The decline of virality on social media, niches beat large numbers

In America a few days ago even the last taboo on air flights was broken, under the weight of obsessive attention to niche audiences and their needs to be listened to, satisfied, even anticipated. «Finally dogs can fly. We are here to revolutionize their flight experience and that of their human friends with a 100% dog-friendly airline”: this is what the advertising campaign launched a few days ago and currently being programmed, created by the US pet products giant, says. , and especially for dogs, Bark. Flights will start from early May on three routes, one of which is also intercontinental. The destinations are New York City, Los Angeles and London. An ultra-luxury experience on board: first-class catering (which also includes non-alcoholic champagne for dogs), personalized reclining beds, seats that favor belly massages for beloved four-legged friends, refreshing lavender-scented towels, grooming services carried out by qualified personnel and the creation of the first dog playground in the world ever built in flight will soon arrive. At least that’s what the company promises. The service is tailored for a high-spending audience. Bark does not expect dizzying numbers, but to strengthen its positioning in the community that already chooses their products. «Creating dog-friendly trips has always been a dream of our company since its inception in 2011. Today we realized that we can satisfy the needs of part of our customers by creating inclusive flights. After all, until now we have always been forced to put our beloved family members in a bag tucked under the seat or, even worse, in an isolated box in the cargo hold. So we thought we’d reinvent the travel experience,” Dave Stangle, Bark’s vice president of marketing, told the American press.

The decline of virality

Beyond the mind-boggling numbers and general mass market services, there is a world of opportunities for brands and users who wish to take advantage of the various opportunities. After all, never before has that “long tail” emerged as today, as defined by Chris Anderson exactly twenty years ago on the pages of the American magazine Wired. In its initial meaning, the “long tail” was linked to the hyper-segmentation of consumption and today it can also be extended to the use of digital and social media. Because if the market is divided into a thousand different proposals, even social media numbers are destined to have an impact with different numerical magnitudes compared to the past. Quantitative metrics are banned, making room for qualitative ones. Thus once upon a time there was virality that invaded the interstitial spaces of the network generating traffic, interest and monetization. But in a world so dispersed in a thousand different streams of platforms and contents and with the niche that imposes itself, what does it mean to be viral?

The Washington Post asked this a few days ago, fueling the debate on new forms of digital marketing. «Ten years ago the Internet fractured into countless algorithms, platforms and niche communities. The content churned out every day has skyrocketed, the lifecycle of each medium has shortened, and social media platforms continue to devalue previously impressive online statistics,” writes Taylor Lorenz. This is how the concept of viralflation was born.

Viralflation

The term defines that limited value of virality. Therefore, virality is banned, which has become a real chimera even in social narratives. But that doesn’t mean all this is bad news. «In 2024, it has become common to frame products, recipes, clothing and more as if they have gone viral. But none of the items sold on the web labeled viral have gained excessive popularity online and the videos involving them have accumulated only modest views. After all, even virality is increasingly niche since the network has expanded into disparate communities. Content can go viral in specific regions or only within a certain demographic tribe or one that shares specific interests”, specifies Lorenz. Paradoxically, in this way organizations further verticalize their offering, striving to manage increasingly targeted needs. Contemporary marketing guru Seth Godin has also maintained this for some time: “Most organizations dedicate their time to selling to an indistinct crowd, while the shrewdest companies bring together tribes.” We must ask ourselves whether even on social media we will come to the conclusion that “less is better” and whether that less becomes an added value. He already wrote it 15 years ago with a post on Technium.com that went viral in that case Kevin Kelly, defining the concept of the “thousand true fans” as the key to the success of the community. For Kelly, only a thousand authentic fans constitute a tribe of value.

Anti-crisis video

But be careful: in this game of anomalous inflation compared to the classic meaning of economic slant, the multimedia components and videos in the lead deserve a separate story. They capture attention, implementing a strategy that overcomes social inflation. But even in this case it is difficult. We need to go beyond virality. Brands must adapt to changing video expectations. This was the headline on Forbes America a few days ago when talking regarding the decreasing scope of organic virality. “In the realm of digital content, a viral video was once compared to the discovery of gold and had the potential to reach millions of people with minimal marketing spend – a tantalizing dream for creators and marketers alike. However, in today’s highly competitive environment, the prospects of achieving organic virality have significantly diminished. Social platforms have fine-tuned their algorithms, often favoring content from established accounts or with a proven history of high engagement,” writes Renece Brewster. In short, the game becomes much more complicated, but perhaps it is a sign of how the wow effect linked to mere form necessarily quickly gives way to substance.