Every brand dreams of its “viral moment,” with millions of views, thousands of shares, and an influx of new customers overnight. That’s the dream, but the reality is that most brands only experience that level of fame once. Companies often spend years trying to recreate the success of a single campaign, only to find out that the reason they went viral in the first place wasn’t entirely within their control. While good creativity, timing, and audience understanding are important for going viral, luck and algorithms often play a larger role than many realize. The best brands use campaigns that go viral to their advantage because they know what to do after the attention arrives.
Why Virality Happens
Going viral is never guaranteed, as factors like timing, trends, algorithms, audience engagement, emotion, and luck all have to come together at the right time.
Some common traits of viral campaigns are:
- They spark emotion
- They’re easy to share
- They surprise people
- They encourage participation
- They arrive at the right moment
The problem is that these ingredients are incredibly difficult to recreate consistently, meaning that the chances of going viral are relatively low and often influenced by luck.
The One-Hit Wonder Problem
Campaigns are comparable to music, as a huge campaign can gain as much traction as a popular song. Similarly, brands that only shine during their 15 seconds of fame are comparable to one-hit wonders. Hitting the viral stage early can make it harder for brands and musicians to surpass the expectations that come from a hit song or memorable campaign. Audiences quickly become harder to surprise, and trends change extremely quickly, making it nearly impossible to ride that viral wave for long.
There are many campaigns that gain popularity, but what brands do with that attention is more important. Many companies believe that after going viral, they have to try to reach that level of visibility again. In reality, the goal of a viral campaign isn’t to create another viral campaign, but to create a brand that people remember.
What Successful Brands Do Instead
Successful brands instead focus on engagement and retention after going viral. There are numerous factors that can help solidify a brand’s viral moment, such as following trends, creating engaging content, encouraging participation and shares, and much more.
Brands that excel at building successful branding and campaigns include Duolingo’s consistent social media personality, Spotify’s repeatable annual campaigns, and Liquid Death’s campaigns that consistently support the same brand voice.
Duolingo is a standout brand because it has crafted a distinct personality while staying in tune with trends and cultural moments. Its branding is consistent, and it uses audience engagement as a way to build its fanbase and attract consumers. Overall, Duolingo has remained highly relevant, with a recognizable mascot that has a clear personality and uses that identity to the brand’s advantage.
Spotify has embraced the holiday season with its annual Spotify Wrapped campaign. This type of campaign is repeatable, anticipated, and highly shareable. The brand has built a loyal following through gradual growth rather than relying solely on a single viral moment.
Another successful brand that has mastered recognizable branding is Liquid Death. The brand has built a clear position in the water market through its niche and highly recognizable branding. It values shock and engagement, which has helped build a loyal following. With its edgy advertising and shocking campaigns, Liquid Death continues to support the same brand voice, driving engagement and retention.
What Small Businesses Should Focus On
There are better ways to promote brand growth and retention than simply trying to go viral. Creating a recognizable brand will not only generate organic attention but will also help build a loyal customer base. Focusing on product quality, brand identity, and encouraging impressions and engagement will lead to a stronger and more dependable brand. Although virality is attractive, the constant changes in algorithms and trends make it nearly impossible to consistently get it right. Instead, brands should focus on the things within their control.
Here are six ways to build long-term growth:
- Invest in SEO.
- Build an email list.
- Create valuable content consistently.
- Strengthen your brand identity.
- Optimize your website and content for conversions.
- Measure customer retention, not just impressions.
Conclusion
Viral moments create attention. Great brands create relationships. Strong branding is what keeps customers coming back long after the trend is over and the internet has moved on. Businesses shouldn’t measure success based on how many people watched one video. They should measure success by how many people remembered the brand six months later.
At Power Move Marketing, we help businesses build marketing strategies that keep delivering long after the excitement of a single campaign fades. If you’re ready to create a brand that customers remember, not just content they scroll past, we’d love to help. Check out our success stories and affiliate marketing case studies here, or feel free to contact us today to start building a marketing strategy that stands the test of time here.