5-Steps to Writing a Viral Post

There is an art to getting seen on social media. And it's not by tagging your friends, family or other random people.

You have to write content that goes places.

Viral posts are particularly powerful because they have HUGE reach and can do wonders for your business, brand, and lead generation.

Over the past couple of years, I've put together a formula that works for me and many of the clients that have worked with us at BloomingBound.

5-Steps to a Viral Post on LinkedIn

Here are 5-Steps that work for us:

1) Make the Post Personal.

People want to hear about you. They don't want to hear about "some guy" that you know.

They want to hear about real things and real experiences that you have been through or that you are still going through.

Be honest and willing to get uncomfortable Share your struggles, trials, and tribulations.

When it comes to social media, people follow and purchase from you because they feel a genuine connection. People buy from people. When you step outside of your comfort zone, you're going to start connecting with a lot more people.

2) Be vulnerable.

As uncomfortable as this will make you feel, you will want to be vulnerable at times. But not all the time. Use this strategically.

Keep out details that could potentially hurt yourself or somebody else. Otherwise, being honest and saying what REALLY happened will help you gain credibility and connect with your audience.

We are human, so personal stories often resonate with people that have been through the same thing. If you are going through something or have been through it already, chances are that many other people can relate.

When you put yourself out there, it will help more people connect with your story and ultimately with you. This leads to buying decisions and can make your sales calls much more enjoyable for everyone.

3) Use Specific Examples Whenever Possible.

Try not to use adjectives like "best" or "great". Do not make blanket statements. Use very specific examples whenever possible.

For example, instead of saying I wasn't the best student, you might say "I graduated from college in 6 years with a 2.6 GPA."

Being specific helps to connect with people and makes your content much more memorable.

4) Use an Opening Line That Gets Attention.

Make bold statements that catch people's attention. Your first line sets the tone of the post and it lets the reader know if it is worth their time OR if they should continue scrolling.

You could have written the best post ever, but if no one actually reads it, then nobody will know how great it is.

5) Leave Your Reader with a Memorable Last Line.

Believe it or not, the last line of a post is often the most important line in the entire post. You want to leave the reader with something so strong they can't help but click "like", leave a comment, and then share it with their whole network!

The best content gets people to think "Oh, that is so true!" or "That is so inspiring!".

You want people to feel a strong, positive reaction when they read your content.

Here is the last line to the above story about graduating college with a low GPA. This line is what drove most of the virality of the post:

This resonated with so many people because it brought the story narrative full circle. Even though I didn't have the best grades, I still managed to become successful. Today, I give other people a chance, because I know that they are much more than their resume.

That's it! Start Writing.

Give this strategy a try and let me know how it works for you. Everyone is different, so it's not a one-size-fits-all-solution.

Viral posts get a lot of views. The more views you get, the faster you will grow your business.

Hope this helps.

And yes, I really wrote a post that got over 18 million views on LinkedIn.

Good luck!

About the Author

Gary is an entrepreneur and military veteran that deployed overseas in 2011. He has worked in Finance and Marketing leadership roles at Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies and has been involved in multiple startups. He started growing his following on LinkedIn in 2019.

Today, he helps other entrepreneurs grow to 30k engaged followers in 12 months or less while building multiple income streams.

You can learn more here: www.BloomingBound.com