I’m taking a trip down memory lane as I consider taking my content-creation chops out of hibernation and into the real world again.
I’ve had a few pieces of content go “viral” (by my definition: way more shares than usual, spike in traffic, broad visibility of 10x or more) a few times in my online career. Every time, they were happy accidents.
Looking back, I think there are two big reasons why:
#1 – People like what they agree with, but they share what makes them look good.
Years ago, when I ran Book More Brides for wedding professionals, I wrote a fiery response to a news piece accusing the wedding industry of overcharging couples. (We actually made a brief appearance in the video as one of the villanous educators teaching wedding businesses to do this.)
My article, 10 Things Couples Need to Know About the Wedding Industry That the Media Will Never Tell You, defended wedding pros, and our community shared it like crazy. Within 48 hours it had hundreds of likes and shares, blog comments (back when that was a thing) and it became one of our most trafficked posts.
Why? Because sharing it made them look good.
#2 – When you come alive, your content comes alive with it.
I see PASSION at the heart of viral content. When you’re inspired by what you create, your audience feels it, too.
I once wrote a story called, “Tea With Demons.” Nothing business-y about it. The story was inspired by Rumi and a few other sources that sparked deep insight for me.
Unbeknownst to me, Michael Neill read it on one of his live programs and shared it inside his community. Suddenly, I had people messaging me, connecting with me on social media, and even inquiring about my coaching. The aliveness of the story carried through.
Another example of the evolution of a viral post (not mine.) The song, “Mum Does the Washing” began as a clever
Twitter post explaining various ideologies and worldviews.
It got such powerful reactions, the artist turned it into a song in one day. People shared it, like my friend who sent it to me, and eventually it got played on BBC Radio.
Finally, this morning my tech-obsessed boyfriend was chuckling over the website created by a programmer to search local politicians and create fake IDs using their name and image, to protest Britain’s Online Safety Act. It’s gone viral in hacker news, with techies like my boyfriend sharing a condescending laugh about how much smarter they are than the government.
Now I’m finally getting to the point of this email.
While you can’t manufacture viral content, I think the reason it happens (when it does) is because it’s ALIVE.
It doesn’t follow a formula or come from intellectual strategy alone; it’s more art than science. A random thought sparked by countless connections: trends, beliefs, goals, past experiences, conversations suddenly catches fire. You can’t quantify, predict or repeat that.
Sure, your content still has to be solid. Clear message. Strong POV. Relatable. Shareable. All the rest.
But the spark of aliveness is what moves you into action, and it’s what moves others to share it.
I’m making this an argument for creating what fires you up, moves you to tears, or makes you laugh. That’s way more important than strategy.
While it won’t guarantee viral content, it may make it a bit more likely. And in the meantime, it’s hella fun.
It’s also good to remember:
You don’t need viral content to succeed as a coach or entrepreneur.
Going viral is a game you can play if you want, but it has its own learning curve and requires a lot of pandering to algorithms. You get to choose whether that’s a game you want to play.
What you do need is a message that feels good to create, expresses what you really care about, and naturally attracts the people who resonate with it.
That’s what we practice inside the IMPACT Creators’ membership: finding your own game of business and playing it with joy.
If you want to stop forcing strategies and start creating from aliveness, come join us in IMPACT.
https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/impactinvite
Yours in love and play,
Steph
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