Why 'Make it Viral' is a Bad Marketing KPI (& What to Set Instead)

The email lands in your inbox, or the words echo in a meeting: "Let's make this campaign go viral!" For many marketing managers, brand managers, CMOs, and startup founders, this request is a familiar, if often dreaded, refrain. While the intention behind it is usually positive – a desire for widespread reach and impact – framing virality as a core marketing objective is, as one expert puts it, "essentially a really stupid statement that unfortunately we get to hear a lot." It's a fundamentally flawed approach that often leads to misaligned efforts and frustration, making it a truly bad marketing KPI.

Virality is an Outcome, Not an Objective

The core problem with setting "make it viral" as a marketing objective is a fundamental misunderstanding of what virality actually is. It’s not something you can directly command or guarantee; it’s a phenomenon that occurs when certain conditions align. As our expert highlights, "virality is something that I believe that happens, it's an outcome; you can't always have that as an objective."

Think of it like this: In football, the objective is to score a goal. A hat-trick (three goals by one player in a single game) is a remarkable outcome, a fantastic bonus, but it's not the initial objective when the game starts. Similarly, in marketing, your objective should be a measurable business problem you're trying to solve – increasing brand awareness, generating leads, driving sales. Virality is the marketing equivalent of a hat-trick: a highly desirable, but unpredictable, outcome that can arise from a well-executed strategy focused on a clear objective.

When you focus on virality as an objective, you risk chasing vanity metrics in marketing, losing sight of the actual business impact. Campaigns become about shock value or fleeting trends rather than strategic value. This is a common pitfall that marketers, especially those in startups navigating competitive landscapes, need to avoid. For a deeper dive into the mechanics of shareable content, Juno School offers a free certificate course on Creating Viral Marketing Campaigns, which explores how to increase your chances of virality while staying grounded in strategy.

3 Better Objectives to Propose Instead of a Bad Marketing KPI

Instead of aiming for the elusive "viral marketing objective," shift your focus to measurable, business-centric goals. As our expert advises, "your objective needs to be to do something which is on a business problem, which is either solving for brand, solving for consideration, solving for awareness, solving for revenue, lead generation, whatever it is." Here are three concrete objectives you can propose:

1. Increase Brand Awareness by X%

   Why it's better: Awareness is foundational. It's measurable through metrics like reach, impressions, brand mentions, and share of voice. It directly addresses the desire for widespread exposure, but within a quantifiable framework.

   Example KPI: Increase brand mentions on social media by 20% within the next quarter, or achieve 5 million unique impressions for our new product launch campaign.

   Connection to business: Higher awareness can lead to increased website traffic, search queries, and ultimately, a larger pool of potential customers. For Indian startups, building a strong brand identity from the ground up is crucial, and a clear brand awareness objective can guide these efforts effectively. You can learn more about this by checking our guide on The Ultimate Brand Identity Checklist for Indian Startups.

2. Generate Y Number of Qualified Leads

   Why it's better: Leads are the lifeblood of many businesses, especially B2B and high-value consumer brands. This objective directly ties marketing efforts to revenue potential.

   Example KPI: Generate 500 marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) for our new service offering within the next three months, or achieve a 5% conversion rate from website visitors to demo sign-ups.

   Connection to business: Qualified leads directly feed the sales pipeline, driving revenue. This is a clear example of how to set marketing objectives that have a tangible impact on the bottom line. Tools and strategies for this can range from compelling ad copy to interactive content.

3. Improve Brand Consideration or Sentiment by Z%

   Why it's better: Beyond just knowing your brand, people need to consider it and feel positively about it. This objective focuses on moving prospects down the funnel and building loyalty.

   Example KPI: Increase positive brand sentiment (as measured by sentiment analysis tools) by 15% post-campaign, or achieve a 10% increase in product consideration among target audience surveys.

   Connection to business: Strong consideration and positive sentiment lead to higher purchase intent, repeat business, and advocacy. This objective emphasizes the quality of engagement over sheer volume, moving beyond simple vanity metrics in marketing to true brand health.

How to 'Design for Virality' Without Making it the Goal

While virality shouldn't be your primary objective, you can certainly employ strategies that increase the *chances* of your campaign being widely shared. This is about understanding the dynamics of content dissemination and creating something inherently shareable, all while serving a measurable business goal.

Consider these elements:

• Message: Is your content genuinely interesting, emotionally resonant, useful, or entertaining? Does it spark conversation or provide a fresh perspective? Crafting a compelling brand story is often a key ingredient here.
• Messenger: Who are the natural advocates for your message? Identify influencers, community leaders, or even existing customers who might organically amplify your content.
• Environment: Which platforms are best suited for your message? Does your content format align with how people share on those platforms (e.g., short videos for Reels, insightful articles for LinkedIn)?

By focusing on these strategic levers, you're not just hoping for virality; you're designing for maximum impact and shareability, thereby increasing the likelihood of that "hat-trick" outcome, all while your primary objective (like awareness or lead generation) remains firmly in sight. This approach ensures your marketing goals vs outcomes are always aligned with tangible business value.

A Script to Use With Your Boss or Client

When faced with the "make it viral" request, here’s a constructive way to reframe the conversation:

"I completely understand the desire for widespread reach and impact. We absolutely want our campaigns to resonate deeply and spread far and wide. To ensure we're driving tangible business results and can accurately measure our success, let's define our primary objective first. Are we aiming to significantly increase brand awareness for our new product by X%, generate Y number of qualified leads for our sales team, or improve overall brand consideration and sentiment? Once we have that clear, measurable objective, we can design a campaign that not only aims to achieve that goal but also incorporates elements to maximize its shareability and potential for widespread organic reach."

This script acknowledges their aspiration, educates them on the distinction between an objective and an outcome, and redirects the conversation towards actionable, measurable marketing goals vs outcomes that truly benefit the business. It helps you steer clear of the pitfalls of a bad marketing KPI and instead focus on what truly drives growth.