Hey!

A quick reminder for anyone new:

• This is a weekly series. Every Thursday, I break down a different piece of content sent in by this community

• Videos are chosen 100% randomly from our submission pool

• Submissions open 1x per month

• I’ll either analyse why a video didn't go viral (and how to improve it) or break down why it did well

• For the full T&Cs, click here. 

We'll be opening it up again in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

Last week, we looked at @homeofkg’s 3.7M view Reel and took it from good - great.

This week, we’ve got a Reel just under 10K views. 

Here are the stats 👇

atomms8

View more on Instagram

📊 The Stats

The Creator: @atomms8

Niche: Football

Followers: 4,142

Posts: 200

Video Stats: 8,948 views, 652 likes, 16 comments

What did @atomms8 get right?

First off, props for using a trending sound. That's a smart move to boost visibility. However, the music is too dark, something more subtly inspiring would help make it more emotive. 

And the multiple cuts between the creator and football footage keep things dynamic. 

But let's break down how to make this even better…

Caption

The caption is good, but it's missing the conversational spark. 

Try posing a question that gets different opinions flowing instead. 

You want the kind of questions that tap into people's experiences or expertise.

This invites debate and could fire up those comments.

Bonus tip: Try reintroducing the question as a text overlay at the end of the video as a call to action.

You can’t assume your audience will remember the question you asked them at the start, so it’s in your interest to remind them to interact.

Video Quality

The B-roll footage is a great touch, but if possible, source higher quality clips. 

HD footage can make a world of difference in viewer retention.

Hashtag Strategy

Don't be shy with those hashtags! 

Drop 10-15 targeted, niche-specific tags in the comments. 

Engagement Boosters

While the reporting style works, try adding more opinion-based statements. 

Controversial takes (within reason) can spark serious engagement. 

Maybe throw in a poll or a "hot take" to get people talking.

Visual Enhancements

The first still of Endrick isn’t overly compelling, should be a video and one that evokes more emotion 

The on-screen text is on point with engaging colours and fonts. 

But consider adding some subtle animations to make key points pop. Maybe experiment with zoom effects or transitions between clips to keep eyes glued to the screen.

Now, before you go off to create your next viral hit, can I ask you for a favour? It'll take you 20 seconds, tops.

Think of that mate of yours. You know the one - always posting, grinding hard, but maybe not seeing the results they deserve.

Send them this link: Viral Academy Newsletter

Tell them, "You need to get on this. You're getting a mini-masterclass in content creation - in your pocket (all for free)"

Why am I asking this?

Simple. If you're finding these newsletters valuable (and I hope you are), why not do something nice for a friend? Help them level up their content game, absolutely free.

I want to help as many people as possible with these newsletters so I’ll keep making them for you and I would really appreciate it if you shared with even just one friend.

Until next time, 

Jeremy

P.S. 33 social media updates you need to know about...

Don't forget to use the tips from my past 23 newsletters to keep improving. (Missed an issue? Catch up here).

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