Depending on how active you are in creating content on Facebook and how many followers you have, a single Facebook post can reach thousands of people in just a few hours.

Whether you’re an individual content creator, a business, or a social media influencer, that’s a lot of eyes on your content, which gives it a great chance of going viral on Facebook! 

“Going viral” is generally interpreted as getting a large amount of views very rapidly, usually within a 24-48 hour period max. The number of views required to hit virality varies by platform.

For small accounts, a post might be considered viral if it garners around 10,000 likes or shares. For larger accounts or brands, viral status is often linked to widespread reach and trending status in the millions.

But hitting between 25,000 and 50,000 views is definitely a Big Deal in the virality department, and anything over 100,000 is pretty golden. 

Having a Facebook post go viral is a tangible opportunity that can propel your content to high levels of engagement, giving you the chance to rapidly boost your account and grow your audience by capitalizing on that sudden virality and visibility.

So let’s get into it! Below, we’ll look at what makes a Facebook post go viral, how you can increase your chances of virality, and the steps you can take to make your content stand out on social media, get noticed, and get more followers.

We’ve also got some tips for how you can use tools like Fourthwall to amplify your social media efforts, keeping those Facebook algorithms on your side, and even getting you some extra revenue through your custom Fourthwall merch line!

What is a Viral Facebook Post?

Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms still in operation, and has a reputation as the “older” social network. Teens and Gen Z do use Facebook far less than the other socials (according to data from SproutSocial and other sources).

But Facebook can still be a great way to reach the slightly older Millennial and Gen X audiences who may have more disposable income, which can definitely benefit your business or brand. 

A viral Facebook post is a shareable one; one that spreads rapidly throughout the Facebook network, generating significant engagement, shares, and interactions beyond your initial existing Facebook audience.

The key metrics that define a viral post are likes, shares, comments, and views. So when a Facebook post goes viral, it typically sees exponential growth in these metrics, may trend across Facebook, and may even get your content shared on external sites, pushing your social media reach even farther. 

Several factors can contribute to a post going viral:

• Relatability: Facebook content that resonates with your target audience on an emotional or personal level can go viral, evoking sentiments or memories that are relatable.
• Shareability: Posts that users feel compelled to share with their friends or followers often have a much better chance of going viral through sheer numbers; Facebook's algorithm definitely likes to see lots of shares!
• Wholesomeness: PG-rated humor or memes, surprise elements, and heartwarming content tend to get more engagement and comments, and are shareable between older and younger age groups.
• Relevance: Posts tied to trending topics or current events (most effectively by using hashtags) often see better performance, as people are often drawn to sharing posts that reflect what’s going on around them.

6 Strategies to Help Make Your Posts Go Viral

Going viral may partly be a matter of luck and appealing to Facebook's algorithm, but increasing your chances of going viral requires good content, strategy, timing, and engagement. Here are six pro tips to increase your chances of creating viral Facebook posts:

1. Create High Quality Content That People Want to Share

One of the most powerful ways to make your Facebook post go viral is by tapping into universal emotions, shared experiences, or impactful moments.

People are more likely to engage with and share content that feels familiar, makes them laugh, is heartwarming, or is otherwise relatable.

Posts with high-quality images and engaging videos often perform better because they literally stand out visually in the Facebook feed, catching users' eyes as they scroll. 

Videos are highly shareable, and Facebook’s algorithm often favors video content. Use vibrant, attention-grabbing images and well-edited video clips for your posts that evoke emotion.

Nostalgia and humor are two other types of posts that are particularly effective on Facebook. Nostalgic posts that remind your audience of past experiences can really generate engagement, especially when it comes to generational references (for example, throwback posts to the '90s).

Funny memes, topical jokes, or witty comments on current events are other types of humor posts that often gain traction on Facebook; good humor can encourage audiences to share posts and tag their friends.

2. Be Trendy By Staying on Top of Current Topics and Events

When you create content on trending topics or current events, it can attract more attention, as people are actively searching for posts on these subjects.

Align your content with popular hashtags or news stories to boost your visibility, and create your own original takes on these topics/events to really stand out.

Holidays, viral news events, pop culture, and entertainment moments - all of these can be utilized to create content, ensuring, of course, that the topics are relevant to your own voice and your brand.

Keep an eye on trending hashtags on Facebook and incorporate them into your posts to further tie your content to these topics. And be sure to add relevant hashtags to help people find your posts.

3. Collaborate with Influencers or Popular Pages

Teaming up with influencers or popular Facebook pages can help extend the reach of your posts and content. Facebook influencers with larger followings can amplify your message, increasing the likelihood that your post reaches a broader audience.

Find influencers and brands that relate well to your own brand and niche, and contact them to propose a collaborative post or content exchange.

You could collaborate IRL (in real life) on a video or image post; ask for shoutouts and reposts in exchange for sharing their content or product; or exchange post shares so you can introduce your Facebook pages and content to each other’s audience.

4. Engage with Your Audience

One of the best ways to court virality is to actively engage with your target audience, to really get your comments section moving!

Reply to your followers’ and friends’ comments, start conversations, comment on other creators' content, and show appreciation for your followers’ interactions.

The more engaged your audience feels, and the more you reply to them, the more likely they are to share your content.

Learning about your audience can help you better connect with them. Facebook IQ is one tool you can use (at a cost) to learn more about your Facebook viewers.

Don’t just wait around for comments; you can start conversations in your own comments section by asking questions, sparking debates, and encouraging audience engagement with CTAs (calls to action).

Posts that actively invite user participation and prompt comments, such as asking users to tag friends, share the post, or comment in a specific way, are more likely to go viral, such as "Tag a friend who would love this!" or "Share this post if you agree!"

And be genuine when responding to comments; people love to see real interactions rather than automated responses.

Also, link to your other socials to further build your audience, and consider putting together your own custom merchandise line on a site like Fourthwall so fans can rep your brand with items like coffee mugs, stylish T-shirts, and hoodies!

5. Post at Optimal Times

Timing is a huge factor in going viral on Facebook.

Posting when your target audience is most active increases the likelihood that your content will be seen, liked, and shared. Get your best chances by using Facebook Insights to track when your followers are online. 

Typically, Facebook users are most active in the early afternoon and late evening on weekdays, with weekends seeing a surge in activity.

So schedule your posts for peak times, particularly when your target audience is most likely to engage.

6. Utilize Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are specific sections of Facebook that serve as hangout spaces for people with similar interests.

They are a great place to share content and continue building your Facebook audience. 

By participating in relevant groups or even creating your own, you can increase your visibility and credibility within a focused audience.

Get started by finding Facebook Groups that align with your brand and your target audience and join in conversations, sharing valuable content that adds to the community conversation, offers something of value, or helps the community solve a problem.

Make sure that your posts aren’t solely promotional (about your own content), but show that you’re genuinely interested in becoming part of the existing community, and you’ll see benefits as your participation grows.

Viral Facebook Posts for Inspiration!

Check out these real-world examples of viral posts to see how these strategies play out:

ALS Bucket Challenge

The ALS Bucket Challenge (so notable that it’s still being talked about even though it’s been nearly 10 years old now) was the brainchild of three young men living with ALS who challenged people around the world to dump ice water on their heads and donate to an ALS organization.

The posts, which got over 28 million people talking on Facebook, went hugely viral, attracted a long list of celebrity participants, and raised over $115 million to support ALS research and care for people living with the disease.

Cadbury’s Viral Chocolate Stunt

Cadbury Dairy Milk in the UK wanted to thank their fans after reaching 1 million likes on their UK Facebook page, so they dressed their team up in matching lilac-colored shirts and livestreamed the build of a giant Facebook “Like” thumbs-up.

Cadbury stacked over 6,000 pounds of their popular Dairy Milk chocolate bars to create the huge hand, which ended up being as tall as two cars stacked on top of each other; they then posted a time-lapse of the entire chocolate construction process.

The content creation stunt gained Cadbury’s Facebook page an additional 40,000 followers (and probably also sold a lot of Dairy Milk bars.)

Library Humor

Sometimes the simplest thing can go viral because it resonates with viewers in a universal way (in this case, quirky humor).

This post from the Facebook page FunnyHumourCrazy, showing how a library found a funny way to deal with people bringing food into the building, clearly made users laugh.

The post snagged them over 45 million views and nearly 50,000 comments!  

More Pro Tips for Going Viral on Facebook

• Be Consistent: Regularly post engaging content to keep your audience interested. Posting too infrequently means you won’t stay front of mind for your audience, but posting too often risks overwhelming them with your content. Aim for 1 or 2 posts per day, or a minimum of 3 per week, to aim at good audience engagement and virality.
• Use Your Analytics: Use Facebook Insights to monitor which types of posts work best, and learn from that data so you can adapt to Facebook’s algorithms and refine your content strategy.
• Experiment: When creating content for Facebook, don’t be afraid to test out different posting formats, including images, video content, and short-form Facebook Reels. Try different formats of filming, too; experiment with filters, colors, text overlays, GIFs, special effects, and a variety of trending hashtags.
• Be Patient: Going viral on Facebook requires a combination of good content, creative strategies, timing, and that all-important audience engagement. Stay on top of trending topics, engage with your audience, share (with hashtags!) across your social media, and utilize Facebook’s content creator tools to get your best shot at virality.

Increase Your Chances of Going Viral with Fourthwall!

It's definitely to your advantage to sign up to launch your own website and shop on Fourthwall! Fourthwall offers many ways to help creators and businesses optimize their social media strategies, including Facebook!

With Fourthwall, you can invite your Facebook followers to your very own custom website and merchandise store, sell them exclusive memberships, and even connect your Fourthwall site to Facebook Shopping, so your fans can buy your merch directly from your Facebook page (Facebook is also under the same Meta umbrella as Instagram, so you can use their tools to double your reach!)

By using Fourthwall’s tools, you can add components to your content that will help you better reach your audience and improve the visibility you need to go viral on Facebook.

Get started with Fourthwall today to take your Facebook presence to the next level!

FAQ: Going Viral on Facebook

What does it mean for a Facebook post to go viral?

A viral Facebook post spreads rapidly across the platform, gaining massive likes, comments, shares, and views beyond your usual audience. 

Virality usually happens within 24–48 hours and is fueled by content that resonates emotionally, aligns with trending topics, or sparks conversation. 

When the Facebook algorithm sees high activity fast, it boosts your post to even more users.

How many views or likes does a Facebook post need to be considered viral?

For small pages, hitting around 10,000 likes or shares can count as going viral. 

Larger brands often reach viral status when posts hit 25,000–100,000+ views or begin trending in the millions. 

The key is rapid growth and widespread reach beyond your existing followers.

What types of content go viral on Facebook most often?

Content that’s relatable, heartwarming, funny, nostalgic, or tied to current events tends to perform exceptionally well. 

Posts that make people say “I’ve gotta share this”—like memes, wholesome stories, or emotional moments—get far more traction. 

Visual content, such as videos, photo posts, and Reels, is more likely to capture attention.

How can I increase my chances of going viral on Facebook?

Create high-quality content that taps into emotion, humor, or universality, and pair it with visually striking images or videos. 

Posting during peak activity times and engaging directly with your audience helps the algorithm push your content to more people. 

Staying on top of trending topics and using hashtags relevant to your niche can further boost visibility.

Does Facebook’s algorithm affect what goes viral?

Yes, Facebook’s algorithm favors posts that get quick engagement, especially comments and shares. 

If users interact with your post within the first hour or two, Facebook pushes it to more newsfeeds, increasing your chances of virality. 

The algorithm also prioritizes video content, meaningful interactions, and posts that keep users on the platform.