Going viral as a business: Upskilling for digital content creation
Flinders University launches an innovative diploma as viral content creation becomes the new business battleground.
Everything is viral. From Dubai chocolate to Korean skincare brands, to strawberry matcha lattes: content creators are at the centre of the cultural conversation and driving trends in the modern economy.
“The skills that once belonged exclusively to social media influencers are now crucial across virtually every industry,” says Dr Lisa Harrison, lecturer in Communication and Media at Flinders University.
The statistics paint a stark picture of today’s digital landscape. With roughly 720,000 hours of content uploaded to YouTube daily and over 95 million posts shared on Instagram each day, the competition for attention is overwhelming, says Lisa.
Yet recent industry research by Jonah Berger indicates that less than 0.1 per cent of social media content achieves true viral status.
“What separates viral content from the rest is often not just quality, but strategic alignment with audience psychology and platform algorithms,” Lisa says.
She explains Dubai Chocolate’s viral phenomenon as a masterclass in strategic content creation.
“Dubai Chocolate’s viral success wasn’t accidental – it was engineered through multiple strategic elements. First, they created content with inherent emotional triggers – luxury, exclusivity, sensory appeal – that prompt sharing.
“Second, they leveraged the contrast principle by showcasing extreme luxury in an accessible format. Third, they timed releases to optimise for platform algorithms, particularly on TikTok where they gained initial traction.”
But perhaps most cleverly, Lisa explains, “they created a content ecosystem where user-generated reactions became as compelling as their original videos – effectively outsourcing content creation to their audience while maintaining brand consistency”.
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Recognising this fundamental shift in how businesses communicate, Flinders University has developed and launched the Diploma in Digital Content Creation, a flexible online course designed for professionals and business owners looking to harness the power of digital storytelling in an increasingly competitive landscape.
“Whether you’re in retail, professional services, or running a small business, understanding how to create compelling digital content is becoming as essential as financial literacy or management skills,” Lisa says.
With the course’s emphasis on developing practical skills and exploring proven strategies for powering digital engagement, students will graduate with a portfolio of original, innovative digital content across multiple media formats that addresses specific marketing or communication objectives.
The breakneck pace at which digital content creation changes – where only following trends makes it difficult to be distinctive, grow one’s audience and stay relevant – means businesses need to master proven strategies or risk being left behind by competitors who understand the game.
For senior marketers or business owners, or those launching their careers, these skills will prove invaluable. Additionally, the course builds skills in production software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Google Analytics, Tableau and more.
Uniquely, the lessons are delivered through a combination of podcasts, videos, plus interviews with industry experts discussing current trends. While the creative assessment methods are designed to inspire creativity.
The course is as relevant for business-to-business (B2B) digital content as it is for business-to-consumer (B2C) and direct-to-consumer (D2C).
“The Digital Content Creation course is highly relevant to B2B contexts,” Lisa says.
“The principles of effective digital communication apply regardless of audience type, but with important adaptations for B2B environments.”
She notes the course specifically addresses how communication strategies must be tailored across different business models.
“It also covers emerging technologies and transmedia storytelling approaches that are increasingly crucial in B2B contexts where complex information needs communicating effectively across multiple stakeholder groups and platforms.
Without research and theory providing a structured framework, content creators are essentially operating on guesswork. “Research and theory provide a structured framework for understanding how and why social media communication works,” Lisa says.
“By applying theoretical frameworks like Micro-influencer 5 Dimensions to social media strategy, we can systematically evaluate and improve content creation processes –moving beyond simply creating content to analysing its effectiveness, evaluating outcomes, and synthesising new approaches.”
Lisa brings unique credentials to this challenge. A researcher and educator known for her pioneering work on the role of micro-influencers within creative industries, her groundbreaking theoretical model outlines five dimensions of micro-influence, offering a practical guide for confidently navigating the digital landscape.
Drawing from her experience establishing her own digital marketing agency, Lisa bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world application.
“What we’re finding is that consumers increasingly value authenticity over polish,” Lisa says. “Small business owners who can effectively communicate their own passion and expertise through digital content often connect more deeply with customers than those relying entirely on external agencies.”
The one-year course, which can be studied online either full-time or part-time with complete flexibility, serves both early-career professionals exploring new opportunities and small business owners wanting to improve their social outputs through storytelling and marketing for business growth.
“One fascinating finding from our research is how different proven strategies impact engagement metrics across platforms,” Lisa says. “We’ve discovered that content designed to engage multiple levels of cognitive processing simultaneously – particularly when connecting emotional responses with analytical thinking – generates significantly higher retention and conversion rates.”
This discovery forms a cornerstone of the diploma program, says Lisa. “These proven strategies will be explored extensively in our curriculum, giving students practical frameworks to design content that resonates at multiple levels of audience engagement.”
The diploma accommodates varying experience levels. “The course is designed to accommodate students with varying levels of social media familiarity,” Lisa says. Beginning with foundational units like Foundations of Digital Communication and Digital and Social Media, which establish core concepts for beginners, the curriculum progresses to specialised applications.
The hands-on approach gives students confidence to create, manage and market engaging digital content across various channels, from social media to video production, while gaining strong understanding of audience engagement and content strategy.
For those ready to transform their digital skills into career opportunities, whether as YouTubers, influencers, streamers, marketers or business owners, the diploma provides essential skills to thrive in the fast-paced digital landscape.
“More advanced students will still benefit from the proven strategies and critical analysis skills developed throughout the program,” Lisa says.
“The curriculum progresses to specialised applications in units like Transmedia Content Creation and Emerging Communication Technologies, allowing students to build on their existing knowledge regardless of starting point.”
Enrol for the July intake of the Diploma in Digital Content Creation.