The Anatomy Of A Viral Reel: 4 Elements To Include To Pop Off

You’ve seen it happen… someone posts a reel, and suddenly it goes viral.

It hits a million views, and more keep rolling in. 

Maybe it even started a trend that everyone is now copying. 

The next thing you know, that person’s followers have skyrocketed, and they just posted that they’re booked out for the next few months.

And you’re sitting there thinking, “Why can’t that be ME?? What am I doing wrong?”

You already post consistently and have a loyal follower base. 

You’re doing everything “right.”

So, what is it that they did to create a viral reel that you haven’t quite figured out just yet?

Here’s the thing. Going viral isn’t just about luck. (Okay, sometimes there’s a little luck involved. But not always!) 

In this blog, I’ll talk about what goes into creating viral reels – including 4 key elements that you can include that’ll give you the chance to reach millions, so you can grow your audience and sign more clients.

While I can’t *pinky-promise* you’ll go viral after reading this blog (nobody can!), I can tell you these are the exact elements I’ve seen work for me and hundreds of my students. 

And it starts with a little marketing psychology (AKA my all-time favourite topic).

The Psychology Behind Why Things Go Viral

There’s a book that I need you to run (not walk!) and buy right now.

It’s called Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger. (He also has a TED Talk if you’re more of a “watch” than a “read” kind of person. No judgment. 💁🏼‍♀️)

Here’s the big idea: virality isn’t random. 

In the book, Berger talks about how anyone can craft viral content. 

Because “going viral” on Instagram isn’t about who has the best product or service or who has the best camera setup for reels. 

It’s about tapping into the psychology behind WHY something catches on so well. 

This comes from understanding what exactly makes people want to talk about something or share it with all of their friends – and then building that into your content. * 

So, don’t worry. I promise that a reel doesn’t just go viral because the algorithm gods smiled upon you. 

There are specific things you can add to your Instagram reel to make them just a tad more contagious. 😉

Pin this to your Instagram Marketing board! 👇🏼

4 Elements to Add to Your Reels for a Better Chance at Going Viral on Instagram

Let me paint you a picture:

I’m in my kitchen getting ready to make ginger shots. I prop up my phone, pick up a paring knife, start peeling ginger, and just start yapping about marketing. 

It wasn’t a big production. There was no crazy camera or lighting setup.

Nope, just little old me in my kitchen peeling ginger. 

And for some reason, that reel hit 4 million views.

Of course, I needed to know WHY. Why this post? I was sharing my marketing tips like I do every day. So, how did this reel go viral?

Since then, I’ve analyzed this viral reel, broken it down, reposted it, and even repeated certain characteristics of it in other reels. I realized a big part of what made this reel go viral came down to 4 elements in particular. 

Let’s get into them. 👇🏼

Viral Reel Element #1: Put Your Hands to Work

One of the best things you can do to potentially create a viral reel is SUUUPER simple. 

Just put your hands to work. 

That’s it! Just give yourself something busy to do while you’re talking. 

Back to my ginger shot reel…

While I was talking to the camera, I was peeling ginger. The act of peeling ginger gave viewers something to focus on. So now, not only were they listening to what I was saying, they were watching what I was doing. 

And they were invested. Here’s why:  

When you’re doing something with your hands that you’re making progress on (in my case, it was peeling ginger), psychologically, viewers WANT to see it get completed. 

Basically, you’re keeping them glued to the screen – which, of course, is exactly what you want! 

Then, because more people are watching your reel all the way or almost all the way through, the Instagram algorithm takes note. It sees that people are enjoying your reel and hits the launch button to share it with even MORE people. 

That’s the basics of how the Instagram algorithm works! 

Even better is that what you’re doing doesn’t have to be overly complicated (or even related to your content at all!). I peeled ginger, but maybe you make coffee, do a craft, organize a bouquet… literally anything with your hands. 

I once gave this tip to someone who taught arithmetic on TikTok, and she didn’t believe me. That is, until she did a craft while talking about math – and her video went viral. 🙌🏻

So, if you take nothing else from this blog, take this: do something with your hands while you talk.

💡PS – this is also why ‘get ready with me’ videos while telling a story are so popular! 

Viral Reel Element #2: Add in a Visual Hook

A hook in the traditional sense is something written or spoken that grabs your attention.

A visual hook is a visual element that does the same thing. 

So, the first element of a viral reel (aka doing something with your hands) is meant to hold viewers’ attention and keep them watching until the end. But a visual hook GRABS their attention from the start, so they stop scrolling in the first place. 

Visual hooks can be almost anything – frantically waving at the camera, a bright neon t-shirt, anything visually unexpected. Because when something disrupts what we’re used to seeing, our brains can’t help but pay attention. 

For example, I drink an insane amount of coffee every day. That means that a lot of times I’m holding coffee while filming a reel.

AND I also talk with my hands a lot…so there’s always the danger that my coffee is going to go flying. 

As a viewer, once your eye catches the precarious tilt of that cup of coffee, you’re hooked. You’re not leaving that video. You’re staying to see if it spills. 

(Just FYI, to my knowledge, I’ve only spilled once. Coffee’s too good to waste. ☕) 

When I post a coffee reel, there have been times when people have commented, “I had to watch this twice because I was staring at that coffee cup.”

It’s the tension that keeps people watching. The inherent need to see what’s going to happen next. And that’s exactly what the algorithm looks for before sharing your post.

➡️ Want to learn more about what makes a strong hook? Sign up for my 50 Hooks Bootcamp!

Viral Reel Element #3: Open with a Rhetorical Question

So about that ginger reel… While I was peeling, I was talking about marketing. I opened with what I thought was a pretty obvious rhetorical question. It went something like this:

“If you throw a party and you invite 30 people, but only 5 show up, do you tell those 5 people that nobody came? How do you think that would make them feel?”

Then, I made a comparison to your followers on Instagram. 

What I didn’t expect, though, was the thousands of people who jumped into the comments to answer my question. 

They heard a question and just had to put their two cents in. 

All of those comments sent TONS of engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm. Because of that, the reel kept getting shared with more and more people until it shot into “viral reel” territory. 

So, when you’re writing the script for your next reel, try opening with a question. It doesn’t have to be complex, just something curious enough for viewers to want to answer. 

Viral Reel Element #4: Give People Something to Weigh In On

Similar to answering questions where answers weren’t necessary, if there’s one thing that’s always true about the internet, it’s that everyone always has an opinion. 

And that ginger I was peeling? Turns out, I was doing it wrong. 

Apparently, the spiciest part of ginger is right underneath the skin. So when you peel it with a paring knife, you’re cutting away the best part. As it turns out, the correct way to peel ginger is to lightly scrape a thin layer of skin off with a spoon. 

I had no idea, but the internet was NOT going to let that mistake slide. 

In addition to the comments answering my rhetorical question, I had just as many saying…

“Girl, use a spoon.”

“USE A SPOON!!!”

“Tell me you grew up white without telling me.”

EVERYBODY had to be the person to correct me. It’s years later, and I’m still getting “use a spoon” comments.

And I’m not the only one. Kendall Jenner once cut a cucumber in such a weird way that it went absolutely viral. To this day, people still bring it up.

But the thing is, we as a society (and especially on the internet!) cannot resist correcting someone or weighing in on something.

Of course, you don’t always want to use this tactic. You’d probably get accused of rage-baiting if you did constantly. But leave in the stumble, the mispronunciation, the thing you did slightly wrong. 

Those are the moments that make people pop off in the comments – which then sends the algorithm all those lovely engagement signals that boost your reach. 🚀

The #1 Thing That Makes a Reel Go Viral on Instagram

When put together, the elements that helped my ginger reel go viral on Instagram have one thing in common. 

They all made people feel something. And according to Jonah Berger’s book, Contagious, that’s exactly the point! 

When we care about something, we share it. So, the more a piece of content triggers an emotional response in us – whether it’s anger, excitement, sadness, or joy – the more likely we are to respond to or engage with it. 

For example, think about that motivational kitten poster that hung in your school as a kid. You know the one with the fluffy little kitten, hanging onto a ledge with “hang in there!” written across the top. (If you’re a millennial, I know you know exactly what I’m talking about.) 

Before memes existed and even before social media was born, that poster went viral. 

It was printed out and hung in almost every school or classroom across North America. It was such a simple concept, but it made people feel things. That cute kitten pulled at every heartstring while the quote written across it made you go, “Aww… I can, little kitten. I can hang in there!” 🥹

I saw this same concept play out with one of my own clients. I had suggested she do her take on a trending reel concept. Now, while the original reel trend was casual and lighthearted, my client’s reel was more heartfelt and emotional. 

And that resonated with people. The reel went viral and was covered on everything from other social media platforms to mainstream news coverage to a national news event. 

It was the same trend everyone else was doing – just with emotion. 

So, whether it’s because you’re worrying, laughing, or crying, making people FEEL something is the key to creating a viral reel. 

But Wait! Not All Emotions are Created Equal

Here’s something worth keeping in mind before you run off to make the most emotionally charged reel of your life:

Not every emotion is going to work in your favour.

Take my swim instructor client, for example. She always wanted to talk about drowning prevention in her reels. And of course she would! That’s important! 

BUT I had to keep reminding her: don’t talk about drowning. 

Sad people don’t buy – especially not after you’ve just made them picture something terrible happening to their child.

I told her to talk about water safety tips, building confidence in the water, or how to stay safe on the beach instead. These all still talk about drowning prevention – just without saying the “D-word.” 

When trying to create a viral reel, the goal should always be to build people up, not bring them down.

So when you’re thinking about the emotion you want your reel to trigger, ask yourself: Does this leave my viewer feeling inspired, empowered, or entertained? Or does it leave them feeling sad and hopeless?

Because sad and hopeless doesn’t convert, but uplifted and happy does. 

How to Use Viral Reels to Sign More Clients through Instagram

When I teach Instagram marketing, I teach the 3 types of content you need to be posting to sign more clients:

Growth. Nurture. Sales.

Growth content gets our posts to new eyeballs. 

Nurture content might not get the same amount of views or comments, but it gets those new people to trust you and your expertise. 

Sales content is where you drop your call to action that leads people directly to your offer.

Now, viral reels make fantastic growth content. They get tons of new eyes watching your content in a short amount of time. But getting viral views is NOT a guarantee you’ll get more clients. 

A viral reel is only one piece of the content marketing puzzle. 

My ginger shot reel got shown to millions, but most of them were not my ideal client, so they were never going to convert. 

BUT some out of the millions were.

Because my messaging was crystal clear, my Instagram bio was optimized, and my pinned posts highlighted the best of my usual content, if the right person found me through my ginger reel, they stuck around. They binged the rest of my content and made their way through the funnels I already had in place.

And as nice as going viral is, you don’t need viral numbers to sign more clients. 

In fact, when I film reels, creating a viral reel is never the main goal. I prefer the slow and steady approach of attracting ideal clients through growth content, nurturing my relationship with them, and then offering the sale. 

Going viral is a nice bonus if it happens. But it’s the consistent, intentional content and purposeful strategy underneath that allows you to grow your business on Instagram and sign more clients.

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There’s no guarantee that any reel you post will take off and go viral. 

But now, you know exactly what to add into your next Reel to give it the best possible shot. 

Using one or any combination of these elements can increase your chance of having your reel go viral. And even if your next reel doesn’t hit 4 million views, your content is still getting seen by new eyes, getting more engagement, and getting more chances of your dream client finding you. 

So go ahead. Experiment a bit. Peel some ginger, ask a rhetorical question, let the coffee spill, tug on some heartstrings, and see the difference incorporating those elements makes.

And if your reel does reach millions of views, make sure you have a solid content marketing strategy ready to go to turn those new viewers into clients. 

Not sure how to create a content marketing strategy or don’t know where to begin?

Check out my free training for service-based business owners! 

In it, you’ll learn everything you need to know about my proven Growth, Nurture, Sales strategy AND how to use it to get clients through Instagram without spending hoursss glued to your phone.