How I’ve Mastered the Art of Watching Trends to Predict and Create Viral Products — and How You Can, Too

When our vertical series “Brace Face Betty” became the week’s top series by user engagement according to Social Peta, it wasn’t a big surprise for me. Our team has been working on content production for a long time, growing My Passion, the books platform, and My Drama, the short-form, vertical series platform. Over the years, we’ve identified the principles that make hits. These hacks apply to any creative niche, not just books or series.

Until recently, I didn’t have any social media accounts, and now I’ve become the algorithm’s ideal target audience. Here’s the system I use to predict and create viral products. Whether you’re building apps, content, consumer products or services, these insights will help you understand what makes audiences stop, engage and share.

70% of success happens before creation

Here’s what most creators get wrong: They focus on production quality and hope for the best. But viral success is determined long before you start creating. It’s about understanding three critical elements: niche, audience and platform.

Take the vertical short series, for example. This niche is growing like crazy now! According to iMedia Research, the vertical short drama market will be worth more than $13.8 billion by 2027, up from $5.2 billion in 2023. There are now over 200 apps dedicated to vertical series content, and the format is attracting talent from traditional TV and film who see an opportunity to create more efficiently and reach younger audiences directly. To be No. 1 in this niche in the EU and U.S. markets, we need to know it inside out. What hooks work? What pacing keeps attention? What elements make content shareable?

The second is audience psychology. We explore the emotional triggers that engage people. Typically, the topics of bullying, forbidden love and age gaps resonate well. Seek what works in your niche. These are not necessarily the topics you are interested in. Conduct audience research, put yourself in their shoes and determine their typical behavior. Use this as a basis for product development and creatives.

And the last element — platform mechanics. Each platform has different algorithms, user behaviors and content formats that favor specific approaches. We distribute content on all social platforms and prepare separate creatives for each.

The remaining 30% is execution. But without the foundation, even perfect execution fails.

Related: 5 Proven Tips to Better Understand Your Audience and Drive Sales

How to scroll social media smartly

Don’t confuse trend-watching with random TikTok scrolling and reposting funny Reels. The essence of trend-watching is not to mindlessly consume content, but to analyze what you see and spot opportunities.

I spend 20 to 30 minutes each morning and evening on strategic scrolling. Previously, I trained algorithms to show me what I need to see. It’s not tricky: follow your competitors, like relevant posts, click on their ads and even leave comments. Done. Your feed is now a perfectly curated research tool.

Then I apply my analysis framework, which looks like this. When I spot viral content, I dig deep. How many creative variations are they testing? Which geographic markets are they targeting? What engagement patterns am I seeing? Can this approach scale? I document everything, because patterns emerge over time that individual posts can’t reveal.

Then I pass on the insights to the team. For instance, if competitors are launching 10-minute promotional videos while we’re using 1-minute clips, it means we’re at a disadvantage. So we need to catch up quickly. When I notice “I’m pregnant” hooks performing well across multiple verticals, I write to the team that we urgently need to use it too.

Surely, my whole team is also engaged in trend-watching. We use tools like Airtable, Make, Asana and others to exchange information quickly. It’s really important in the creative niche, since trends don’t last long and you need to act ASAP.

Viral product framework that works in each niche

Analyzing hundreds of viral products, I’ve identified key characteristics that unite them across all creative industries. This framework works whether you’re building apps, creating content, designing products or launching services.

Proven foundation. Instead of starting from scratch, try building on concepts that have already demonstrated success. For example, we use our content library of proven IPs and cast actors with track records from previous hits. The goal isn’t to copy, but to know what foundational elements work and build upon them smartly.

Trend integration. Implement everything you discovered during trend-watching. Automate your creative process with AI tools to launch faster and catch the trend when it’s hot.

High-level execution. Every element needs immediate engagement drivers that grab attention within seconds. In vertical series, this means compelling hooks, pacing that maintains interest and cliffhangers that create anticipation. For apps, it’s intuitive onboarding and instant value delivery. For physical products, it’s solving user problems elegantly from the first interaction.

Related: This Is How Close AI Is to Coming Up With the Next Viral Product

Your product is viral, what’s next

The common mistake founders make is stopping after they have a hit. I often notice it even on Netflix. Just imagine how its metrics and profits would have grown if they had made a sequel to Wednesday.

Every product should be designed to evolve and extend. So when you create a potential hit, think long-term about how you will develop it further and don’t aim for just a one-time success!