Running social media accounts is a time-consuming process that I have used to leverage growth for my content site. Finding out what goes viral and what gets rewarded on these social media apps is pretty wild but they all fit the same theme.
Some of you may be wondering how I figured this out. I have been running Instagram Theme pages for the greater part of a year now and have amassed a pretty big following in a short period.
What is a Theme Page?
An Instagram theme page is a page on Instagram (or TikTok) that reposts other people’s content and centralizes a specific topic’s best work in one place. A great example of this is meme pages like FuckJerry or DrunkPeopleDoingThings. In the early days all that they did was repost memes and now have some of the biggest accounts on the platform.
Now obviously you do not want to rip people’s content off the entire time. The goal should be to be able to create your original content but in the beginning, it is more important to just start. My goal for the page I run is to hire people to create the original content and add a mix of reposting while I focus on other aspects of the business.
FuckJerry is a $14M/yr media business and copied this exact model.
To build a following on the internet and to make money you do not need to be the one standing in front of the camera and creating all this content. Being anonymous on the internet is a thing that works but it takes a completely different skill set to be successful at it.
Truthfully the idea of being a public figure sounds exhausting, there is no way I would want to go that route unless I had someone on payroll to help edit…
Pick a Niche and GO!
When you pick a niche you want to curate or create content immediately and get to posting. This game is about posting like a psycho. You learn quickly that there are certain sounds, hashtags, times, and types of content that will generate buzz. Typically they fit this category:
Funny
Entertaining
Controversy or something that could have two sides going back and forth
The stuff that goes bananas on these platforms is number 3. I can’t tell you how many times I have reposted a video that had a message that was a little close to the edge that ended up doing millions of views.
When people bicker or disagree on a topic and there is a clear division in the crowd because of a video they go insanely viral. When I started to realize this I started to understand why the likes of Andrew Tate or even Donald Trump grew at such an exponential rate.
Understand the Platform
The game is pretty easy when you understand what the algo gods favor. With the recent purchase of Twitter and the growth of web3, I believe the landscape of social media is bound for some disruption.
For those that read this, this information can get you a ton of followers. Instagram Theme pages are widely underrated in my opinion and some of the largest accounts on the app fit this mold.
If you are building a brand you can go the same route but make your content. Understanding your niche, what is important to it, and your customers are the keys to building a page that people flock to and consistently buy from.
The three things that make videos go viral mentioned above are the recipe, having a good mix of those three things, or going all-in on a specific one that works well in your niche is the key. Social media is all about testing. It’s a lotto system discovering what works in your niche, you have to post at least 50 times to find out what is working or not working.
Do not overcomplicate your social media strategy.
What Type of Content Do you Create?
You create content that is educational, funny, or controversial.
The first rule of creating ANYTHING on the internet is that no one cares about you and your self-promotion.
They are always looking at it from the lens of “how can this help me with what I am going through”. All the biggest creators serve this exact purpose, they are always filling a gap.
If you cannot find the gap you have to fill it is your job to poke and prod till you do, it is pivotal for your success. People are hungry for knowledge, truth, and entertainment. If you can provide people with these things and teach them something along the way you will win on social.
Most people run on a hamster wheel when it comes to social media but when you understand what these algos want, you have a clear path to success.
Stay the Course
Most people don’t make it because they don’t stay the course or stay consistent but those that do stay consistent often run into a discouraging wall if they do not acknowledge what is going on and adjust accordingly. Generally, this is the stuff that does well on each social media:
Instagram - social flexing, status symbols, high-quality content (edited with transitions), aesthetically pleasing, teaching, swipe-right slides (that can be shared), collab posts
TikTok - educational, raw (does not have to be high-quality edited), using trending sounds, and hashtags for discovery
Hashtags and Video Timing
If you do not know the popular hashtags in your niche you are severely impacting your ability to go viral and get more clicks.
Identify hashtags that are not overcrowded in your niche and religiously use them when posting your content. If they start to get crowded switch them up.
If you are posting on TikTok a tiny hack I have figured out is being sure to post content close to when you are going to bed. Why? Because 95% of users do a doom scroll for at least an hour before they go to bed (myself included lol).
Hope this was helpful friends.
Very helpful, thanks
congrats Grappler - definitely helps