writing engaging captions, everything is on our expert teams. We guarantee 1000% reach and thousands of new followers in the first 4 Weeks. Want to make your Instagram posts go viral?
How to Go Viral on Instagram: FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the topic:
1. How Long Does It Take to Go Viral on Instagram?
The time it takes for a post to go viral on Instagram can vary widely. Some posts might gain popularity within hours, while others might take days, weeks, or even months to catch on.
In other words, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer as it depends on factors like the content’s quality, relevance, timing, and how well it resonates with the audience.
2. How Many Views Do You Need to Go Viral on Instagram?
The number of views needed on Instagram to go viral depends on different factors. However, posts with 100,000+ views have more chances of going viral.
3. How Many Likes Are Needed to Go Viral on Instagram?
There’s no exact number of likes for going viral on Instagram. But around 100,000 likes is a good benchmark for viral content on Instagram.
4. How to Make Your Song Go Viral on Instagram?
Here are some effective tips you can use within your music marketing strategies to make your song viral:
- Add your song to how-to videos and mood videos.
- Be authentic and tell your own story.
- Collaborate with influencers.
- Engage with your fans and followers.
- Use Instagram Live and stories to engage with your audience directly.
5. How to Make a Picture Go Viral on Instagram?
If you want your Instagram image to go viral on the platform, consider these tips:
- Use high-quality images with the right angles and lighting.
- Utilize carousels to tell a story and encourage users to swipe.
- Add short, engaging captions to your images.
- Use your keywords in your caption and alt-text.
6. How to Make a Video Go Viral on Instagram?
Instagram videos have more potential to go viral on this platform. Just make sure to follow these tips:
- Add strong hooks to the first seconds of your video.
- Use text overlays, filters, and effects in your videos.
- Leverage trending music, hashtags, and transitions.
- Use call-to-actions in your videos. Ask your followers to like, share, and save.
