Being Outrageous on Social Media: 5 Sites that Do it Best
Through the massive rise of social media over the course of the last decade, viral videos, photos, and articles have become so common, we’ve come to expect them. The very term “viral” has taken on a new meaning. At first, these popular pieces of content were generated by everyday Internet users. It didn’t take long for marketers to take note though, and now it’s become a marketing strategy in itself. It shouldn’t come as a surprise either. Viral videos like Jenna Marbles’ How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking video, which was an early entry in this phenomenon, amass millions of views in a very short amount of time. This particular video reached one million views in its first day and sits at 56.6 million views as of this writing.
Jenna’s video was produced and promoted organically, but she’s built quite the empire on YouTube by producing similar videos each week, illustrating just how successful these videos can be. But what’s so great about this type of content anyway, and why should marketers care? Read on to find out why it works, and several sites that have mastered the art of being outrageous on social media.
Creating outrageous content that goes viral with a vengeance involves a certain science. Amid all the attention that outrageous online content has started gathering, certain outlets have become masterminds in the practice. Here are the best of the best sites when it comes to being outrageous on social media.
BuzzFeed
Buzzfeed employs a staff of in-house content creators and works with freelancers to publish content that invokes emotions in viewers. Using its now well-recognized labels (LOL, Win, OMG, Cute, Trashy, Fail, and WTF), it has quickly become a hub of viral media, and a favorite time waster for Internet users everywhere. When it comes to being outrageous online, Buzzfeed has it in the bag.
The fact that people spend hours at a time on Buzzfeed is a testament to its success in sharing outrageous content. It’s not always outrageous content that’s posted on Buzzfeed, either. The site’s most popular post, the 45 most powerful images of 2011, wasn’t original content; rather, it was a mash-up of popular images from the year. For every crazy post that Buzzfeed posts, there’s another news post right behind it. Buzzfeed has become a one stop site of sorts, offering news and entertainment in one fell swoop.
Vice
Headed up by 40 year-old CEO Shane Smith, Vice.com shares some qualities of Buzzfeed, in the sense that it creates and publishes very sharable content, but in an understated and honest way. Vice originated as a magazine by hipsters, for hipsters, but has grown into an unstoppable force of combined Internet and print awesomeness that has solidified itself as one of the most successful and often outrageous publishers ever.
What sets Vice aside from other sites is that it recently launched a news site, complete with fact checkers, to cater to Generation Y’s thirst for news sources that they can relate to. The company website’s “Dos and Don’ts” section is a perfect example of outrageous content that captures attention and encourages social sharing.
Imgur
What was once a simple file sharing site has now morphed into a community in its own right, and may just become Yahoo’s next big acquisition. Outrageous postings on Imgur find their way across the Internet, thus making it a catalyst for content to grow into viral sensations with a lightning quickness.
Imgur is unique in the content sharing realm in that the community that utilizes it tends to be compassionate and empathetic, as opposed to the otherwise cynic nature of the Internet world. Users love Imgur because it gives them a chance to share content that appeals to them, whether it’s outrageous or heartfelt.
Quite often what makes Imgur posts so funny is the user-submitted reactions in the comments. Take this post, for instance. The photo is mildly funny, but when you read the top comment, it’s full-on chuckle worthy. It’s clever, and surely generated thousands of shares across the Internet.
Mashable
Pete Cashmore founded Mashable when he was 19 years old, and has since nurtured it into a force to be reckoned within the world of content creation. The site serves as a platform for news and entertainment content that focuses on topics such as technology, beauty, business, economics, and countless others. It competes directly with outlets such as Vice and Buzzfeed, but carves a name for itself and stands out in the crowd, thanks to its distinctly news-oriented approach. The primary factor that sets Mashable apart from the rest is the fact that its news articles are well-researched and in-depth.
But right next to those legitimate articles are hilariously outrageous bits of content that viewers can’t help but chuckle at. This piece is a compilation of reactions to Justin Beiber’s recent arrest. At the time of this writing, it’s been shared 9,900 times. There’s no doubting this outrageous approach works on social media for Mashable.
Funny or Die
Funny or Die produces content catered around topics such as politics, hollywood, television, movies, and news. It makes people laugh using many forms of media, including videos, articles, and photos based around topics that are timely and relevant to pop culture. Check it out to give yourself a chuckle.
Recently a sensational video featuring what seemed to be a dream come true for Back to the Future fans: a hoverboard. The video included big names the likes of Christopher Lloyd himself, Tony Hawk, Moby, and Terrell Owens, and other big names and fooled a lot of people into thinking hoverboards were really happening.
Even the follow-up video from Funny or Die, in which Christopher Lloyd hilariously owned up to creating it, and satirically apologizing for duping so many people spread far and wide.
As you can see, being outrageous works on social media. It’s the most outrageous content that users are most likely to share. What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve seen shared on social media lately?
Thumbnail Image: http://tinyurl.com/qcont73
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