How To Go Viral On Instagram: Advice For Ecommerce

Imagine getting to tell your story to millions of people online. When you go viral, you have the chance to do just that. Going viral on Instagram can help you expose your brand to the platform’s roughly two billion monthly users. One viral post can potentially generate more interest, sales, and brand recognition than hundreds of paid ads.

Artem Kuzmichev and Richard Mabley are no strangers to social media fame. Their business, Transformer Table, launched off the back of a viral video in 2016 that garnered more than five million views on Facebook in a week—organically. Then, in 2022, they hit the jackpot with an influencer video on Instagram, which now has over 131 million views.

“It’s actually in the top 10 most-viewed videos on Instagram,” Artem says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.

Learn about what constitutes a viral Instagram post and gain valuable insights from Artem and Richard on how to create content that sparks interest and hooks viewers.

What qualifies as viral Instagram content?

There is no exact number of views, likes, or shares that determines whether a piece of Instagram content has gone viral. Any Instagram post or Instagram reel that exceeds the average number of likes, shares, or views for that unique user’s account can be said to have gone viral—so the views it takes to hit that benchmark vary based on the user, the size of the community where it’s shared, and the format.

Viral posts are promoted on Instagram feeds or Instagram’s Explore page—even to users who don’t follow the creator. This means an exceptionally viral Instagram post can reach a much broader audience and jump to other platforms or start trends, with other users trying to recreate the same content with their own spin.

How does content go viral? Some videos go viral organically, while others result from carefully considering Instagram’s algorithm. Many businesses and marketers create shareable content specifically to go viral by catering to what the Instagram algorithm (and other social media algorithms) tend to promote.

Benefits for your business of going viral on Instagram

There are more benefits to having your Instagram Stories and Reels go viral than getting more likes on your posts. Businesses that create viral, high-quality content can see:

• More potential sales. According to one survey, 85% of Gen Z shoppers say that social media platforms help them make shopping decisions. Viral Instagram posts can help bring new customers through your (virtual) door.

• Increased follower count. When a post reaches viral status or hits the Explore page, you’ll likely get views from unique users who aren’t following your account yet. Those views can turn into new Instagram followers and, hopefully, loyal customers.

• Boosted brand awareness. A viral post can reach many thousands of Instagram accounts. If you create content that amplifies your brand message, you can have thousands of Instagram users who will recognize your brand going forward.

How to go viral on Instagram

• Go for untapped markets
• Be ready to deliver
• Network with the right influencers
• Take big swings
• Trust your influencers
• Keep trying

There’s no foolproof strategy to help you gain Instagram fame. If you want to create viral content for your business, it’s useful to follow strategy-based tactics for creating content. Here are some Instagram insights from Transformer Table co-founders Artem Kuzmichev and Richard Mabley—tips that go beyond just using the right hashtags and posting times:

Go for untapped markets

You can try to compete with other Instagram accounts with millions of followers, or you can carve your own path in niche communities to go viral. Even though initially few people might engage with your content, you have the chance to reach new audiences that haven’t already heard of your brand or its competitors.

Artem and Richard think part of the reason their video went so viral was that Rasha, the influencer who made it, had a large audience in countries they hadn’t targeted yet—especially outside of the US and Canada.

“A lot of people in the US have seen our product,” Artem says. “You know, it was less shareable for the US, but it was a lot more shareable for the rest of the world.”

The bet paid off. With Rasha’s help, people in the Middle East saw and shared the post at a breakneck pace.

Be ready to deliver

When your Instagram reel or video goes viral, don’t be caught without a plan. Becoming a sensation on Instagram overnight can be thrilling. If you don’t have the resources to immediately start shipping products, your instant popularity could lead to bottlenecks, out-of-stock notices, and missed opportunities.

Once Artem and Richard saw the views spiking in Dubai, they jumped, despite not knowing a lot about the market. But that didn’t stop them.

“We didn’t wait one second, and we sent a container,” says Richard.

They both credit their willingness to take the risk as a huge part of their success.

“That’s one of the great values … we have in the company,” Richard says. “That’s really how we grew.”

Network with the right influencers

Find influencers with a unique and creative voice that appeals to your target demographic to help you go Instagram viral. Artem and Richard didn’t happen to stumble upon Rasha—they chose her because they thought she would resonate with their target audience. Rasha has a luxury aesthetic, is a mother, and has a big following in the Middle East, where they didn’t yet have a strong foothold.

Another influencer pool they saw major success with was the Costco influencer market.

“We took the influencer program and we pushed it to Costco,” Artem says, “[so] we found influencers that were Costco specific.”

They worked with several influencers behind the “Costco finds” trend, where creators spotlight their latest favorites at the wholesale chain.

“Our Costco sales just went ballistic in May,” Richard says. “Over three million just for Costco online.”

Take big swings

The reality is that going viral can be more complicated than just making visually stunning content, using relevant Instagram hashtags, and trying to encourage audience participation. Don’t play the same old Instagram game you see from other people’s posts. Instead, take risks and find your own personality to get noticed. Your exciting content will stand out from other posts if you keep your creative voice alive in your own content.

And it’s OK if not every big swing is a home run—Artem and Richard explain that that’s all part of the process, too. Richard reminisces on a particularly outlandish idea they had: buying a pickup truck, setting up a mechanism on the bed, and driving one of their tables down to Manhattan for a little guerilla marketing. They stayed in the city for three days, parking in different spots.

“It didn’t work,” he says. “People [didn’t] even get it. It’s a table. They’d look at it bizarrely and be like, ’What’s this?’”

All they got was a series of parking fines.

“Trial and error,” Richard says. “Take those risks, even those crazy risks, because sometimes those crazy ideas … they work well.”

Trust your influencers

Partnering with influencers can be a quick way to create engaging content for your brand and increase engagement quickly. Funny story about Transformer Table’s viral hit: Initially, Artem and Richard didn’t like the video.

“It was a bit of a back and forth,” Artem says.

Rasha sent them a first draft, which they turned down. A few months later, she tried again, and they still weren’t thrilled with the result.

But Rasha knew her audience of followers—finally, she said that she liked the final version, Artem and Richard gave her permission to post it, and the rest is history. As professionals, influencers have valuable insights into an audience’s interests and content cravings. It can be wise to cede some control and let them do their work.

Keep trying

Artem says that at the end of the day, creating viral content on Instagram is a combination of three things:

• Knowing what you’re doing
• A little bit of luck
• A lot of hard work

It can be difficult trying to figure out the algorithm and create engaging content that will appeal to users, but Artem says the key to success is keeping at it.

“If you try hard enough, you’re gonna get it. Eventually, you’re gonna get it.”