Just how easy is it to make your snaps 'go
viral7 on the internet? We challenge two team members to get famous
online
A few years ago, going viral would probably
have you locked up in quarantine and sporadically hosed down by people in biohazard
suits. These days, though, going viral means becoming an instant internet star,
complete with fame and glory (maybe).
Over the years more than a few careers have
been launched using social media, whether it’s YouTube stars going global doing
silly dances, or people gaining notoriety by venting their feelings on Twitter.
However, how easy is it to upload something that will become a smash hit
overnight, and how can you engineer maximum exposure?
We went
head-to-head to find out, by each taking and uploading a photo in a bid to get
as many people to like, retweet, share and comment on it in 24 hours.
It involves using social networks as
self-promotion tools, and harnessing the power of friends, followers and
complete strangers to send their snaps to far-flung corners of the globe. The
clock’s ticking, but can either of them become the next big thing on the
internet?
Start
With 24 hours on the clock, the first
challenge was to create an image to share online. Straight away, both
competitors came up with different ideas. “Animals doing cute things is always
internet gold!” exclaimed Matt.
Nick had more artistic aspirations. “I’m
going to photograph some beautiful local scenery. Hopefully people will enjoy
it and want to share it with their friends.”
02 hours
The competitors then needed to take their
photos and upload them as soon as possible.
Nick was quick to grab his DSLR camera and
head out to get some shots. “It’s a beautiful day out there, so I’m sure I’ll
be able to get some great images.” To stand out on the internet, you need to be
unique, so finding the right picture might take longer than Nick was
anticipating - and time was ticking.
While
Nick was scouring the local area with his DSLR, Matt was busy using his
smartphone to capture his image.
Matt was looking much closer to home for
his inspiration. “I’ve got a number of pets, so I’m bound to be able to snap
them doing something cute around the house!” While Nick was scouring the local
area with his DSLR, Matt was busy using his smartphone to capture his image.
“I’ve finally found a fantastic Gothic
church. I just need to set up my camera and get shooting,” said Nick.
I’ve
finally found a fantastic Gothic church. I just need to set up my camera and
get shooting,” said Nick.
Meanwhile Matt had already found his shot,
taken it and was uploading his picture. “I decided on a picture of my pet
terrapin falling asleep on his basking rock. I took the photo and had my phone,
a Nokia Lumia 900, set up to automatically post to Facebook.” While Nick was
walking back to his house to find the USB cable to transfer and then upload his
photos, Matt’s shot of his terrapin on Facebook had already received two likes
in a matter of minutes.
04 hours
The lunch hour saw an influx of Matt’s
friends logging on to find his photo, with many of them liking it. By 2:30pm
his image had 17 likes and four comments. Inevitably, though, people began
closing down their web browsers and returning to work. “It looks like I need to
promote this picture elsewhere,” he said. “I’ve set up my Facebook page to
automatically post any updates to Twitter by linking my accounts at
www.facebook.com/twitter.”
05 hours
Meanwhile Nick was lagging behind, having
only just uploaded his photograph manually. Luckily for him, Facebook has a
system that makes posts containing uploaded photos stay at the top of people’s
news feeds for longer, so more people are likely to see it. By 2:30pm, Nick’s
photo was fast approaching Matt’s in the likes stakes with 11 thumbs up. The
number of comments quickly overtook Matt’s, with most people asking him where
the shot was taken.
However, Matt had a sudden realisation.
“I’ve just remembered that Facebook posts a link to the photo on its own website,
so Twitter users will have no idea what they’re clicking on!”
06 hours
Time was marching on, so Matt had to act
fast. Unfortunately for him, all his automatic posting didn’t seem like such a
good idea.
Nick, on the other hand, had replied to a
number of the people who had commented on his photo. This kept the photo
towards the top of people’s news feeds. His shot had now surpassed Matt’s with
26 likes. Matt’s photo only had 20.
08 hours
With Facebook ticking over nicely,
afternoon was fast turning into evening and Nick needed to direct his attention
to other places to share his photo. As a keen photographer, Nick is signed up
to Flickr (www. flickr.com). Other users can view, comment and quickly post the
image to Facebook or Twitter. On Twitter his post appeared with the ‘View
photo’ link, which lets people quickly view the photo - essential for retweets.
Likes and shares on Facebook grew to 30 and 7 respectively, and there were
three retweets on Twitter.
09 hours
But how was Matt doing? After his Facebook-to-
Twitter automatic posting fiasco, it was time to take a more hands-on approach.
“I’m going to upload my picture to Twitpic (http://twitpic.com).” Once he’d set
it up, his followers began to retweet, but was it enough to catch up with Nick?
He posted the photo with the hashtag #cutepet in a bid to get more views.
10 hours
With night drawing ever closer, the peak
time for social media traffic was over. Both competitors needed to work hard to
keep retweets flowing, so Matt decided to get a celebrity involved. However,
with so many followers, would his request stand out?
Nick had a similar idea. Twitter accounts
that post about local news often retweet photos, so Nick identified a number of
local tweeters. These accounts had fewer followers than the celebrities Matt
was courting, but they were much more likely to retweet his picture.
12 hours
Nick’s targeting of local tweeters paid
off, boosting him to a total of 42 retweets, along with 34 likes on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Matt’s picture was ignored by
the famous Twitterers. Retweets by his followers were creeping up though, and
he had managed 12 retweets and 26 likes on Facebook. To catch up with
Nick, he needed to do something drastic. Suddenly, inspiration struck.
“While my friends and followers are logging
off for the night in the UK, elsewhere they’ll be waking up! I can get Facebook
to automatically post the status at a certain date and time.” As for Twitter,
he used the Twuffer service (http://twuffer.com), which enables you to schedule
the release of your tweets. Could this close the gap? Both contestants went to
bed, keen to find out how they fared the next day.
22 hours
Over the course of the night Nick’s photo
gained a further eight retweets and two likes on Facebook, bringing his total
to 50 retweets and 36 likes. Matt’s scheduled overnight posting paid off, with
14 retweets and an impressive 21 extra likes on Facebook, bringing his total to
26 retweets and 47 likes.
23 hours
With the clock counting down, Matt had one
last roll of the dice - the local animal charity on Twitter. The account had
quite a few followers, but would it ignore the photograph like the celebrities
did? The minutes ticked by until, with just under three-quarters-of-an-hour
left, the photo was retweeted!
Finish
Was that last retweet enough to spark a
further Finish flurry? At the 24-hour mark, Nick's photo stood at a respectable
50 retweets and 38 likes. Matt's last minute retweet brought him five
additional retweets, leaving him with 32 retweets and 49 likes. A good score,
but Nick wins! It goes to show that photos can't be uploaded and left to become
a hit. You need to nurture them and give them a personal touch.
Nick’s total 88 Matt’s total 81
Do it with these
Two free apps to give your shots the edge
Photo Monkey
Price: Free
A free app which enables you to make quick
edits and add effects to your shots. You can choose from ten funky filters.
Flickr Manaqer
Price: Free
Get in control of your Flickr account and
use it to showcase and promote your photos in full quality. One for serious
snappers.
