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02/14/17 post featured image

Stop Waiting For Your Blog To Go Viral

Each week I read several articles. Actually, I read several articles a day. Because in the world of content marketing, it is important to surround yourself with content. That is the best way to learn and grow within the industry.

I find articles to read from a variety of sources. But when I’m looking for something to read from a fellow blogger, I find myself on Pinterest. And over the past few weeks, I have seen a lot of bloggers talk about “viral”.

How to make your website go viral. How to make a blog post go viral. Even steps to follow to become viral.

It doesn’t matter what the headline is, there are people focused on the thought of going viral. And that has other bloggers talking about it. But that’s not what I am here to talk about.

I will not give you my top 5 tips to get a post to go viral. Or encourage you to reach a “viral” status.

Instead, I want you to stop waiting for your blog to go viral. Start working on something that will be around for the long haul. Not just the 15 minutes of fame.

In this blog post I will cover what viral content is, and tips and tricks on how to make your blog go beyond that viral status to make a successful blogging career that will last.

Are you ready for this?! Let’s get started.

Roadmap to a Long Lasting Blog Career - promo

This booklet is jammed packed with information that you need to create a long lasting blog career! And it’s FREE! So I recommend that you go check it out and let me know what you think 🙂

What is Viral Content?

Let’s take a look at the definition or viral content:

definition of viral content - The Content Bug

“Viral content is any piece of media that suddenly becomes an online sensation.”

Now, I know viral content sounds pretty amazing. As a blogger, don’t you want to become an online sensation? Or at least become a site that people know, talk about, and use on a regular basis? Maybe you aren’t in it for the fame, but you still want to be found online 1 way or the other.

With social media, almost anything can go viral. The internet is booming with content and only a rare few posts reach that viral status. And those posts are only in the spotlight until the next piece of content is discovered.

I heard this quote the other day, and it stuck with me.

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes” – Andy Warhol

With a viral piece of content, you may be “famous” for 15 minutes. But what will you do after the 15 minutes end? Most people fall behind the curtains and are never heard of again.

I hope that you want your blog to be known for more than 15 minutes. And if you don’t, then I challenge you to think about what you want to be known for.



Examples of Viral Content

Like the definition above says, you have most likely seen a piece of viral content. (And if you haven’t, then I am questioning how you even found this blog post…)

Let’s take look at some recent pieces of viral content.

Anyone remember the gold and white dress?

gold and white dress, viral content - The Content Bug

This dress took the internet by storm, having people question if it is gold and white or black and blue. (Let me know in the comments below what you think it is)

This is a random piece of viral content. The person that posted the image did not receive any credit. The focus was only on the dress. And now what happened to the dress? It isn’t even talked about. It had its 15 minutes of fame and it faded away.

But what happens when someone takes a piece of viral content and makes a success out of it?

Let’s take a look at Doug the Pug! He is the most popular pug in the nation.  And it didn’t happen by magic. He creates quality content that helps maintain his success with hard work from his owner/mom.

Watch this video! It is a great insight into his life and the work they do to make him as successful as he is.

How to create a successful blogging career without going viral

Now, I want you to know, that you do not have to go viral to be successful! Engrave that sentence into your beautiful brain.

You do not have to go viral to be successful!

But you do have to work for your success. It is not going to happen by magic. And it will not happen overnight. You have to be dedicated and driven to reach a level of success that will last.

Here are 3 tips to create a successful blogging career that will last longer than that 1 piece of viral content you were obsessing over a year ago.

1. Build an honest following

This is something that blogger’s struggle with. But you need an honest following to be successful in the blogging world. You need people to continuously visit your blog, social media channels, and more.

Now I know you are wondering: how do I build an honest following? And I am here to tell you, it is not easy! If you have an Instagram account, then you know the follow-to-unfollow game. Most people that are trying to raise awareness will follow hundreds of accounts, only to unfollow them a few days later.

If you focus on how many followers you have, you will notice that the number fluctuates. And that is most likely because of the people only following to unfollow you. But don’t let this get you down! There are a few tricks on how to find and sustain quality followers.

 Stay humble and honest

Just because someone has 100 followers and you have 10,000 doesn’t mean you are better than them! We are all equal in this world. And we all started from somewhere. So don’t ever count out the current underdog because they could surpass you one day.

Also, it is important to be yourself! People will see right through your BS if you are not being honest with them. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, because there is no one else like you.

Give more than you take

It is impossible to make a following without getting your name out there! One thing I always remind myself is to give more than I take.

I am a part of at least 10 different Facebook groups with other bloggers. Whenever someone asks a question I can help out with, I respond! And sometimes, it leads them to my website. But mostly it is a way to share my knowledge and help others. This is a great way to prove your authority and knowledge in the industry, while also expanding your network and following.

So go out there and help another blogger!

Don’t take your followers for granted

Your followers could leave you at any time. It is their choice to follow you and your blog that makes you successful! Because without a following, you would not have any website visitors. And isn’t that 1 of the main points?!

So whenever someone comments on your post, comment back. Whenever someone follows you, and you appreciate their work, (and they aren’t a scam) follow them back! This goes hand in hand with staying humble. Treat others how you want to be treated and don’t take them for granted.

Remember all 3 of these and you are on track to making an honest following for your blog and social media accounts.



2. Focus on the long game

You don’t want your blog to be a burnout! No one does (at least I hope not). So you need to focus on the long game!

Create content that people will find useful. It can be anything from a YouTube channel that makes them laugh on a weekly basis, or a blog that helps them be successful online (wink wink). Whatever it is, you need to determine what you want people to take away from your content, and develop something that will achieve that goal!

For bloggers, it is important to create evergreen content. Content that will last to be successful and helpful for months or years to come. Don’t try to write 5 blog posts a week that are 500 words. Instead,  make your blog posts longer (1,000+ words) and full of informative content.

Want to learn how to write great website content that will continue to bring traffic to your blog long after it is launched? Check out my blog post on 5 tips that will take your content from good to great! (I also talk about evergreen content in the post)

3. Don’t stop hustling

Have you heard of Gary V? If you haven’t then you need to go check out one of his videos right now…. (I’m not kidding, go do it).

Warning: He uses a lot of profanity. Sorry!

But he is such an inspiration in the digital marketing world. He gives motivational talks that will inspire you to work harder than ever before.

But what I want you to take away from Gary V is to never stop hustling. No matter what you do, don’t ever stop working toward your dreams! You can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Most people only focus on the end result. They look at Beyonce and only see where she is now. You need to remember where everyone starts out. Right at the bottom just like yourself. It is those who hustle the hardest that make it the furthest.

Roadmap to a Long Lasting Blog Career - promo

Conclusion

If you can take anything away from this, remember that you make your own success. You don’t have to go viral to be successful online. But you do have to work hard to reach the level of success that will last for the long haul.

So don’t get discouraged if you aren’t happy with where you are at now. Use that feeling to put a little fire under your butt to get moving onto bigger and better things. And don’t stop hustling until you reach the top!

It is time to look beyond the hype of viral content to make a successful blogging career that will last longer than the 15 minutes of fame.

Success looks different for everyone. So what does success look like for you? And are you willing to do what it takes to get there?

Let me know in the comments below what success looks like to you, and how you plan on to get there.


Keep Reading…

Do you want to engage your audience with your blog posts? Well then you need to create blog posts that your audience actually wants to read! Follow these 5 simple steps to improve your blog content TODAY! Are you a blogger struggling to understand Google Analytics? Trust me, we've all been there. This Blogger's Guide to Google Analytics is here to help you understand important areas of the platform that you need to pay attention to. How to Write Great Content - The Content Bug 


About the Author

The Content Bug - Cath Headshot 4Why, hello there! I’m Cathrin, the creator of The Content Bug. But since we are already virtual best friends, you can call me Cath. After working in the digital marketing industry, I decided it was time to share my love for online content creation, social media, and SEO with the everyday hustlers of the world… like YOU! You can almost always find me at a local coffee shop writing, reading and working on new things for The Content Bug. But when I have some free time, I love hanging out with my dog, going to a yoga class, and being outside. Stay connected with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to see what I’m up to!

 

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    14 responses to “Stop Waiting For Your Blog To Go Viral”

    1. This ‘keep reading’ is too enticing. I’m learning a lot!! Looking to start a blog soon enough!!

    2. I really enjoyed reading this. Im so glad that what I’m doing is right, not aiming to become a viral sensation but a forever existing blog

    3. Awesome article! I’m excited – I just started blogging this month, and I’ve really been trying to figure out how to create a successful blog. Blogging and getting your writing seen is so much work, but it’s fun work! 🙂

    4. Great post. I’ve read a few comments to already of feeling people feeling dejected that they haven’t got much of a following, yet they’ve only been blogging a month. In this day and age, I guess a lot of people expect instant fame when writing a blog.

      • That’s is so true! Many people think it is easy to be successful online because they don’t see all the hard work that goes into it.

        It also doesn’t help that there are so many blog posts out there “How I made $120,000 a month from blogging and how you can do it too”. I love to read these posts just as much as the next person, but some only look at those and think blogging is quick and easy to make money, when it’s not! You have to think of the long game to reach this level of success with blogging.

        Thank you for your comment! I really appreciate it 🙂

    5. Thank you for the read, Cath. My food blog has been live a little over a year and I feel discouraged every now and then because I know exactly what I’m doing wrong- comparing my beginning to someone else’s middle. I get really excited about milestones I’ve reached but I don’t allow myself to celebrate them the way I should, because I am always trying to be “as good as everyone else”. I appreciated reading the tips you shared and I am working on creating great content and engaging with my followers . Thank you!

      • Thank you for the comment! I think you would be surprised how many bloggers are just like you. We constantly compare ourselves to others, but to succeed we really need to focus on our differences to show what we can bring to the table that is unique.

        Keep doing a great job with your blog! I can’t wait to watch it grow 🙂

    6. Thank you!!! This was such good timing. I am a newish blogger and I’ve been working my butt off and could feel myself starting to focus on numbers and that’s not why I got into blogging.

      • I think every blogger goes through that stage where they just want to see results. So they focus on the numbers to see what is working and what isn’t. I’ve been there too!

        Sometimes, it is just important to step back and look at the bigger picture 🙂
        I’m glad you enjoyed the post! And thanks for stopping by my site.

    7. Thank you for this blog post! My main goal in starting and continuing my blog was to create a place where I could give advice and help. I wanted a place where people could come get advice at a time that is convenient and relevant to their life situation. Success for me would be to provide the content that they are seeking while still remaining true to myself instead of selling out just to make some extra money.

      • Wow, you have some really amazing ideas. It is important to have your idea of success in your mind before you start to get off track and down a road you don’t want to go. Some bloggers get so focused on monetizing their site that they forget to stay true to themselves and their readers!

    8. So true – I don’t have any intention of creating content purely so it can go viral. Not sure I’m ready for that kind of attention! What I do love is engaging with the readers who return regularly and building up a blogging community. Thanks for sharing this post!

      • I’m not sure anyone is truly ready for the attention a piece of viral content creates! I love your ideas on engaging readers and building a community. That is extremely important to remember when creating a blog!

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