Tips for the perfect selfie, as told by viral selfies

There is no magic formula to snap a "viral" selfie. But if getting shares is your goal, you could learn a thing or two from these viral photos and videos.

Camera up, chin down.

The first rule of selfies is to get the classic selfie pose down. Hold the camera above you and tilt your chin slightly down. Without this tip, you have no hope of holding your own in a photo with Queen Bey.

Get creative.

There are selfie artists all over social media who turn their selfies into something more, like Helen Meldahl, who publishes increasingly intricate selfie art on her Instagram page.

Turn it into a project.

One quick snap is not enough to catch anyone's attention anymore. Selfie-a-day videos are becoming a way to document time passing, and this guy took it the extra step by turning those selfies into a video poem.

Make 'em laugh.

Teenagers will tell you that pouty face selfies are out of style. Better to contort your face into as strange a position as possible, like this teen who went viral when her dad captured what that looks like from his perspective.

Dress the part.

Selfies that go viral are usually quite a spectacle, so you likely won't get shares if you're still in your pajamas. Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian -- and her outfits -- have so many viral selfies that she made a book out of them. (No, really. It's called "Selfish.")

Set the scene.

The prettier the background, the better. Last year a photographer took a picture from the top of the Christ the Redeemer statue, and the breath-taking view got shared all over the world. Watch how he did it.

Own it.

Your selfie might not turn out how you planned. But if you think it will make people smile, post it! Justice Ruth Bader Gingsuerg, already a favorite on the Internet, shot to even greater fame in March when she donned a less-than-pleased expression in a selfie.

Flaunt that star power.

In the end, though, it really does help if you're already famous. Just ask Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie...or anyone in the selfie with millions of shares.

In case you're not famous, though, you could always ask the Queen to sneak in the photo behind you.

What do you think makes for a "good" selfie? Let us know in the comments!