Have you ever wished you could be lucky enough to go viral, become a global celebrity and quit your day job? Well in many cases luck has less to do with it than you would think. This was especially the case for the now household names the Inspired Unemployed who went viral with a satirical skit they posted on their Instagram account back at the start of the COVID19 pandemic in 2019. Follow along as this post dissects the strategic viral marketing tactics the Inspired Unemployed used to rocket themselves to stardom.
Who are they?
The creators of the Inspired Unemployed are Jack Steele and Matt Ford, two mid twenty guys from the surf coast of NSW who after working in construction found their creative streak on a trip to Europe where they began creating their comedic skits.
How did it start?
The Inspired Unemployed previously known as PlanetaryTV spent years creating content and slowly gathering their small group of followers who would eventually share their video to their social networks and begin their viral epidemic. The video that started it all was the above video they posted on Instagram in September 2019 and featured Jack, Matt and an ensemble of their mates. The Inspired Unemployed hit the jackpot with this video as they met three of the key criteria to go viral.
The timing was on point as COVID19 meant that many people were staying at home more which caused massive spike in the use of social media. The message expertly toed the line between provocative and offensive and created a positive emotional response by providing humour in times of sadness and anxiety. The choice to post their videos on Instagram meant that they reached both Gen Z and the Millennials who are the largest users of social media and in recent years have moved away from using Facebook.
So many of the couch scrollers may think that the Inspired Unemployed came to fame and now enjoy lavish lifestyles all because of one lucky video they posted, however we can now understand that despite their larrikan personas the Inspired Unemployed boys are pretty smart actually and there were a lot of viral marketing tactics used to get them where they are today.
I absolutely LOVE the Inspired Unemployed and they have provided me with many laughs throughout the pandemic, but I have never thought about the importance of timing until reading your blog! The virality of their campaigns are absolutely due to providing humour in times of great sadness and anxiety. From a situation that has been quite awful for many, they have created a sense of togetherness through satire. Timing is definitely part of the viral recipe!
I had not heard of the Inspired Unemployed until this, but I have been inspired to check them out! This post asks questions at the outset and did get me to 'follow along' as you made your points. The Inspired Unemployed seem to have an element of Celeste Barber about them - they are very, very real people that makes them relatable.