One day, at Walking Post we were growing our Instagram following at a slow and steady pace. The next, we were gaining 100 new followers every hour and racking up hundreds of thousands of views each week. In other words — we had officially gone viral.
That one reel took off in a big way: so far over 1 million views, 26,000 likes, we have gained 12,000 new followers, and more than 500 comments. Beyond the numbers, it also drove a surge in web traffic, boosted our open walk sign-ups, increased donations, and sparked a wave of fresh engagement.
So, why this reel? Let’s rewind to who we are.
Walking Post is a London-based not-for-profit platform sharing walks and inspiration across London and the South East. Our website and blogs have built a strong, growing mailing list and a lively community on Instagram and Facebook. Facebook tends to be home to our most loyal followers, while Instagram helps us reach new audiences and connect with like-minded businesses and organisations.
So what was this reel about?
The reel in question featured a walk from Battersea Power Station to Westminster along the Thames Path. It was filmed entirely on a handheld mobile phone and edited using InShot — nothing fancy, just a simple but compelling capture.
Timing mattered
We’d been keeping an eye on the opening of London’s Tideway project along the south side of the Thames. When the final missing link, Heathwall Quay, opened, I went straight out to film it and posted the reel the same day, explaining the walk.
New information
Although this reel showcased the reopening of the Thames Path, Battersea Power Station wasn’t a fully open public venue when the path was last accessible. This made it a walk you simply couldn’t do in its entirety before — a detail that made the reel especially interesting.
We got shared
Within a day, the reel was picked up and shared by a couple of Instagram accounts with 50K+ followers. From there, it snowballed. For several days we were gaining around 100 followers an hour, seeing countless reshares, and watching the reach grow rapidly.
What we did next
We celebrated, of course — then we did the obvious thing: Googled “What to do if your reel goes viral” and followed the advice we found:
Share to story
We posted a celebratory Instagram Story to mark the reel’s success.
Introduction post
We created a carousel post introducing ourselves and what we do. With so many new followers, we wanted them to understand who we are and why we exist.
Reply to comments
Over 550 comments came in, many asking about wheelchair and cycle access and about full directions, so we updated the reel text to make these clear. I think it was really important to reply to as many as we could and it definitely lead to increasead engagement in the reel. There were also some unexpected negative comments — because, well, it’s the internet!
What we’ve learnt
Time of day matters, but not overly
I generally post in the morning when our people are more active online, but it’s not something I stress about.
Quality is relative
You don’t need professional cameras or editors — your content just needs to be good enough to carry the message.
Do your homework
I mistakenly got the name of a building wrong, and it was flagged by viewers. Details matter, and it’s worth getting them right.
And most importantly ..we got lucky!
Our reel happened at the right time and was picked up quickly — something not easy to replicate. Its useful information but so are most of our other posts.
So how can I get my reel to go viral?
There are a few tips below — though honestly, we didn’t follow them all when our reel took off. Virality isn’t something you can completely plan for. Instead, focus on consistent engagement and valuable content.
Optimize for shareability
Create content that’s easy to share across platforms — eye-catching visuals, concise messaging, and a strong call to action.
Make your message clear and persuasive
Short, engaging captions and attention-grabbing headlines matter.
Connect with your audience
Content that resonates is more likely to be shared and remembered.
Good luck!