Artem Kuzmichev and Richard Mabley are no strangers to social media fame. Their business, Transformer Table, launched off the back of a video that went viral in 2016, garnering more than five million views on Facebook in a week—organically. Then, in 2022, they hit the jackpot with an influencer video on Instagram, which now has more than 131 million views. Artem and Richard were able to leverage that virality into ecommerce success.
Ahead, learn about what constitutes a viral Instagram post, and gain valuable insights from Artem, Richard, and other successful entrepreneurs on how to create content that sparks interest and hooks viewers. You’ll also explore what makes a good Instagram marketing strategy—so even if you don’t go viral, you’ll still be able to turn Instagram users into customers.
What qualifies as viral Instagram content?
There is no exact number of views, likes, or shares that determines virality. Any Instagram post or Instagram reel that exceeds the average number of likes, shares, or views for that unique user’s account can be said to have gone viral. Ultimately, the number of views or engagements it takes to hit the virality benchmark varies based on the creator and the size of the community where they shared the content.
While a post could theoretically go viral from users sharing and reposting it alone, most viral posts are promoted by the Instagram algorithm on users’ feeds or Explore pages. This means that the algorithm shows the post to users who don’t already follow the creator, widening the post’s reach. As more and more users see the post, they might then share or repost it to their profile, putting it in front of even more users and creating a snowball effect.
Viral posts can jump to other social media platforms like TikTok or YouTube, or even start trends, with other users putting their own spin on the same content.
Benefits for your business of going viral on Instagram
Creating a viral post can have a range of benefits for your company. Businesses that create viral, high-quality content can see:
- More sales. Twenty-nine percent of Instagram users make purchases on the app, according to the 2025 Sprout Social Index. A viral Instagram post can help bring new customers through your (virtual) door.
- Increased follower count. When a post reaches viral status or hits Instagram’s Explore page, you’ll likely get views from unique users who aren’t following your account yet. Those views can turn into new Instagram followers and, hopefully, loyal customers.
- Boosted brand awareness. A viral post can reach many thousands of Instagram accounts. If you create content that amplifies your brand message, you can have thousands of Instagram users who will recognize your brand going forward, increasing your brand awareness.
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Start free trialHow to go viral on Instagram
- Appeal to the Instagram algorithm
- Network with the right influencers
- Focus on storytelling
- Share your passion
- Find a common experience
- Create Reels
- Post consistently
Going viral is a good way to get popular on Instagram fast, but there’s no foolproof way to do it. However, there are some best practices you can follow to improve your chances of making your ecommerce business go viral on Instagram:
Appeal to the Instagram algorithm
There’s no surefire way to create content that Instagram’s algorithm will promote. Since Instagram feeds users different content based on their activity, every user’s algorithm is different. That said, Meta does offer some baseline tips for appealing to the Instagram algorithm:
- Tag a location
- Avoid back-to-back posts
- Don’t spread misinformation
- Adhere to Meta’s Community Guidelines
- Invite engagement
- Post in popular formats like Reels
- Appeal to your niche audience
Network with the right influencers
Finding influencers with unique and creative voices that appeal to your target demographic can help you go Instagram viral. Transformer Table co-founders Artem and Richard didn’t stumble upon the influencer who created their 2022 ultraviral video by accident. Rather, they chose Racha Abdel Reda because they thought she would resonate with their target audience. Racha has a luxury aesthetic, is a mother, and has a big following in the Middle East, where Transformer Table wanted to strengthen its foothold.
Choosing an influencer with this audience helped Transformer Table’s content go viral. “A lot of people in the US have seen our product,” Artem says, making it harder to capture attention from an American audience. “It was less shareable for the US, but it was a lot more shareable for the rest of the world,” introducing the content to a new audience.
Another influencer pool Transformer Table intentionally partnered with was Costco creators.
“We took the influencer program, and we pushed it to Costco,” Artem says, “We found influencers that were Costco-specific.”
Artem and Richard worked with several influencers behind the “Costco finds” trend, where creators spotlight their latest favorites at the wholesale chain. The company saw results, with skyrocketing Costco sales.
Here’s an example from the popular @costcobuys account, which has a massive following of over one million users.
Once you’ve identified the influencers you want to work with, allow them the space to be creative. Successful influencers often have the know-how to make posts go viral—you just have to let them do what they do best. Artem and Richard learned this lesson with the viral video created by Racha: At first, they didn’t like the video.
“It was a bit of a back and forth,” Artem says. Racha sent them a first draft, which they turned down. A few months later, she tried again, and they still weren’t thrilled with the result.
But Racha knew her audience of followers—finally, she said that she liked the final version, Artem and Richard gave her permission to post it, and the rest is history. As professionals, influencers have valuable insights into an audience’s interests and content cravings. It can be wise to cede some control and let them do their work.
Focus on storytelling
Sharing stories about your brand, products, or industry can help you increase engagement by providing content viewers can’t find elsewhere. These could be personal stories or explainer videos packed with facts.
Charlotte Palermino, founder of skin care brand Dieux, found virality with a video that told a story about packaging materials. The post discusses the materials found in skin care packaging (Dieux uses aluminum, while other top brands use plastic), explaining why aluminum is the better option.
“It’s just a five-minute video about plastic and aluminum, and it’s doing incredibly well,” says Charlotte on Shopify Masters. “It’s because it’s about storytelling.”
Here’s another example of a viral storytelling video from Dieux. This Reel, which has nearly 200,000 views, highlights how companies develop skin care products.
Share your passion
If you feel passionately about something, chances are someone else does, too. But even if viewers aren’t excited yet, seeing your authentic posts can help them emotionally connect with you and your content.
“You have to put out what’s authentic and what you care about and what means something to you, and that’s when it connects with people,” says Instagram creator Ethan Barber, who built a following by posting his photos of New York City. “That’s where that spark can happen.”
Ethan shares his passion for NYC in posts like this one, which went viral with 7.1 million views:
Don’t get discouraged if a particular post doesn’t work out. Ethan explains that half of going viral is luck: The algorithm that day needs to push your video to the right people before it can explode.
Find a common experience
Many viral videos share a core feature: relatability.
Social media consultant Rachel Karten, who runs the newsletter Link in Bio, shares how you can apply this concept to branded content: “How can you get reach so that people then come to your page and notice you? By speaking to broader truths and jokes through Instagram Reels that would be funny or interesting to anyone, not just people who have tried your product before.”
Here’s an example from the shoe brand Rothy’s. In this viral Reel with 26,900 views, the company posts about a shared experience for many people with sisters—having your sister copy you. Viewers can relate to the Reel even if they don’t know what Rothy’s are.
Create Reels
Leaning into Reels, Instagram’s video format, can significantly increase your chances of going viral. “The algorithm happens to really like Reels,” Rachel says. Reels generate the biggest reach and more engagement of any Instagram post type, likely because they’re featured in the continuous-scroll Reels tab and the Explore feed.
Plus, they might reach a larger audience simply because people like them. “People like to share Reels. People like to send Reels to their friends,” Rachel says. “They’re just generally a lot more shareable and savable.”
To post Reels consistently, Rachel recommends creating a mix of unique, harder-to-execute Reels and simpler videos, like product shots paired with trending music.
Create must-share videos
Use this free video briefing template to plan TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube video ads that will attract maximum clicks.
Download templatePost consistently
At the end of the day, creating viral content on Instagram comes down to a combination of three factors:
- Know-how
- Luck
- Hard work
Figuring out the algorithm and creating engaging content can be a real challenge, but the key to success is to keep at it.
“If one [post] doesn’t do well, don’t lose hope and lose steam,” Rachel says. “Keep trying new things and continue posting, and you never know when your viral Reel might come about.”
How to set your brand up for Instagram success
- Develop a content strategy
- Try out different formats
- Make your content shoppable
- Repost user-generated content
- Engage with your fans
If you only focus your Instagram marketing efforts on virality, you might miss the opportunity to build genuine connections with your followers or to make money on Instagram with ecommerce sales.
Luckily, you can build a successful Instagram marketing strategy without going viral at all. Here are a few strategies for optimizing your brand’s Instagram presence:
Develop a content strategy
A content strategy outlines your target audience, your Instagram marketing goals, your metrics for success, and more. It also includes an editorial calendar for planned posts. A thorough content strategy keeps you on track.
As you create each post, be sure to follow Instagram SEO (search engine optimization) principles, which include writing alt text, optimizing your bio, and drafting short, specific captions with relevant hashtags. Experiment with different posting times, since the best times to post will vary across accounts.
And remember to use Instagram’s built-in analytics tool, Instagram Insights, to see which posts get more engagement and identify peak engagement times.
Try out different formats
Experiment with video and photo posts. “Any business on Instagram should have a healthy mix of photos and video,” says Rachel.
Once you find something that works, don’t be afraid to replicate it in a different format. “I’ve found that the best brands just actually tell the same stories over and over again in different ways,” Rachel says. “If you post a photo that does really well, try and think of what the video version of that could be.”
After Dieux’s initial success with a viral Reel about aluminum versus plastic, the brand continued to create content about its packaging. From a Reel on the history of aluminum tubes to an image carousel showing how the tubes change with use, Dieux finds different ways to tell the same story: Aluminum is better than plastic.
Make your content shoppable
Instagram’s social commerce revenue was estimated at more than $37 billion in 2024. You can tap into this enormous market by selling products directly on the app.
Selling on Instagram is easy with Instagram Shopping, which allows you to tag products in your posts and list items for sale in your Instagram storefront. Users can browse products without leaving the app, and they’ll be directed to your ecommerce checkout to complete their purchases. You can get verified on Instagram to make your account more trustworthy to first-time buyers.
If you’re a Shopify merchant, simply install the Facebook & Instagram app to sync product and sales information across your Instagram and Shopify storefronts, then start tagging posts to make them shoppable. (Installing the app will also make it easier to run Instagram ads with tagged products.)
Here’s an example of a tagged post from the protein dessert company Elavi. When a user taps the photo, they’ll see the tagged product and be able to enter Elavi’s Instagram storefront.
Repost user-generated content
Reposting user-generated content (UGC) is a great way to share customer testimonials on your Instagram page, showing your loyal fans that you value their business, and demonstrating social trust to prospective buyers.
To solicit UGC, ask fans to tag your company in their posts (just like they would tag friends) or include branded Instagram hashtags, which will let you see the UGC all in one place. Here’s an example from the meat stick company Chomps when it reposted a user’s tagged Story.
Engage with your fans
Reposting UGC is a great way to engage with your followers, but you can also interact with them through comments and direct messages (DMs).
“I still to this day answer as many DMs as I can,” Set Active founder Lindsey Carter says on an episode of Shopify Masters. “I think being able to feel connected to me as a founder makes people feel special.”
How to go viral on Instagram FAQ
How many views do you need to go viral on Instagram?
The number of views an Instagram post needs to go viral can vary based on the community it’s posted in; there’s no hard and fast number. A viral Instagram post means that new users have seen your content, even if they didn’t follow you before or know about your brand.
How long does it take to go viral on Instagram?
Instagram posts can go viral overnight, or they can gain momentum slowly. There’s no surefire method for going viral on Instagram, but if you create engaging content, include interactive elements in your posts, and stick to a consistent posting schedule, you may have a post go viral sooner.
How do you get popular on Instagram fast?
Becoming popular on Instagram can take time, but you can use tactics like posting consistently, encouraging audience participation, and monitoring your Instagram analytics to optimize posts. You can also increase your follower count by offering free stuff in exchange for engagement, sending direct messages to quality leads, and encouraging your followers to share posts.
