Six ways to make sure your website is ready for the stampede if your blogging goes viral!
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post for a client that went viral; a viral blog if you will!
OK, so I’ll admit that something going viral still sounds to me like a biological nightmare, but trust me, in this instance, viral blogging is a very good thing!
Without knowing specifically how many likes and shares a blog post needs to consider itself viral, here are the figures from the day in question:
Traditionally, Facebook posting and shares for this client reach an audience of anywhere between 100 and 1,200 Facebook users. I’ve seen a post reach up to 2,000 on one occasion only.
With approximately 1,200 followers on the page, this blog post in question reached over 20,000 people organically…and it made our year!!
But, while a viral-slash-exceptionally-popular post is the stuff that most copywriters dream of; it led to a busy day for my client which meant that she didn’t have any time to respond to the masses who were currently lapping up her content.
The phones were ringing; social media was going nuts, web sales were through the roof; this one viral blog post had everyone talking, and it had instantly created a LOT of work.
Oh, it was good work and there were no complaints, but it was work that hadn’t been scheduled in for that day nonetheless.
Now, trumpet-blowing aside, while I was proud of my part in the day’s outcome, I have to confess that the post wasn’t of any higher quality than anything else I’d written.
The I’s had been dotted just the same, the sentence structure was as accurate as it’s always been, the emotion was as powerful as ever and the calls to action; no difference there either. But something had sparked something in one person and caused them to share it. Then their friend had shared it, and before we knew it, this post had spread far and wide causing people to take the required action in all states in Australia (apart from NT) and even overseas!
And my blog became a viral blog REALLY quickly!
You see, as if you need me to tell you; social media is powerful like that.
Fortunately, my client has been receiving monthly content from Words and the Bees for ten months now. Her website is full of blogs and articles containing useful content which are published regularly and cover a broad range of subjects. All of the resources she provides are thorough and point to key elements of what her organisation is trying to achieve.
If you’re writing your own content for your business website, it’s very rare that you’ll create a viral blog sensation in your first post. It takes time and consistent effort to build a relationship with your audience who are then encouraged to share and support you. It takes trial and error for you to figure out what they like to read, and then to create more of the same.
But, while it’s unlikely you’ll become a one-blog-wonder and create a huge fanfare which will instantly build your business, it’s worth asking yourself IF your blog was to go viral; are you prepared?
Trust me, once your blog or article hits the sweet spot of the crowds, there’ll be no hiding from them, so it’s important that your website contains everything you need WHEN (not if!) your traffic goes through the roof, and your organisation makes itself known to the world in just a matter of minutes!
Check out my six top tips to make sure your website is prepared for a viral blog post! 
1) Make sure your content describes the core of your business.
Your home page copy, blogs and social media should leave your new followers in no doubt of who you are. There will be no need for phone calls saying ‘can you tell me more about this?’, ‘how did your organisation start?’, or ‘what are you trying to achieve?’ because it’s all there in black and white.
Sure, follow up with people personally, that’s the polite thing to do, but those questions don’t need to be answered by you immediately which will leave you to concentrate on more pressing matters arising from your viral blog.
2) Leave the audience in no doubt what you want them to do.
Your website should be littered with calls to action buttons and statements, and each blog post should give clear instructions of how your customer can hand over their cash. Don’t lure people in and then leave them uncertain of what to do next. If they’re in the moment and about to make a sale, they’ll pick up their phone but (trust me!) you’ll be too busy to talk to them. Once the fanfare of your viral blog dies down it’ll be too late, and you’ll have lost your sale.
3) Put a personal face to your business.
Blogs are the ideal way to display your unique personality so that the people viewing your site feel like they know you. If you can’t get to the phone right now or respond immediately to their email, they’ll wait. Your content has given the perfect impression of who you are and how they can reach you making them much more patient. While there are thousands of them, each one of those people who is currently going crazy over your content is just one person who wants to connect with just one person. You!
4) Provide regular content which makes you look credible and builds trust.
Regular blogging is the best way to show your authority in your niche and to build up your reputation. You can draw on your experience, skills, knowledge and vision for the future to make yourself appear as credible as you are so the trust is already there.
5) Make sure all content is well-written and grammatically accurate.
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, you’re up! It’s no longer just friends, family and people who already know you visiting your site, it could be ANYONE! The person that can provide your big break is just one click away and it’s absolutely VITAL that your content is well-written, free from spelling errors and is professional and concise.
There’s nothing that turns the big dogs off faster than copy that’s filled with errors and hard to read. Always use spell check and a grammar checker such as Hemingway App to make sure your content is accurate and reads well. Don’t miss your possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with this simple oversight.
6) Have more content ready to publish.
Once you’ve opened the can of worms, you can’t stop there. You need to leverage off the popularity of your post by publishing more of the same awesome content. Don’t post blogs as you write them because this could leave a gap of weeks in your publishing (life gets busy you know!) and those gaps will make you look inefficient.
Always have a pool of content you can dip into as and when the need arises. As your audience grows, so will your need for more regular articles.
Regular content through blogs, social media and articles is the best way to prepare yourself for a welcome barrage of attention to your website. When the phones go crazy, it’s perfectly OK to get overwhelmed and run for cover because you won’t miss out on a single sale!
I’m happy to say that ALL of Words and the Bees’ clients have a copywriter at their disposal, regular content and blog posts to fall back on, and have everything they need to deal with a viral (on whatever scale) blog post.
Words and the Bees provides written content that is proven to be both appealing, results-driven, and encourages readers to take action. Ongoing monthly packages are available to make sure you’re always giving your audience what they want or need, and to prepare you as much as possible for the moment you and your business go viral!
Call Jo Robinson on 0422 053 199 today for more information about our blogging for business services which are most effective as part of an ongoing monthly content package.
**I won’t ever publicly use my client’s specific posts to promote my business but if you’re interested in reading this particular article, please email me at info@wordsandthebees.com.au, and I’ll be happy to share the link with you.**
