8 writing prompts for viral threads and articles
The short-form article or thread is one of the most powerful forms of writing for bringing attention to you and your personal brand and growing your audience.
Going viral isn’t guaranteed, but the following writing strategies have helped me build a large audience over the years.
‘Life-changer’
What is an emotional experience you had that had a big impact on you, and what were the lessons?
It could be a warning around a negative event, or some lessons around a hugely positive event or transformation. Both are valuable.
‘The expert’
Where in your life have you put considerable time and attention many have not?
There is a lot someone else can gain from learning your key takeaways about this experience, whether it was writing consistently for years, or learning how to be a commercial pilot.
In the pilot example, you can share lessons for the niche audience of pilots, but you can also share wider lessons for a universal audience (more likely to go viral).
‘Vulnerable lesson’
Tell us about something that happened to you recently, framed in a way that is bold and honest, and helps the reader with one simple takeaway.
‘Change-maker’
What is one thing which makes you emotional, you believe needs to change (that few are talking about)?
What is the problem, and what would be your suggestion for a solution.
This isn’t simply an opportunity to offload a complaint — you want to put forward a solution, and also encourage the reader to do the same.
‘Ultimate Niche Guide’
Identify something specific you consider knowledgeable on, be it getting better sleep on an aeroplane, writing copy for newsletter opt-in pages, or reducing anxiety through a specific breathing technique.
The reason I say: ‘specific’ is because if we’re writing an ‘ultimate’ guide, we want it to be fairly thorough, even if it’s an overview.
There’s the risk that it could be too long for most topics, so you want to keep it narrow.
It may be a short piece, but it’s also the kind of definitive piece people would want to bookmark, and refer to again and again.
‘Funny opinion’
Write about a pet peeve of yours delivered with a sense of humour. Maybe it’s people who chew loudly in cafes.
Find something that is annoying or funny, and is likely to bother many others too. Your reader will connect deeply with a shared experience like this, delivered in a humorous way.
It’s the same model used in most stand-up routines. Seinfeld was a master at this.
‘They inspired me’
Find someone who fascinates you.
They can be famous, or an ‘unsung hero’ you met, and leverage their stories and life strategies.
Find one lesson from one of their stories, and share that — or refine a set of lessons we can learn about a topic, be it wealth, or motivation, or success from this person.
This requires a little extra research, and the value is in your easy-to-digest delivery.
‘In the news’
Leverage a recent news story, especially something currently trending, and write about your take on the event.
Maybe you can share a unique angle that goes against mainstream opinion, for example.
Maybe you can simply distil what happened in a digestible way, using multiple news sources, enlightening the reader, and saving them time.
Good luck!
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