{"id":22261,"date":"2024-11-04T11:17:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T11:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/?p=22261"},"modified":"2025-08-20T19:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:06:49","slug":"examples-of-viral-tweets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/examples-of-viral-tweets\/","title":{"rendered":"How Tweets Go Viral (+ 5 Real Examples of Viral Twitter Success)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered why some tweets take off while others barely get a like? In this guide, we\u2019ll reveal the secret formulas behind five viral tweets that captured the internet\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

How Tweets Go Viral<\/h2>\n

Many factors can play into why a tweet goes viral or why it dies an undistinguished death. While the person behind the tweet plays a major part (celebrities, for example), a number of factors can contribute to a tweet’s success. These include timing, relatability, visual appeal, and the use of effective engagement strategies.<\/p>\n

Crafting famous viral tweets is often about understanding your audience\u2019s emotions and tapping into trends they care about. Let\u2019s take a look at five examples of tweets that have gone viral, and why.<\/p>\n

A Celebrity Tweet that Broke the Internet<\/h2>\n

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In April 2021, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds put out a tweet that basically broke the internet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ryan\u2019s humor is known to have a strong sarcastic tone to it, and this tweet had plenty of sarcasm. In his tweet he says, \u201cMy one year old daughter is obsessed with Baby Shark. All day. Every day. And there\u2019s only one way to fix this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accompanying the tweet is a poster image of the movie The Shallows, a thriller about a shark attack. It\u2019s typical Ryan Reynolds humor, which was appreciated around the world and is a great example of one of the most retweeted tweets out there.<\/p>\n

It has been liked over 350,000 times, reposted nearly 30,000 times, and has collected almost 3,000 comments.<\/p>\n

Why it went viral<\/h3>\n

The celebrity influence of Ryan Reynolds plays an obvious role, but his play on humor was also perfectly timed for the release of the movie. It wasn\u2019t only about timing, though. A key contributing factor to its reaching viral status was the fact that it\u2019s something many parents can relate to\u2014a child\u2019s fixation on a story.<\/p>\n

You can learn from this by considering tweets that have depth of humor, are timed to a specific event, occasion, or global phenomenon, and relate to a wide audience. If you are able to leverage a cultural moment and strike a universal chord, you may achieve vital tweet status.<\/p>\n

A Tweet with Viral Visual Content<\/h2>\n

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Jamaican singer and rapper Sean Paul took a<\/span> bold approach on Twitter<\/span><\/a> when he put out a tweet in February 2021. While a tweet like this a few months prior would have fallen flat, the success was in the timing and the play on words.<\/span><\/p>\n

As COVID-19 had just taken over the spotlight as it spread around the world, the choice to use a visual like this was daring. The words on the digital thermometer are from one of his popular hits, <\/span>Temperature. <\/span><\/i>Some loved it, and plenty hated it\u2014but it got lots of attention. The tweet quickly went viral with over 280,000 likes, 74,000 shares, and nearly 1,000 comments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it went viral<\/h3>\n

This one was all about timing, the clever use of words, and how it was communicated visually. The key was tacking on to a highly contentious subject\u2014the pandemic. It\u2019s humorous but also incredibly bold. His \u201cI don\u2019t care\u201d attitude was evident, and his fans loved it.<\/span><\/p>\n

As with the Ryan Reynolds tweet, what you can learn here is the art of timing. While it\u2019s easy to overstep the line, if your brand is one which tends to be bold in its communication, consider a strong message at the right time that will attract a lot of attention. Just be sure to carefully consider the consequences if you get it wrong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Something else Paul got right was to use visuals to convey a message. Consider the types of visuals you can use\u2014a meme, gif, or video, for example\u2014to boost engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Tweet That Went Viral for Its Humor<\/h2>\n

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Monica Lewinsky, who needs no introduction, went viral when she commented on a tweet that was put out by a psychologist named Adam Grant. This wasn\u2019t about putting out an original tweet, but rather<\/span> responding to one<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the tweet, Grant asks Twitter \u201cWhat\u2019s the worst career advice you\u2019ve ever received?\u201d, to which Lewinsky responded, \u201can internship at the white house will be amazing on your resume \ud83d\ude33.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can imagine, people around the world loved it. It was humorous and well-timed, bringing to the fore a topic that was on the front page of newspapers around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it went viral<\/h3>\n

This one was all about using humor to achieve viral status. Lewinsky took an event that was highly topical and contentious and used self-deprecating wit in a clever response. If you\u2019re looking to achieve the same, consider how humor could elevate your tweets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But keep in mind that timing is important, as it\u2019s often the difference between a viral tweet and one that falls flat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Viral Tweet Riding a Trending Topic<\/h2>\n

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In October this year, Stephen King, the bestselling author and known critic of Donald Trump, gained widespread attention for a post where he shared his<\/span> admiration for Taylor Swift<\/span><\/a>. Just hours after Trump publicly commented about his dislike for the pop icon, King tweeted, \u201dI love Taylor Swift. Her music makes me happy. End of story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To date, the tweet has had over 9.5 million views, had over 327,000 likes, and been shared over 51,000 times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it went viral<\/h3>\n

What King did exceptionally well here is to tack on to a current event and time his tweet perfectly. Because it was posted only hours after Trump tweeted, \u201cI hate Taylor Swift!\u2019, it was in stark contrast to the presidential candidate\u2019s view. With the U.S. dramatically divided on the election, it was a clever way to attract mass attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can learn from this by considering a highly topical subject and tweeting a contrasting view of what is currently being put out. Just make sure it\u2019s a view that you stand behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You could gain significant attention for your brand if you time it right and focus on a specific audience who you know will appreciate the view you\u2019re taking. Just think carefully about the potential risks. This one is about being bold.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Viral AI Tweet<\/h2>\n

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The Twitter account @pon_pon_pon_ai, who puts out custom anime illustrations created by AI,<\/span> posted a tweet<\/span><\/a> that went viral in September of this year. The tweet, which was an image of what appears to be a young Japanese woman in high heels surrounded by musical notes, has to date received over 227,000 likes, 29,000 reshares, and over 800 comments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it went viral<\/h3>\n

Ponpon posts many tweets with visuals created by AI. While a lot of the comments on their posts condemn the use of AI, plenty of people love their creations. This particular tweet included an impactful and thought-provoking visual, which many felt was great art.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider how AI can create impactful visuals for your brand and how these visuals can stand out from the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just know that many people will judge you on the use of AI, so you\u2019ll need to consider how to counter any negativity. You can either subtly use AI in your visuals, or go all the way as Ponpon did with this particular post.<\/span> Don\u2019t shy away from using AI in your tweets, but rather use it to your advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Takeaways for Marketers<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re looking to achieve viral status with your tweets, you must consider your audience and the timing of your tweets. If you\u2019re going for funny, know the type of humor your audience is likely to respond to\u2014and what they may find offensive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding your perspective to a topical event can be an effective way to get your message across. And for a truly unique spin on your tweets, consider exploring the possibilities of AI.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Implementing these strategies will boost your chances of Twitter\/X success.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to create content that resonates and goes viral? Try our Media Shower AI marketing platform, and watch it create perfect social media posts in seconds. Start your free trial today<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking to shine the light on your brand, take a look at these five examples of viral tweets. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":23926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[459],"tags":[466],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22261"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22261"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23927,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22261\/revisions\/23927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}