The Best Tips to Create Viral Articles that Many Writers Don’t Know About.

Half the magic lies in the headline but the other half….

“What creates a viral article?”

If you ask people, most will say that they don’t know. Even the writers claim that they don’t know which piece will go viral till it happens.

But what sets a viral article apart from an ordinary one?

What tasty ingredients create virality?

Articles that go viral do have some things in common, seasoned pros use these hacks to create one banger after the other while the newbies sometimes manage to strike the right chords unknowingly as well.

This is the reason why you see so many writers come and go as quickly as their first viral post. They’re often not aware of what it takes to constantly kill it.

If you’ve managed to create a viral post already then this article will help you create another one because you already have the potential that it takes to grab attention.

If you’re still trying then don’t worry cuz this is a roadmap to virality. It doesn’t get any easier than this.

Your headline should give confidence to the reader

Why do we turn to articles?

We mostly do it to clarify our confusion about a certain topic. In fact, millions of people turn to search engines like Google or Pinterest to end their confusion.

There are two main reasons for clicking an article:

1. We want to be shown the way because we are confused about a certain thing (could be anything from selecting the right wallpaper for your living room to choosing the most profitable side-hustle).

2. We want to satiate our curiosity because the headline intrigues us.

These are the main reasons that people click on the articles. And our headline determines how high this click-rate is going to be.

Our headline offers a glimpse into the article, it’s a promise that we make to the readers. Now, the clearer the promise, the more people will click on it.

Headline undoubtedly plays a 50% role in creating a viral post.

What makes a strong headline?

A solid headline is not only easily understood but also has a clear takeaway.

For example:

“Interesting ways in which ketone bodies are mobilized which end up burning fat”, now, this headline is targeting a select group of people who have some understanding of ketone bodies and general human metabolism.

The title makes it look like some biology lecture and let me tell you that very few people are willing to learn more about science outside of their school hours.

Now consider this next heading that has been created for the same article:

“How adopting a keto-diet will make you lose unwanted fat faster”.

I bet that most people will click on the second heading without question because that heading has the following irresistible components:

• It is reader-centric ( it doesn’t sound like some boring research paper).
• It has a clear takeaway/promise (it claims that readers will lose fat faster after adopting the said method).
• It is easily understandable ( everyone has heard about keto-diet).

This is how you can increase the chances of your article going viral by making the headline as relatable and reader-friendly as possible.

Common headline mistakes that ruin a clickability of an article:

• Adding words that are not widely comprehensive (the words that will require readers to seek help from Merriam Webster in order to understand them).
• No clear takeaway (A headline that doesn’t offer clear value gets scrolled by).
• Writing headlines where you’re the focus,e.g, how I overcame depression ( people don’t want to read about you, they only want to take the tips that you’ve to offer them).
• Headlines focusing on more than one thing at a time ( keep it as simple as possible, if you offer too much at once you risk overwhelming your readers).

These are some common mistakes that are often overlooked by writers. Next time you write an article, make sure to sweat over your headline a bit.

Extra tip: Take time to come up with the most suitable and reader-friendly headline. Don’t treat the headline like an afterthought because your headline can either make or break your article.

Create a sense of exclusivity

What do the Birkins and Louis Moinet have in common other than a shocking price tag?

It’s their exclusivity.

It’s the scarcity of their products that makes them so appealing to the crowd. Humans like to show off and what better way to show off than a bag you know that the majority of people can never afford.

Not everyone can afford a Birkin yet most people know about it, so, why does a bag that most people won’t ever buy create such hype?

Why don’t other pretty and sturdy bags with a more affordable price tag get the same if not more attention?

Well, it’s because of our need to set ourselves apart from the crowd. The scarcity of a product creates this sense of urgency which makes it easier for the customer to act faster.

By creating an exclusive environment, we take the decision-making right from our consumer’s hands by deciding for them.

The exclusivity creates an urgency that keeps the person from second-guessing his actions and thus he acts immediately.

This clever tactic applies to your article and blog as well.

When you add things like, “(insert topic) that many people don’t know” or, “the insider’s secrets to (insert anything)”, you create a sense of exclusivity which makes it easier for the reader to click on the headline.

Why should you create exclusivity?

• It makes it easier for the readers to click on the article because you make the decision for them by creating suspense.
• The promise of discovering something unique intrigues the readers.

The opening paragraph should be short and to the point

Most writers make the very commonly overlooked mistake of writing an absolutely monotonous opening paragraph which catapults the reader into closing the article as fast as they open it.

Remember, this is not your English essay where you’ve to write useless paragraphs to fulfill the word requirement.

Neither is it some fictional novel where you’ve to paint a verbal picture before diving into the topic.

People mostly frequent Medium for guidance so you’ve to make sure that the opening of your article offers them just that instead of a paragraph full of useless information.

People have an extremely short attention span and most of them are not willing to read a word beyond what they need.

A long, boring monologue either gets skipped or worse, the reader exits the article.

Most folks like their articles the same way they like their movies: a bit of mystery, action, and a lot of constantly changing scenery.

These are the main ingredients of any type of content that gains popularity among a larger crowd.

Utilize your monologue to create anticipation which will keep your readers hooked till the very last line.

A solid monologue can increase the chances of your article going viral by 100-folds.

Extra tip: write your monologue like a well-written summary of an intriguing novel or like an attention-grabbing movie trailer.

Tease your audience with a promise of exciting information without giving too much away. This will keep them hooked till the end.

Your article should actually be useful

Sensationalizing your content without adding real value to it will gain you views quickly but over time it’ll get you labeled as a clickbait.

Over-hyping your content without adding solid value to it will affect your credibility.

Don’t oversell what or where you are, especially in today’s industry. It is easier now than ever to be found out as a big-talking beginner or a liar. On the other hand, honesty is a strength; use it.__Loren Weisman

Believe me, ten consistent readers are better than a hundred momentary ones. Never compromise the value of your content, try to make your headlines interesting but don’t promise something you know your article can’t deliver.

To make an article viral, you need to make sure that it can carry on its own if the scintillating headlines are removed.

What makes an article go viral?

It’s either invaluable advice or content that people can’t resist sharing.

A clickbait article will get the views of people who’ll directly come across it but a truly valuable article will spread like a wildfire because people rush to share content they find interesting.

Note that the value can be of any type: It can be a cool self-improvement article or it can spill secrets about celebrities.

Both are entirely different yet both offer something: The former adds value while the latter provides entertainment.

Never compromise on quality, your growth may be slow but it’ll be steady.

Extra tip: you don’t have to be an expert to write an invaluable article. The Internet has made it easy for us to acquire knowledge and experience. Research a few days or try out a new technique to gain experience and insight before you recommend it to others.

Don’t go off-topic

The most viral things are the ones with clear-cut takeaways. If the purpose of your article is not clear throughout then you need to edit it.

Stay on topic and don’t deviate from it. Often, the writers stray from their focal topic while writing an article.

For example, I wrote this article to teach you how to make more shareable and potentially viral content.

I had a dozen opportunities to introduce the concept of SEO in this article but I didn’t do it because SEO demands a separate article of its own which I’ll soon write.

Also, I think most people throw in buzzwords like SEO and virality together which distorts the article and takes away the value.

The constant usage of such buzzwords creates a hyped-up nothing which to some extent overshadows the author’s lack of knowledge without making the author appear too inexperienced.

It’s like throwing around words like electrolytes, and omega-fats in a health talk without knowing how they work.

So, focus on adding the maximum value to the topic at hand without deviating from it. Don’t try to take refuge in the buzzwords, improve yourself by researching and experimenting to provide an in-depth value to your readers.

This will not only increase the chances of your article going viral but it’ll also make you memorable.

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