The irony about viral content is that everyone wants a hand in creating it. From marketers to waitresses to the guy down the street, web users everywhere have the itch to create something unique, sharable and profitable. The reality is that it isn't that simple to accomplish.
While some web users are in it for the fame, others are actively seeking ways to get their brand out to the masses. Their ultimate goal is to turn those hits into dollars.
Kaleb Nation, internet entrepreneur and creator of the Million Hits Secret, says businesses, brands and Internet enthusiasts who purposefully try to make a buck by generating "viral content" may not get anywhere. He says the secret lies within the intention.
"The fastest way to make money with social media is to stop thinking about making money with social media," said Kaleb in a recent interview with tCloud Solutions. "I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it's very important."
Like Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and a number of other young online entreprenuers before him, the 25-year-old Texas native found monetary success in the digital world. The college dropout has successfully branded himself as a creative internet guru, resulting in millions of views on YouTube and generating an income based solely on the Internet. Eventually, that success caught the attention of major companies like Taco Bell, Ford and BBC America.
Nation says becoming successful online isn't about pushing your product to people on every social network that exists. The key lies in simply being human and understanding what makes people tick.
"If you start a Twitter account just to rake in tons of cash, it won't work because you're missing the social in social media," said Nation. "The people you are selling to are real people, not numbers in a follower count."
As for up-and-coming networks, Nation says platforms that encourage media in smaller formats are perfect for launching sharable content.
"I think Vine is the next big thing, if it isn't already. Media is constantly being digested in smaller and smaller formats. We hopped from movies to TV, from TV to YouTube, and now from YouTube to Vine. Every platform will continue to thrive but I believe Vine (or at least a similar spinoff that might not be invented yet) is the next media empire."
For more on the Million Hits Secret and tips for aspiring Internet entrepreneurs, read Kaleb Nation's full interview here.