Have you ever wondered why some tweets take off while others barely get a like? In this guide, we’ll reveal the secret formulas behind five viral tweets that captured the internet’s attention.
How Tweets Go Viral
Many factors can play into why a tweet goes viral or why it dies an undistinguished death. While the person behind the tweet plays a major part (celebrities, for example), a number of factors can contribute to a tweet’s success. These include timing, relatability, visual appeal, and the use of effective engagement strategies.
Crafting famous viral tweets is often about understanding your audience’s emotions and tapping into trends they care about. Let’s take a look at five examples of tweets that have gone viral, and why.
A Celebrity Tweet that Broke the Internet
In April 2021, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds put out a tweet that basically broke the internet.
Ryan’s humor is known to have a strong sarcastic tone to it, and this tweet had plenty of sarcasm. In his tweet he says, “My one year old daughter is obsessed with Baby Shark. All day. Every day. And there’s only one way to fix this.”
Accompanying the tweet is a poster image of the movie The Shallows, a thriller about a shark attack. It’s typical Ryan Reynolds humor, which was appreciated around the world and is a great example of one of the most retweeted tweets out there.
It has been liked over 350,000 times, reposted nearly 30,000 times, and has collected almost 3,000 comments.
Why it went viral
The celebrity influence of Ryan Reynolds plays an obvious role, but his play on humor was also perfectly timed for the release of the movie. It wasn’t only about timing, though. A key contributing factor to its reaching viral status was the fact that it’s something many parents can relate to—a child’s fixation on a story.
You can learn from this by considering tweets that have depth of humor, are timed to a specific event, occasion, or global phenomenon, and relate to a wide audience. If you are able to leverage a cultural moment and strike a universal chord, you may achieve vital tweet status.
A Tweet with Viral Visual Content
Jamaican singer and rapper Sean Paul took a bold approach on Twitter when he put out a tweet in February 2021. While a tweet like this a few months prior would have fallen flat, the success was in the timing and the play on words.
As COVID-19 had just taken over the spotlight as it spread around the world, the choice to use a visual like this was daring. The words on the digital thermometer are from one of his popular hits, Temperature. Some loved it, and plenty hated it—but it got lots of attention. The tweet quickly went viral with over 280,000 likes, 74,000 shares, and nearly 1,000 comments.
Why it went viral
This one was all about timing, the clever use of words, and how it was communicated visually. The key was tacking on to a highly contentious subject—the pandemic. It’s humorous but also incredibly bold. His “I don’t care” attitude was evident, and his fans loved it.
As with the Ryan Reynolds tweet, what you can learn here is the art of timing. While it’s easy to overstep the line, if your brand is one which tends to be bold in its communication, consider a strong message at the right time that will attract a lot of attention. Just be sure to carefully consider the consequences if you get it wrong.
Something else Paul got right was to use visuals to convey a message. Consider the types of visuals you can use—a meme, gif, or video, for example—to boost engagement.
A Tweet That Went Viral for Its Humor
Monica Lewinsky, who needs no introduction, went viral when she commented on a tweet that was put out by a psychologist named Adam Grant. This wasn’t about putting out an original tweet, but rather responding to one.
In the tweet, Grant asks Twitter “What’s the worst career advice you’ve ever received?”, to which Lewinsky responded, “an internship at the white house will be amazing on your resume 😳.”
As you can imagine, people around the world loved it. It was humorous and well-timed, bringing to the fore a topic that was on the front page of newspapers around the world.
Why it went viral
This one was all about using humor to achieve viral status. Lewinsky took an event that was highly topical and contentious and used self-deprecating wit in a clever response. If you’re looking to achieve the same, consider how humor could elevate your tweets.
But keep in mind that timing is important, as it’s often the difference between a viral tweet and one that falls flat.
A Viral Tweet Riding a Trending Topic
In October this year, Stephen King, the bestselling author and known critic of Donald Trump, gained widespread attention for a post where he shared his admiration for Taylor Swift. Just hours after Trump publicly commented about his dislike for the pop icon, King tweeted, ”I love Taylor Swift. Her music makes me happy. End of story.”
To date, the tweet has had over 9.5 million views, had over 327,000 likes, and been shared over 51,000 times.
Why it went viral
What King did exceptionally well here is to tack on to a current event and time his tweet perfectly. Because it was posted only hours after Trump tweeted, “I hate Taylor Swift!’, it was in stark contrast to the presidential candidate’s view. With the U.S. dramatically divided on the election, it was a clever way to attract mass attention.
You can learn from this by considering a highly topical subject and tweeting a contrasting view of what is currently being put out. Just make sure it’s a view that you stand behind.
You could gain significant attention for your brand if you time it right and focus on a specific audience who you know will appreciate the view you’re taking. Just think carefully about the potential risks. This one is about being bold.
A Viral AI Tweet
The Twitter account @pon_pon_pon_ai, who puts out custom anime illustrations created by AI, posted a tweet that went viral in September of this year. The tweet, which was an image of what appears to be a young Japanese woman in high heels surrounded by musical notes, has to date received over 227,000 likes, 29,000 reshares, and over 800 comments.
Why it went viral
Ponpon posts many tweets with visuals created by AI. While a lot of the comments on their posts condemn the use of AI, plenty of people love their creations. This particular tweet included an impactful and thought-provoking visual, which many felt was great art.
Consider how AI can create impactful visuals for your brand and how these visuals can stand out from the crowd.
Just know that many people will judge you on the use of AI, so you’ll need to consider how to counter any negativity. You can either subtly use AI in your visuals, or go all the way as Ponpon did with this particular post. Don’t shy away from using AI in your tweets, but rather use it to your advantage.
Takeaways for Marketers
If you’re looking to achieve viral status with your tweets, you must consider your audience and the timing of your tweets. If you’re going for funny, know the type of humor your audience is likely to respond to—and what they may find offensive.
Adding your perspective to a topical event can be an effective way to get your message across. And for a truly unique spin on your tweets, consider exploring the possibilities of AI.
Implementing these strategies will boost your chances of Twitter/X success.
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