In short: Going viral can generate genuine brand awareness and leads, but only if the product, service and customer experience behind it can actually back up the attention. Chasing virality before your operations are ready to handle new customers usually does more damage than it prevents.
Is going viral always good for a business?
Not automatically, according to Natalie Pool, head of Social Media at global agency VML South Africa. “The trick is making sure that your brand, product and service are aligned to the message of your viral content,” she says, citing the risk of an eco-friendly brand going viral only for customers to discover an ingredient that undercuts that positioning. Her bottom line is blunt: “Only aim to go viral when the rest of your house is in order.”
What should you decide before creating content aimed at spreading widely?
Pool argues the strategic question comes before the creative one: “Why do I want my content to go ‘viral’? Is it to get discovered, change perception or to drive leads?” Only once that goal is clearly defined does the real work start, understanding what conversations are already happening online, their sentiment, and which ones are genuinely relevant for the brand to join, rather than a brand hastily attaching itself to a trending hashtag with no context.
What does a brand that goes viral “the right way” actually do?
Pool’s checklist starts with staying true to what the brand actually stands for, rather than chasing a trend that doesn’t fit. Beyond that: clever copywriting combined with eye-catching design and a well-timed publishing schedule, since knowing when and where to publish is as important as the content itself. Standing out matters more than volume, offering a genuinely unique point of view, humour, or something visually memorable beats producing more generic content into an already-crowded feed.
Do you need a big following to go viral?
Not necessarily, but Pool notes that brands without an existing audience or presence online may need to pair organic content with paid media budget or an influencer strategy to reach a wider audience in the first place. Organic reach alone rarely carries a brand-new account to viral scale.
What should you have in place before content actually takes off?
Pool’s preparation checklist: have an engagement plan and someone skilled at handling social media queries, since even well-loved campaigns can attract negative reactions; use a social listening tool to monitor the conversation around your brand and hashtag in real time; make sure your website and social profiles are current with contact details so new customers can actually reach you; and have a content plan ready that follows up the viral moment, so it isn’t the first and last time people hear from the brand.
What are cheaper ways to build momentum without a big budget?
Targeted paid media, even modest spend aimed at the right audience at the right time, can go further than broad, untargeted content. Working with brand ambassadors in a genuine, long-term relationship (rather than a one-off paid post) also tends to spread a message more authentically than a single sponsored push.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the biggest risk of going viral before your business is ready?
New customer attention exposing weak spots, like poor customer service or an unclear website, that were invisible when traffic was low but become damaging once visibility spikes.
Do you need a large following to create viral content?
No, but without an existing audience, pairing content with paid media or an influencer strategy usually helps it actually reach a wider audience.
What should happen immediately after content starts spreading?
Active monitoring via a social listening tool, a prepared team to handle engagement and queries, and a follow-up content plan so the momentum doesn’t die with a single post.
Originally published in February 2019. Updated September 2026.
