I Don’t Want You To Go Viral — Thoughts From a Social Media Manager

First, A Little Disclaimer

This is my opinion. I am not saying it is true for every single person in every single scenario. I am saying that, in general, I believe that the goal of a social media profile should not be to go viral. 

Who Am I To Have An Opinion On This?

Hey there, I’m Drew (he/him). Among other things, I manage the social media department here at Webfor. This means that I compile social strategies, craft social content, engage with users on behalf of our clients, and more. This also means that I spend ample time on social media in my personal life. I constantly see people only following the trends on TikTok or Instagram with hopes of going viral. This isn’t a bad move…if your goal is to have just 15 minutes of fame. So let’s dive in!

Why Going Viral Shouldn’t Be The Goal

Sure, going viral has its perks — brand awareness, potential following boost, and the opportunity to hold users’ attention momentarily. 

But those perks fade. And they can fade fast. I’m talking overnight, just like you can go viral overnight. 

Going viral is only a short-term success*

*That can have lasting effects on your long-term growth — more on this later. 

So What Should Be The Goal?

My goal for our social media clients is to have long-term, sustainable business growth. Going viral might encourage a spike in sales or services booked, but that viral post alone does not create the relationship that will sustain your business.

I think we first must take a step back and assess what the purpose of the social profile is. Here are a few common purposes:

• Brand awareness
• Sales
• Gain followers
• Engage with clients/customers
• Feature clients/customers

Let’s Talk It Out

Let’s assume we’re working with the Human Rights Campaign. Their main goal might be brand awareness because that’s how they’re able to do their non-profit work. The more people that know about and follow them, the more likely they are to get donations, spread information, etc. In this case, going viral could be crucial to HRC’s overall impact.

Now let’s say we’re working with Johnny Appleseed Local Farmer. As a local farmer, Johnny wants to gain brand awareness in his local community. While going viral might be beneficial here, it is likely not going to be sustainable for Johnny’s long-term growth, and could even overwhelm Johnny’s business if he goes “too viral” and can’t keep up with fresh fruit and vegetable orders nationally. In this case, going viral could be detrimental to Johnny Appleseed Local Farmer’s business. 

How To Set & Reach Your (True) Social Media Goals

Social media management is hard. It’s time consuming, mentally and creatively draining, and just one more “to do” for you. But that’s where Webfor comes in. 🙂

We help build your brand and cultivate a community of brand ambassadors (read: followers) to help market your products and services. Speak directly to your customers, get feedback from potential customers, and reach untapped markets with our inclusive, engaged, and collaborative social media service. 

Let us handle the difficult and time consuming tasks so you can focus on what matters most — your business.