SLIDESHOW: If You Want to Go Viral, Start With These Essential Tips

History shows that Web surfers love pictures of cats. They might be silly or over-the-top, but people love them just the same. Countless individuals have attempted to gain overnight fame by uploading pictures of their furry friends. But even when those images go viral, it's not the photographer that becomes famous -- it's the cat. In order to produce a video, a photo or story that goes viral, content makers will have to use more than felines. Nicolas Boillot, CEO of HB Agency (an integrated marketing communications agency) and author of I Killed a Rabid Fox with a Croquet Mallet: Making Your Business Stories Compelling and Memorable, recently spoke with Benzinga about the art of going viral. "Point number one should really be [that] it's not within your control," he said. For better or worse, that's the beast of the always-fickle, rarely-predictable Internet. But there are certain things that content makers can do to greatly improve their chances of going viral. Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at 248-636-1322 or louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ