3 Ways to Capitalize on Your Sudden Virality

If you’ve ever posted a piece of content online, there’s always this small hope that it’s going to get a lot of engagement. You’ve probably had moments where you left a comment on social media and came back to see it having hundreds of likes and replies. It feels amazing, but for most people, that’s as far as having their content go viral.
Remember the disaster girl meme? The little girl in front of a burning building with a smirk for the camera? Did you know that she managed to make almost $500,000 just from selling an NFT of that image?
Most people are never prepared for the possibility of going viral and fail to take advantage of the moment. In this article, let’s look at what you need to know if you ever strike it big online.
#1. Don’t Ignore Your Audience
The thing about engagement from viral content is that it can be wildly unpredictable. The fact is, the internet isn’t a place for lethargy. Trends come and go like snowflakes, and once something dies, it’s virtually impossible to make it a ‘thing’ again. This is why the moment you realize you’ve gone viral, you’ll need to focus on two important steps.
One, engage your new audience, and two, create follow-up content. What do we mean by engage? Well, say you created an Instagram reel that’s blown up. You might have hundreds or even thousands of comments and messages. What you don’t want to do is just read them passively. Instead, start replying to people and resharing or reacting to comments on your stories.
Similarly, follow-up content is almost a necessity. For example, making a “Part II” of the viral content. The tricky part is going to be making the content live up to the virality of the original post. Most people don’t have the content creation experience to quickly create more viral content on a whim.
However, do your best and try not to make it look like you’re desperately holding onto your fifteen minutes of fame.
#2. Working With an Agency vs. Being Independent
Now that you’ve put some effort into connecting with your new audience, you know that they might stay with you– hopefully for a while. Now, you’re probably eager to start turning your virality into an income source, and we don’t blame you. There are a couple of ways you can go about this.
You could go the path of Raygun, the viral Australian breakdancer who signed up with a talent agency to get some guidance and coaching. The 36-year-old breakdancer who lost 18-0 is eyeing potential earnings in the millions if she plays her cards well.
You could also try starting your own personal brand based on the niche that got you your popularity.
So if your content was a humorous video, you could start a personal brand in the comedy niche and go from there. The benefits of this method are many. For one, you are doing things on your own terms and will likely keep all profits to yourself.
All you might need to do is create a more solid online presence beyond your social media accounts.
This might mean creating your own website where you can sell merchandise and exclusive content. These days, that’s easy enough to do, especially with AI-assisted website builders. According to Hocoos, These services often have several templates as well that you can use depending on what you need.
With a website active, you have an additional income source beyond brand deals and sponsored content.
#3. Start Branching Out ASAP
One of the most important things you want to keep in mind is that viral popularity is, by nature, temporary. Even if you do everything correctly, there’s no telling how long your fame and success will last. This is why you want to branch out and invest comprehensively while you have the chance.
Those sponsors and brand deals you make can dry up after a few years, so don’t waste the money on frivolous purchases. Instead, consider looking into FIRE strategies so that you don’t have to work till your sixties.
As NerdWallet explains, many FIRE followers use the rule of 25. This means saving 25 times your annual expenses to retire early. There’s also the 4% rule, which refers to not withdrawing more than 4% per year. Who knows, you might be able to achieve these goals before you exit your viral era.
If you really enjoy the content creation life, then branching out and trying your luck with other niches is also super helpful. In a sense, you would be diversifying your popularity by using your initial viral fame as a springboard to other ventures. That could mean podcasts, a new business, or even an acting career, if you’re lucky.
At the end of the day, you don’t want to hold on tight to your virality. It ends up looking desperate, and the internet will want to be done with you even sooner. Just ensure you listen to good advice so that you don’t start a crypto coin for fun and end up in legal soup!