SOME of my friends and work contacts are social-media managers. Most of their complaints about work are related to how their superiors view going viral online. There is much pressure for the things they post to become viral when they are just product launches or personality-driven events and developments.
Some brands believe that KOLs (key opinion leaders) and influencers are key to being viral and they can certainly help but in my opinion, based on years of being in this industry, it takes more than a few famous and familiar faces to achieve trending status online.
Brands and individuals who want to become viral online need to make content that’s either relatable or aspirational, use keywords in their captions, hashtags and descriptions, and post regularly and consistently. Of course, it’s a given that the quality of media should be above average.
There’s this girl whose videos are topnotch and she’s created quite a niche for herself in the lifestyle scene. I learned that her boyfriend is a filmmaker and photographer so it’s probably safe to assume that he helps her shoot content. I love her ideas because she’s creative and has a great sense of humor but I think that her content wouldn’t have a great impact on people if her videos and photos are not of good quality.
Even before Sunnies Flask officially launched, it was already trending online not just because the co-founders are “It girls”, or because the brand hired influencers to talk about the flasks. Instead, the public was intrigued that they could customize their flasks in so many ways as the components are purchased separately.
During the pre-launch, Sunnies Flask did invite influencers but people on TikTok weren’t looking at them but the color combinations of their flasks. The colors and the names are so appealing. The dark brown is called Ganache. The baby pink is Mochi. The gray is Oyster and the dark blue is Blueberry. You may or may not be a Sunnies fan but you have to admit that everything they do is aesthetically pleasing and for P995, you’re buying into the dream that your living room would have something in common with Martine Ho’s. Her favorite flask combination, by the way, is Chrome with Macchiato and Dough.
The launch was such a hit that on February 24, when the flasks finally hit physical stores, the color Burrata was sold out in Sunnies Studios SM Megamall and Glorietta. Gen Z couldn’t and can’t get enough of the flasks.
“If a decade of Sunnies tells us anything, it’s that anything is possible. We are always excited about creating products that make people’s lives better and more stylish,” said Ho, when asked about whether Sunnies will expand into more new businesses this year.
Meanwhile, Rhode, the skincare brand of Hailey Beiber, has had much success with its Peptide Lip Treatment and Peptide Lip Tint. When Bieber teased a phone case with a slot for a lip treatment (Rhode, of course), everybody wanted it.
The cases are up for preorder on the Rhode website and they’re selling like the proverbial hotcakes. To think that the cases are only compatible with iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The lip products were already very popular before but with the phone case, they became even more sought-after. Talk about boosting a bestseller and making it viral.
So, yes, there are informal guidelines on how to make your posts (and products and services) go viral but, in my humble opinion, beyond the basics it’s important that your content is good, authentic, and something that resonates with people.
Image credits: PHOTO BY SUNNIES FLASK