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We took a look at 4 viral tweets and threads to see understand why they went viral and what we can learn from them
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What we learned from analyzing 4 viral threads
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The age-old question: how to go viral
What is it about certain tweets and threads that make them so compelling, shareable, and engaging?
To help answer these questions, we've analyzed four viral threads from different niches: AI, real estate, finance, and startups.
While each of these threads is unique in its content and approach, there are common trends that emerge when analyzing what made them go viral.
With this post, we hope to shed some light on what makes content go viral and give insights that can help you create content that resonates with your audience.
Let’s dive in!
Viral thread #1: ChatGPT prompts
So the first viral thread we are looking at today is all about ChatGPT prompts.
Essentially, this thread by Aadit Sheth provides a curation of the most useful ChatGPT prompts and examples of their use.
Why did this thread go viral?
The thread went viral because it combined a trending topic (AI and ChatGPT) with actionable advice (the best prompts).
Everyone is talking about it, and the thread provided a great set of curated insights on it.
What can we learn from it?
The main lesson here is that it's important to stay on top of trending topics and tap into them when possible.
Additionally, the thread's advice was super practical, which likely helped to increase its shareability.
Viral thread #2: Buying land
In this thread, Codie shares some fascinating insights on how to buy land for just $10K and make $1.5K a month.
It's a complex topic, but Codie manages to break it down into actionable steps that anyone can follow.
Why did this thread go viral?
One big reason is that it demystifies a complex topic that many people find daunting - buying and making money from land.
By presenting the information in an easy-to-understand way, Codie made the topic feel more approachable and doable.
Additionally, by adding the line "Anyone can do it," Codie completes the hook and makes the content even more shareable.
What can we learn from it?
If you have specific knowledge about something that most people perceive as difficult, this approach could be your golden ticket to virality.
Breaking down complex topics into bite-sized pieces makes your content more approachable and engaging for your audience.
Virality comes from shareability.
Viral thread #3: SVB and why it went down
Alright, let's move on to the third viral thread we are analyzing today - the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
If you're in the startup/finance scene on Twitter, you have probably heard about this news.
Essentially, SVB is one of the largest banks that fund startups, and its collapse has generated a lot of buzz in the finance and startup communities.
Why did this thread go viral?
News of this nature tends to generate massive waves.
People don't know what's going on, so if you can provide clarity and insight into the situation, you have a massive content opportunity.
In this case, Graham was the one who did that, pairing it with a hot content topic = viral content
What can we learn from it?
While you should never take advantage of bad moments for views and likes, you can provide valuable insights and guidance during challenging times.
If you're looking to create viral content, think about how you can provide clarity and actionable advice around trending news stories in your industry.
Viral thread #4: 12 startup lessons
Moving on to our last viral thread, this one is a curation of the 12 main takeaways from Peter Thiel's book, Zero to One.
The thread draws credibility from Thiel's status as one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world and his book's reputation as "The Book of Startups.”
Why did this thread go viral?
By slicing up Thiel's book and extracting only the best parts, Houck made the content digestible and actionable for his audience.
He also did a very smart move to increase the thread’s credibility: mentioning Thiel's net worth.
The combination of a high-credibility resource and a short but insightful sum-up is what made this thread go viral.
Why read the book if this thread distills the most important insights?
What can we learn from it?
Curation is a great way to provide value to your audience, especially if the source material is already well-established and credible.
Think about how you can curate valuable insights and information from credible sources in your industry/niche and make it digestible and actionable for your audience.
What are the common trends?
So, what are the main takeaways? What are the common trends we’ve spotted on these viral threads that you can replicate?
Trend #1: Leveraging Trending Topics
3 out of the 4 viral threads leveraged trending topics in their respective industries (AI, real estate, finance) to attract more viewers and engagement.
Trend #2: Actionable Advice
3 out of the 4 threads (the AI, real estate, and curation) provided actionable advice and takeaways that could help the reader achieve specific goals or solve a problem.
Trend #3: Making Complex Topics Digestible
2 out of the 4 viral threads (the real estate and Zero to One thread) made complex topics more digestible and actionable for their audience.
By simplifying complex topics, these threads were able to attract a wider audience and increase shareability.
Trend #4: Credibility
The Zero to One thread drew credibility from a well-established and credible source (Peter Thiel).
The real estate thread also added a credibility touch by emphasizing that anyone could do it, which likely helped increase virality.
TL;DR
To create viral content, you should focus on:
- Leveraging trending topics
- Provide value and actionable advice
- Make complex topics digestible
- Add a credibility element
However, creating viral content is not just about following a formula or a set of rules.
Rather, it's about understanding your audience and creating content that speaks to them on a deeper level.
It's about tapping into their pain points, their desires, and their passions, and using that knowledge to create content that they can't help but share.
Last warning before we leave: While there are certainly best practices to *try* and go viral, there is no guarantee. So don’t lose too much time trying to engineer virality and just make the best content you can.