What Truly Is Virality?
Whenever you hear the term social media, the first thing that comes to mind is virality. After working with countless brands and creators over the years, one question we repeatedly hear is: How soon will we go viral?
Now, that’s not entirely wrong. Of course, when you’re on social media, the goal is often to reach the masses. But the fundamental question is: does social media only mean virality?
I don’t think so. Especially in 2025, when attention is scarce and expensive, when content is easy to create, and when AI has lowered the barriers even further, something else matters more than just chasing virality.
Because let’s be real, virality is no longer difficult. With the abundance of data points and distribution hacks, anyone can manufacture it. You know that if you do something outrageous, you’ll get millions of views. If you drop a controversial statement, the views will come. If you say something deeply emotional, people will share it. Virality in itself is not the challenge anymore.
The real question is: How do you create virality that aligns with your brand and sustains over time rather than just bringing you empty eyeballs that you don’t know what to do with?
The Real Definition of Virality
According to me, virality is simply about how well you connect with the masses. But here’s the nuance: those masses need to include your ideal ICP.
ICP stands for Ideal Customer Profile — the kind of people you want to attract to your brand.
For example, if you’re selling a premium smartphone, going viral with a Tier-3 audience doesn’t help much. Their purchasing power may not align with your offering, and even if your video racks up millions of views, it won’t translate into meaningful results.
So the core idea of virality should be: find the audience you actually want, and then maximize your reach within that group. That’s real virality.
How to Think About Virality
So, how should brands and creators approach virality today? I believe it starts with a simple formula.
First, remember this: content is ultimately about solving problems. The foundation of any viral content should be rooted in your audience’s pain points. Ask yourself:
• What are the biggest problems my target customers face?
• How can my content provide value in solving those problems?
And here’s the twist: you have to solve those problems without turning your content into a blatant product pitch.
This is where most brands go wrong. They think about sales first instead of value first. And because their content feels like a sales activity, they lose the trust and attention of the very people they’re trying to attract. They never build a community, which is what content should ultimately enable.
The Formula for Sustainable Virality
So, what should you actually do?
1. Identify the pain points of your ICP.
2. Create content that solves those pain points.
• It could be solution-driven videos.
• It could be a recommendation.
• It could be myth-busting.
• It could be sharing new data or research in your niche.
3. Do it without directly selling your product.
The key is simple: don’t show your product, show your value. Build trust. Build community. Build resonance.
That’s the kind of virality that doesn’t just blow up once, but compounds over time.
Virality in Action: Brand Examples
Some brands are doing an incredible job at virality, not the shallow, one-off kind, but the consistent, meaningful kind that drives long-term brand recall.
Take Whole Truth Foods. It might not be a household name in Tier-3 markets, but within its ecosystem and among its ideal audience, it is 100% viral. Not once in a while, not by accident, but consistently. Whole Truth Foods has built a brand presence where every campaign reinforces its positioning, ensuring that it stays top-of-mind. That is true virality.
Another example is TrueMeds, which sells substitute medicines. What’s fascinating is that their content doesn’t scream product or sales. Instead, it revolves around healthy living. They create valuable, relatable, and educational content that naturally resonates with their audience. The result? Their organic content performs exceptionally well, going viral with exactly the right people.
When we started working with TrueMeds at Binge, we realized this was the essence of virality — building reach and recall within the right audience, not just random eyeballs. And that, in my opinion, is the very goal of social media.
Why Social Media Changed the Game
Think about it. Back in the day, brands had to rely on billboards in Tier-1 city centers or newspaper ads. But the problem was clear: you never knew who was actually seeing your message.
Your billboard could be seen by thousands of people who would never become your customers. Your newspaper ad could land in front of someone who isn’t remotely close to your target demographic — imagine marketing a teen-focused product in a medium that teenagers don’t even read.
That was the reality because there weren’t better options.
But with social media, everything changed. Today, you can craft content that specifically speaks to a 16-year-old, or to a health-conscious working professional, or to a premium luxury buyer. You’re no longer throwing messages into the void and hoping the right person stumbles across them. Instead, you’re intentionally engineering your content to land exactly where it matters.
And while many brands have adapted to this shift, many still haven’t. Those who do, like Whole Truth Foods and TrueMeds, are the ones building lasting virality.
The Final Word
So in 2025, whatever you’re crafting, make sure it shouts, and shouts loudly, but only in the right group of people.
Because true virality isn’t about being seen by everyone. It’s about being remembered by the ones who matter most to your brand
(Views are personal)
