How to Create Viral Content That Attracts Instagram Followers and Likes

Marketing has been completely changed by social media. Instagram gives regular people the ability to grow massive followers and influence. But with billions of active users on Instagram, you’re going to have to stand out.

Creating viral content that gets followers and engagement is an art and a strategy. So, you need to know your audience trends, optimize hashtags, work with influencers, and track metrics. Get a hold of these techniques and watch your Instagram grow like crazy.

In this comprehensive guide, we share insider tips for creating viral Instagram content that engages your audience and makes them want to follow you. But no matter if you’re a social media manager, small business owner, or even an aspiring influencer, these tactics will help you get more mileage from your efforts.

Research Your Target Audience

All viral content starts with understanding your ideal audience. Ask yourself:

Who is my content for?
What do they care about?
What issues do they want to see addressed?
What entertainment do they consume?

While casting a wide net may attract more eyeballs, niche content resonates deepest. Laser focus your persona targeting. Identify demographics like:

Age
Income
Location
Gender
Values and interests

Analytics tools like Facebook Analytics and Iconosquare provide user insights. Study competitor accounts, too. What content for Instagram likes and followers performs best? This research will inform your viral strategy.

Hook Viewers With An Attention-Grabbing Opening

People scroll fast on Instagram. You have milliseconds to grab their attention before they swipe away. Open strong with:

Striking visuals: Optimize images and video for the Instagram grid. Use eye-catching color schemes, lighting, and compositions.
Intriguing captions: To bait viewers, ask a provocative question, share an unbelievable statistic, or promise exclusive content.
Geotags and hashtags: Use relevant tags to put your content in front of those most likely to care. Localize your message.
Influencer collaborations: Partner with nano or micro-influencers in your niche to tap into their engaged networks.
Contests and giveaways: Incentivize follows, shares, tags, and comments with free products and services.
Interactive elements: Inspire viewers to tag friends, answer polls, submit user-generated content, sign up for webinars, visit your link in bio, etc.

Rope them in quickly before their thumbs keep scrolling.

Identify Trending Topics and Hashtags

Viral content capitalizes on trending conversations. Stay on the pulse with real-time trends using social listening tools like:

Twitter (X) – Identify spiking hashtags and breaking news moments.
BuzzSumo – Uncover the most shared content across social.
Google Trends – See rising search terms.
Iconosquare – Follow trending hashtags by category and location.

Things about pop culture events like new Marvel releases, celebrity gossip or politician gaffes give fodder. Opportunities are available for holidays, events, causes and product launches.

Topical content that hits the mark quickly is timely. However, trending topics should be given a new angle or a unique voice to make a difference. Don’t just copy the masses.

Optimize Hashtags

Hashtags make posts searchable content. With strategic tagging, you are able to get in touch with trending conversations while also reaching out to niche communities.

Identify hashtags used by competitors and industry influencers.
Research secondary hashtags around interests, emotions, locations, etc.
Create branded hashtags that supporters can rally behind.
Use a mix of mega-popular tags (1M+ posts) and super niche tags (<50k posts) to increase visibility.
Cap hashtags around 11-15 per post so they don’t get cut off or seem spammy.
Use Iconosquare to identify high-volume, low-competition hashtags.

Curate shareable hashtag lists to drive traffic during both planned campaigns and spontaneous viral moments.

Partner With Nano and Micro-Influencers

Mega influencers charge huge rates with diminished returns. Instead, work with nano (1k-10k followers) and micro-influencers (10k-50k) in your market.

Microinfluencers generate higher engagement and conversion rates. And they cost less!

Gift influencers free products/services in exchange for organic content and endorsements.
Pay small fees ($20-100) for sponsored Instagram posts and Instagram Story takeovers.
Run influencer contests that challenge them to create unique branded content.
Invite them to exclusive events, pre-release product trials, etc.
Use influencer marketing platforms like AspireIQ, Grin, or Tribe Dynamics to discover and manage relationships.

Align with influencers who create authentic content that actually engages their niche audiences.

Harness The Power of Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels steal attention with their vibrant, full-screen experience. These 15-30-second multi-clip videos offer a fertile testing ground for viral content experiments.

Quickly iterate different Reels until you strike gold:

Mashup trends like dance challenges or meme formats.
Showcase products or services in action.
Share surprising statistics and facts.
The film “How to” tutorials and hacks.
Respond to hot topics and current events.
Feature UGC and behind-the-scenes footage.

Then, boost viral Reels with ads. Use Instagram’s “Create Ad” feature to target lookalike audiences, promote across Facebook, and analyze performance.

Reels provide bite-sized entertainment primed for sharing. Pack a punch!

Always Include A Clear Call-To-Action

Viral content should inspire viewers to take action. Don’t leave them guessing what to do next. Include strategic calls to action (CTAs) to channel momentum into conversions.

Some CTA options include:

Follow – Grow your audience.
Like Boost engagement metrics, which are crucial for the algorithm.
Comment – Inspire discussion and surface what resonates.
Tag and Share – Activate word-of-mouth referrals.
Click Link In Bio – Drive traffic to monetize through ads, sales, etc.
Sign-up – Collect emails and permissions for marketing.
Shop Now – Direct sales.
Watch Next – Keep viewers binging content.
Turn On Post Notifications – Incentivize return visits.
User-Generated Content – Crowdsource photos/videos to showcase supporters.

Place CTAs prominently in captions and graphics. The easier it is to act, the more viral momentum you’ll gain.

Analyze Performance Metrics

Watch your metrics and identify what content resonates for replication. Key Instagram analytics to monitor include:

Saves – Content being shared widely
Reach – Total number of unique accounts that viewed your post
Impressions – Total number of times users saw your post
Engagement Rate – Likes + comments/total followers
Hashtag and @mentions – Buzz

Compare performance across different audience segments, captions, media formats, and topics. Double down on what works, and continue to test and optimize.

Viral content constantly evolves. Use data to inform your strategy. So, you’ll intuitively know how to produce shareable posts that rake in the fans.

Repurpose Content Across Other Channels

Don’t silo viral content to a single platform. Repurpose it across your social media ecosystem for maximum mileage.

Chop longer videos into reels, TikToks, YouTube shorts, etc.
Recycle imagery and captions across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blogs.
Transform posts into Reels episodes, podcasts, and email newsletters.
Run social contests and campaigns across multiple networks concurrently.

Refine messaging uses content that is recognizable on all platforms. Link and share your posts to cross-promote to already existing audiences.

Repurposing expands distribution, expanding the number of audiences that content can set fire to as it reaches more but still targets crowds.

Collaborate with Complementary Accounts

Work with partners to create Instagram content together and run joint campaigns. The collaboration helps to amplify your audiences for more powerful reach.

Find brands that don’t directly compete but serve the same niche. For example:

Fashion designer + jewelry maker
Bakery + café
Florist + event venues

Or align with an influencer, nonprofit, or campus club.

Co-design Instagram posts featuring both partners. Cross-promote content through tagging, swipe-ups, and shares to introduce each other’s followers to new, relevant accounts.

Position content as a limited-chance “Instagram takeover,” “account swap,” or “brand mashup” to give it an exciting, exclusive appeal.

Strategic collaborations unlock new audiences ripe for viral messaging.

Seed Content With Loyal Followers

A common rookie mistake is posting into the void and hoping strangers discover your content. Without an initial signal boost, most posts flop.

Instead, seed posts with engaged followers first:

Share sneak peeks on Instagram Stories 24 hours pre-launch to start a buzz.
Text VIP customers and brand ambassadors to have them turn on post notifications.
Email subscribers, inviting them to Like and comment right away.
Ask nano influencers to Like, comment and tag friends immediately upon posting.
Build group chats on Messenger to coordinate sharing efforts.

This inner circle primes posts by kickstarting momentum. Initial traction then piques the algorithm and curious visitors to spread content further.

Activating loyal advocates prevents posts from plunging unseen into the abyss. Small actions compound for outside visibility.

Leverage Instagram Ads

For posts with the highest viral potential, amplify reach using Instagram advertising.

Target lookalike audiences that mirror existing supporters. Or test interest and behavior targeting around relevant topics.

Experiment with objective optimization for:

Traffic – Drive visits to the website/blog

Conversions – Lead form signups, purchases, etc.

Reach – Prioritize impressions

Engagement – Boost comments, shares, etc.

Measure cost per result and ROI. Narrow down the winning formula for your goals based on response across demographics and creative variations.

Instagram ads distribute content widely. Pay to propel great performers over the tipping point into maximum viral spread.

Conclusion

Viral content is lightning in a bottle. However, these Instagram best practices improve your odds. Analyze your audience, react to trends, optimize hashtags, collaborate with influencers, seed posts with fans, repurpose across channels, and boost with ads.

Consistency also pays dividends over time. Not every piece of content will explode overnight. However, strategically releasing shareable posts builds authority and community.

Pay attention to metrics to guide what works. Soon, you’ll intuitively create viral content that attracts Instagram followers and engagement automatically.

So, skim the digital zeitgeist for inspiration, craft clever posts tailored to your niche, and then send them out into cyberspace. Watch the magic unfold.