Case Study: Creating Viral Facebook Posts

Creating a viral Facebook post doesn’t happen by accident. Sharing a powerful, positive image can result in the most viral post in the history of a company’s Facebook page, as we experienced with The Gateway for Cancer Research.

Summary

When reading through the Gateway for Cancer Research’s Facebook newsfeed, we stumbled upon a picture that we immediately identified as having the potential to start conversation. Rather than re-sharing the Facebook post, we saved the image and shared it as a photo post on Facebook, crediting and tagging the original author in the caption.

Results

Likes: 307K
Comments*: 3K
Shares: 6K
Reach: 1.6 million

*Comments include messages left on the original Gateway post and on re-shares.

Key Learnings

• In order to track the full life of a viral Facebook post, always create the post fresh (don’t simply re-share an existing post)
• Positive quotes in images will generally result in positive conversation
• Include an image credit and tag the original sharer (if applicable)
• Blur sensitive information in the photo (such as a legible license plate)

• Monitor conversation and appropriately respond to negative feedback

Practical Applications

Facebook pages from just about any industry can find positive images and follow these guidelines to create a post that goes viral.

What could we have done differently for even MORE virality?

• Included a link to the Gateway website in the caption (if the picture spreads like wild fire, that link will go right along with it)
• Invited our audience to tag themselves or their friends in the photo to encourage more social interaction with the post, helping spread the message even further

Appendix

Positive Feedback

Negative Feedback