We have all seen articles, pictures, or videos that have spanned the Internet and within the matter of days has millions and millions of views. Many people can't understand why some get so popular and not others even though each seems to be of similar value to the viewer.
There are a variety of reasons that one may want their content to go viral. Businesses will want their message to go viral for marketing purposes and brand recognition. On the other hand, businesses will not want damaging information about their brand to go viral, so it depends on how it affects the business. Some people just want to have fun when they come up with an incredible video that gains the interest of millions, so before anybody knows it they make more and more fantastic videos all as a fun hobby. Others are looking to make a monetary sum for what they create. A great article can make tremendous advertising revenue if enough people visit the site, and even great videos can do the same (YouTube has an ad sharing problem for videos that gain a certain number of views).
There are 3 main functions into how content goes viral:
Socially Controversial
One way to attract millions to content is to provide a controversial idea or stand about something happening in the news. There has to be people on both sides of the story, for it to become viral, so there becomes interaction between the two sides. It is less common for a one sided argument to gain such interaction. Sharing will occur, based on the person's stance, to prove their side or to share it in disbelief on how something can be so far from the truth.
One of the most shared articles on Facebook in 2011 was Why Chinese Mothers are Superior. It is easy to see why this became viral in terms of the way there would be many arguments with support from either side.
Unconventional Humor
We have all seen funny things before, but only being funny does not get something to go viral. In order for humor to spread like wildfire it has to be something that has never been seen before. A breath of fresh air for video watchers and article readers brings success. Nobody likes a standup comedian who recycles jokes, so why would people enjoy common humor on the Internet?
A great example is this video from a new start-up shaving business. It is a refreshing twist to normal everyday videos. Genius Internet Marketing!
Catchy and Cute
Everyone's heart melts when they see a cute video, so naturally the first thing they do is share it with all of their friends to give them the same joy they had. It's a feeling that you can't get enough of. Like a little puppy. Who doesn't want to be around playful little dogs all day? To this purpose, videos and images may be seen 20 times by the same person, while again sharing it to everybody willing to check it out. The love is always needed to be shared and there's nothing like a new puppy or even a young toddler that can do that to you.
This example defines cute, as one of the most viewed YouTube videos ever at over 440 million views! The classic nature of this video is something that may never be able to be repeated again.