Want to make images that stop scrollers mid-thumb? After testing 1,200+ prompts this month, here’s the exact recipe that’s working right now—before everyone copies it.
The Viral Prompt Formula (June 2025 Update)
Forget “a cute puppy in a field.” These 5 elements make images pop:
1. The “3D Photo” Trick
- Old: “Cyberpunk cityscape”
- Viral: “Leaning out a neon-soaked Tokyo taxi window at 2am – shot on Canon R5 with raindrop-covered lens – hyperrealistic skin texture – cinematic shallow depth of field”
2. The Nostalgia Hook
- Works every time:
- “90s Polaroid of…”
- “Found footage style…”
- “VHS glitch effect on…”
3. The “Wait, What?” Twist
Examples killing it this month:
- “A Roman soldier taking a selfie with an iPhone 15”
- “Mona Lisa scrolling TikTok in the Louvre”
- “Godzilla working a 9-5 office job”
Best Free Tools Right Now
1. Midjourney 6.3 (New “Trends” Mode)
- Type “/trends” to see what’s popping in your niche
- “Viral Score” predicts engagement before you generate
2. Ideogram 2.0 (For Text That Doesn’t Look Cursed)
Finally creates:
- Believable magazine covers
- Storefront signs
- Meme text that’s actually readable
3. DALL-E 4’s Secret Weapon
New “Viral Template” feature:
- Recreates top-performing image formats
- Auto-adds “engagement elements” (mystery, nostalgia, humor)
3 Hacks Going Viral This Month
1. The “Before/After” Loophole
- Generate one normal image
- Add “now show the dramatic 3-second-later version”
2. Stealth Trend Riding
Find trending audio on TikTok → describe its vibe as an image → tag with the sound
3. The “90% Rule”
AI generates image → you manually tweak 10% (add one human touch) = “authentic” virality
How to Monetize Fast
1. Viral Image → Print-on-Demand
- Use Redbubble’s new AI integration
- Top sellers right now:
- Surreal office humor posters
- “Lost media” fake album covers
- Nostalgic fake product packaging
2. Offer “Viral Image Makeovers”
- Charge $50-100 to transform clients’ boring posts
- Use before/after case studies as marketing
3. Sell Prompt Packs
- Bundle your winning prompts (yes, people buy these)
- Example: “50 Viral Hooks for Fitness Influencers”
Watch Out For…
- Overused tropes (avoid anything with “cyberpunk” or “dreamcore”)
- Platform crackdowns (Instagram now detects AI gens)
- The saturation point (refresh your style every 3 weeks)
Your June 2025 Action Plan:
- Generate 10 images using the formula above
- Post 1/day with hooks like “Would you hang this in your room?”
- Double down on what gets saves/shares
The algorithm is hungry. Feed it well.
(P.S. Screenshot this – next month’s tricks will be different.)