Creating Viral Campaigns: The AI Advantage

In 2014, Burger King released their controversial ‘Proud Whopper’ campaign to celebrate the LGBT Pride Weekend in San Francisco. People wondered: what’s so special about this rainbow-wrapped burger? Does it taste any better than what they usually serve? Curious customers then ordered the burger in question, devoured it, and left their verdict.

“It’s the same sh-t!” one customer quipped. The fast food chain’s viral messaging? We may be different on the outside, hence the rainbow wrapper, but we are all the same inside. It was #1 trending topic on Facebook and Twitter at that time. That's the beauty and art of viral marketing.

Fast forward to 2024, with artificial intelligence enabling digital marketers to create all sorts of content at scale, reaching the ‘viral’ status has never been more attainable. But the million-dollar question is, how do you replicate that magic? Here, we put the limelight on the viral marketing phenomenon and how AI is helping transform it.

Posted on October 03, 2024

Role of AI in Content Creation

Brainstorming for viral-worthy content ideas is no walk in the park.

But imagine having a crystal ball that reveals what might just make your audiences leave a comment and click on the like and share buttons. That's essentially what AI brings to the table.

Among the most powerful AI tools available today are natural language processing tools and AI video generators.

Natural language processing tools

NLP tools are a machine learning tech that can sift through massive amounts of written content, including social media posts, customer reviews, and articles, to identify common themes and sentiments.

A common example of NLP in action is digital assistants like Siri. These tools use NLP to interpret spoken commands, answer queries, and perform tasks such as setting reminders or providing weather updates.

AI video generators

AI-powered video tools can produce high-quality videos with eye-catching effects and near-realistic depiction of actual people narrating or talking. Notably, these tools automate the video creation process, cutting down on production time and resources.

For instance, Synthesia is an AI video platform that allows users to create videos featuring AI-generated avatars that look and sound like real people. By simply typing in a script, businesses can generate professional-looking videos with multilingual virtual presenters.

AI-Driven Personalization

Here's a hard truth: generic content rarely goes viral, if at all. Today's audiences have their hearts set on content that resonates and feels like it’s worth their time and attention. AI steps up to the plate by crunching vast amounts of user data to deliver personalized content.

The genius of Spotify’s “Wrapped”

Launched in 2016, Spotify's "Wrapped" is a perfect case study on a viral marketing campaign.

It’s an annual feature that uses AI to analyze data from users' listening habits and craft personalized year-in-review summaries, from top songs and artists to total minutes listened. All tailored to each user’s unique musical tastes.

This level of personalization resulted in a viral sensation that users eagerly anticipate and share, year after year.

It being a shareable content, Spotify taps into users' sense of identity and belongingness, making them more likely to engage and share their results with friends.

It was a huuuge marketing success that its largest competitor, Apple Music, created its own version with “Replay.”

Predictive Analytics and AI

Machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics tools aggregate mountains of current and historical data, and serve up predictions of how strongly your content may perform on the worldwide web.

Once your content goes live, for example, your real-time analytics software continuously monitors engagement metrics to identify early signs of viral potential.

Case in point: a sudden spike in shares or comments within the first few hours can signal a piece of content is likely to blow up.

But the key is leveraging these predictive and real-time insights by acting swiftly. Doing so allows you to maintain momentum and boost your content’s engagement tenfold through targeted promotion or cross-platform distribution.

Using this approach helps transform viral marketing from a game of chance into a clever, calculable endeavor.

AI in Social Media Management

Social media is the breeding ground for viral content. But without a solid strategy in place, the odds of your content catching fire are slim.

This is where AI plays the role of a ‘super tool’ that can help with the following:

Pinpoint the ideal times to post (i.e., when your target audience is most active)
Recommend the best platforms for your content (e.g., TikTok for pop culture trends)
Automate engagement through smart chatbots (handle customer interactions, respond to comments)

Importantly, AI-powered analytics tools can track your campaign's performance in real-time. They allow you to:

See which posts are gaining traction and which aren’t resonating
Make on-the-fly adjustments, like tweaking messaging, shifting posting schedules, or targeting different audience segments.

Human Touch in the Age of AI

While AI's capabilities are beyond impressive, it's important to remember that it's a tool, not a magic wand to be fully reliant on.

Sure, it can examine, aggregate, and interpret data, predict trends, generate tons of content, etc. But it still requires human insight and creativity to guide its use effectively.

The success of any AI-driven campaign banks on the strategy behind it. That is, knowing what questions to ask, evaluating the substance of suggested insights, and applying those insights to create content that truly strikes an emotional chord with people.

Without the right human input and oversight, even the most sophisticated AI can lead to misguided decisions or miss out on the nuances that make content genuinely compelling.

Ethical considerations, like data privacy and transparency, must remain a priority. And let's not forget – AI still can't replicate human creativity and emotional intelligence. The most successful viral campaigns strike a balance between automation-driven insights and human ingenuity.

Final Thoughts

In crafting viral marketing campaigns, we're witnessing AI as an augmentation tool that complements human creativity. From idea ideation to content creation, to delivering personalized experiences and forecasting trends, AI is here for us to embrace and leverage in the pursuit of viral success.

If you’re looking for a team of experts who lives and breathes public relations and digital marketing with an AI edge, Trelexa’s solutions were designed to help you run and benefit from profitable marketing campaigns.

Ready to get viral? Book a meeting today and experience Trelexa’s innovative solutions for yourself.