Creating Engaging Content That Goes Viral: 10 Steps to Mastery

You did not click this content by chance, but because you felt it will offer a solution you badly need.

Are you looking for help to create engaging content? If yes, then you are reading the right content meant just for that.

When creating a post, you must aim at creating engaging and viral content that will drive the needed free traffic to your site.

Any committed writer who wants to give readers value will go out of his or her way to serve the right stuff for the eyes, minds, and attention of the reader.

Creating engaging content is a skill and an art that is developed over time, but it can also be learned through constant write-ups such as this.

As an author who loves writing creative narratives, blog posts, how-to, and news items, I have gained a lot of insight from many diverse fields and experiences from my ten years of writing journey. Hence I can take a story by another writer and say, this story is excellent, but it is poorly written or arranged.

Such write-ups are typical of journalists and writers who work with media houses. Some never hook readers to key issues, and most of such contents are too flat. 

With the relevant know-how, you can make such content go viral when you write your version of the same story. This is the skill and knowledge this post is intended to provide you. 

One thing is clear in engaging, content, and that it, they hook you from the word go and get you glued till the end.

1. Develop and craft an engaging introduction

The first lesson to learn and master in creating engaging and viral content is to know how to develop and craft an engaging introduction that captures the reader’s attention.

This is what we call the hook.

 

While a quote may be the best option in some instances, a definition may also be good or a unique introduction that informs the reader of what the content is about. Look at the first two paragraphs of this post. 

 

2. Powerful headline or title

A powerful headline can play a key role in creating engaging and viral content. However, a powerful headline is relative, but ask yourself which title will make you want to read the content? It is the title that will attract the reader to want to click the link to read. Hence craft it well.

 

3. Have your audience in mind

Your readers are your audience. We must target the post or content at a set of audiences. Which people will be interested in my write-up? Teachers? Content developers or farmers. You should know the kind of readers you are targeting when creating content.

This will help in directing the content to their needs.

 

 

Let me add quickly that there are contents that cut across the general audience, which must also follow the basics discussed above.

Engaging content trends hence, always work on developing such content.

After getting a few contents to go viral, you should find out the similarities between them and integrate that knowledge into subsequent write-ups.

 Also Read: Verify Google My Business in 2021 [Video] : Ultimate Guide

4. Source of information for creating engaging content

Each content is unique, but engaging content may either relate to a trending story in the local scene or international domain. Trending content can be found on google trends, local trending news portals, and breaking news. Other sources could be the google discovery on your phone or CNN and BBC’s big stories of the day. 

Another way to create engaging content is to create what I call a default story post. These are unique and attention-grabbing content you create on important topics and controversial issues. A typical example is what you are still reading.

Such contents just like others need extensive research and experience to add credibility and make them relevant to the readers. Very often such stories go beyond a few hundred words to 1000 or more words.

Your experience and lessons learned in a given situation, work environment, and the like can serve s a great foundation for such content as well. In this write-up, I am transferring my knowledge and experience acquired over the years.

 

5. Quality or good content appeals to emotions

Engaging content appeals to readers’ emotions. Such stories may be human-centered. Can you imagine how many people would click to read a story titled “Unexplained mystery: Missing 2 Yr-old boy resurfaces at age 20” Nearly everyone would love to read this or find out what happened in his life for the 18 years he got lost and how he resurfaced. 

This is where your storytelling skills will come to play. The truth is that content that blends storytelling with facts and accurate data engages readers who will easily share the content after reading. If you have the power of storytelling, use it to your advantage in developing your content. In short, a post with a narrative generates more reading and interest.

 

6. Choose great visuals or images for the post

Choose images for the content and the feature image carefully because they play a key role. Using the example above, we can use a picture at age two and now as the feature image of the post. That would perfectly match the title.

Driving reader engagement with quality and well-selected visual elements that match the title or the keyword in the heading helps reflects the content from the inside to the outside. 

7. Sentence structure and length is key in engaging content

Excessive use of long winding compound-complex sentences is irritating. When you write, introduce variety in sentence construction.

Use the right words and diction to drive home the information you want to carry along.

8. Keep readers in suspense while creating engaging content

Make sure the reader wants to read till the end but holding back a few vital information then release them gradually. Content must be engaging, informative, and interesting to keep readers coming back for more. Get a good start or hook, keep the reader in suspense and always be creative, smart, and intelligent in coming out with your headlines or post titles. 

9. Facts add value to post quality and credibility

Support contents with facts and related authoritative links called permalinks. Seek the opinions of experts and introduce them into the content. A permalink is a link introduced into content that when clicked leads the reader to another page or source. 

 

ALSO READ: How to rank using Search Engine Optimization and Google Search Console

10: Bonus: Controversy sells when creating engaging content

Engaging content could be a well-written controversial post. When every content developer is saying the murderer deserves to be jailed, do your research and play the devil’s advocate. 

These are the basics of developing engaging content. Editing is key and helps to improve the content. Planning the content further increases your chances of abetter outcome. Keep practicing, keep learning, and you will surely get better soon. It lies in your power take a look at this content titled: Viral Content; Inside the Minds of Online Content Consumers ‘

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Source: Ghanaeducation.org