Why Viral Posts Are the New Stupid
How Artificially Boosting the Algorithm will Backfire and Harm Your Brand (and What to Do Instead)
As a marketer, the number one question I get is “How can I get popular?” This translates in people’s minds into two things:
- Growing a large following
- Having your posts get a large number of views and likes
This goal is understandable. Being popular means more eyes on your work, increased credibility, and a wider reach to your audience, right? That should hopefully translate into more sales.
Maybe.
If done the right way, you win the gold. Your social reputation goes up and this translates into more clients, more influence, and paid opportunities.
But if done the wrong way, you’ll regret it. In fact, if you grab attention by the wrong means, you can even permanently damage your reputation.
People will go to great lengths for fame.
Between 2012 and 2018, there were online dares about ingesting Tide Pods laundry detergent. Hundreds of kids participated in the Tide Pod challenge, especially on YouTube, which reached its peak in 2018. Since Tide Pods are poisonous, many of these jokes ended with a…
