Ride the viral wave: 76% of social media users would share content from a brand or celebrity they like

Going viral with a social post may be part chance, part strategy, but if you include a celebrity or well known brand in your content, new research suggests it is likely to help.

Just over three-quarters of British social media users (76%) would share content if it came from a brand or celebrity they like, says a poll of 24,000 consumers as part of insights from Kantar TGI.

For 69%, it matters to make content viral if they feel no one will have seen it before, while the content being topical or ‘on-trend’ is a consideration for 59% of social media users across Britain.

The survey found that 7.5 million adults visit social media platforms more than 10 times a day. The heaviest users were found to be aged between 15 and 34, married or living as a couple with no children. This group was 66% more likely to visit social media sites than the average adult, gravitating towards clothing and stylist content, or content related to beauty and cosmetics.

James Powell, Kantar’s UK TGI Marketing Director said of the results: “Marketers are always looking at how to create the next viral campaign, but that’s an elusive target – going viral happens too organically to put a formula on it.

“But there are ways to get a good return on investment; using the power of celebrity and ensuring content is topical, unique and quirky can all help to boost likes, comments and shares.”

Entertainment content tops engagement ratings

“Entertainment content, TV and film come up tops as the most engaging content for all users, whether they visit social media sites once a day or 50 times a day,” Powell continued.

In fact, those that visited social media sites more than 10 times a day were 63% more likely to follow or engage with entertainment content than those who visited social sites once or twice a day. TV and film content also drove engagement among the heaviest social media users, who were 60% more likely to follow this sort of content.

Close behind was content related to music and musicians, and food and drink – or chefs, which the prolific social media visitors were 54% or 53% more likely respectively to engage with than lighter users of social platforms.

Exclusivity matters to social media users – and they are willing to pay for personalisation. According to the survey, 65% of British social media users would be willing to pay for exclusive podcast content, while 50% are willing to pay extra to personalise products to suit their style and taste.