You want to know how to go viral on Instagram.
We've seen brands and influencers become overnight sensations on the platform.
It’s no surprise, considering there are 2 billion monthly active Instagram users looking for unique, engaging content on the app.
But going viral on Instagram is far from easy. Thankfully, it’s possible if you follow some proven tips and best practices.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 11 tips for how to go viral on Instagram.
1. Know your audience
Understanding your target audience on Instagram will help you create more relatable content that’s more likely to go viral.
Below are some ways to identify your Instagram audience:
Study your buyer personas. If your company has existing data on your ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and buyer personas, start there. Find Instagram audiences that share characteristics with your brand’s customers.Look at your Instagram analytics. If you’re already using Instagram for business, go to your analytics and look at audience demographics. This will show you what kind of people are following you and engaging with your posts. You can also use Sprout Social’s reporting tools to dig deeper into your Instagram audience data.
Find your competitors’ audiences. Not sure who to target? Head over to competitor Instagram accounts and study their followers. Chances are these people are your target audience as well.Use social listening tools. Track online conversations around your brand and niche using a social listening tool like Sprout Social. This will help you identify not only your audience but also any influencers you can partner with to boost your content.Once you’ve narrowed down your Instagram audience, understand their interests, goals and habits. Study the accounts they follow and the posts they interact with.
All of this will give you a solid idea of what kind of content is sure to be a hit.
2. Keep an eye on trends
Trends on social media change fast, and Instagram is no different. Marketers need to quickly jump on new trends to create viral content.
Whether it’s posting more videos, using new content formats or adding trending music to your Reels — if it’s going viral, you need to get on it.
For example, a recent Instagram trend is the increased use of Instagram Reels — the bite-sized, vertical video format inspired by TikTok.
Reels generate more engagement than regular videos on the platform, which make them perfect for going viral.
Other trends we’ve spotted this year include using link stickers in Stories, leveraging story ads and cross-promoting Twitter posts.
3. Establish a unique brand voice
The key to standing out on Instagram is to be creative and authentic.
For businesses, this means finding your own voice that’s unlike any other brand. One that also resonates with your target audience and keeps them engaged with your content.
BBC Earth offers an excellent example of what establishing a unique and creative brand voice can do for you on Instagram.
They consistently share stunning visuals with informative captions that are also humorous and relatable at the same time. Talk about non-boring educational content!
The result? Viral posts with thousands of likes, comments and shares.
4. Audit your own posts
Conducting an Instagram audit is important so your new strategy to go viral doesn’t clash with your existing posts and branding.
It will also help you identify gaps to work on before posting new content. Maybe your captions need work. Or maybe you need to align your bio and profile photo with your brand to look authentic and professional.
Whatever it is, fixing any issues with your current aesthetic, brand voice and content will increase the chances of success for your future posts.
5. Study the competition
If you need help coming up with ideas for viral content, turn to your competitors. Analyze their posts and find out what’s working for them.
What are their top and worst performing posts?What’s their brand voice like?What kinds of formats do they use?How do they engage with their audience?What days or times do they post most frequently?Sprout’s Instagram Competitors Report can help you gather, visualize and analyze this data from a single dashboard.
Use the insight to fuel your own creativity. Of course, this doesn’t mean you start copying your competitors. Think of it as starting on the right foot.
You may even borrow some ideas as long as you add your own personality. Be careful of copyright infringement and stay true to your brand voice.
6. Engage with other accounts
Get noticed on Instagram by actively engaging with your audience. The more you show up in people’s feeds and notifications, the more exposure your profile and posts will get.
Plus, customers love brands that walk the extra mile and treat them as individuals.
And let’s not forget the Instagram algorithm rewards posts with high engagement and shows them more frequently on the Explore page.
So, ask questions, add calls-to-action and encourage interaction in your posts and captions. Also, don’t forget to respond to audience comments — both positive and negative.
7. Use analytics to learn what worked before
Analytics help you make data-driven decisions about everything — including developing viral content. The result? More chances of success.
Use Instagram’s built-in analytics to track key metrics related to engagement and follower growth. Learn about what worked in the past, what didn’t do so well and what kind of posts and stories are usually a hit with your audience.
Looking to go in-depth? Use a third-party analytics tool like Sprout Social.
You’ll get access to granular Instagram metrics, visual reports and the ability to track analytics for competitors and multiple accounts.
8. Recreate viral content
This is probably the easiest way to go viral on Instagram.
But practice it with caution.
Don’t just copy and paste viral content — add your own twist to it.
Explore your feed, look at viral posts in your niche and follow popular hashtags to find content to recreate. And, remember to include the Reel hashtag or general Instagram hashtag tied to the trend where relevant. Here’s a look at how we created a viral video.
