I went viral on Instagram. And it’s not my first time.
The first time was with this post on my client account which got over 1M views but it only got me 274 followers.🤔
So here are my thoughts on how to go viral but also to grow your audience.
I’ve been working on cracking this code for a long time.
You’ve heard the “be relatable” advice right?
But you keep trying to be relatable and nothing happens.
You’re probably questioning what the heck that even means.
Be myself? Am I relatable enough?
Well, here’s what I realized.
To go viral, with the purpose of growing your following, you need to be relatable but ALSO entertaining.
Here’s what I mean by “relatable.”
First, you need to understand your ideal client inside out.
What are their pain points?
What do they struggle with?
And how can you MIRROR those pain points in an entertaining way so it becomes relatable to them?
My actor clients are always struggling to book work, almost to the point of being desperate.
That’s why that post went viral. It was relatable to them but also in a funny and entertaining way.
My theory on why it didn’t get me that many followers?
Anecdotally, I’ve found that while meme’s do well with views (cuz I’ve had other memes get higher than average views,) they don’t do as well with followers.
Because for a human to feel that another human gets them, they need to see the relatable human behind the content.🤷🏼♀️
Can you think of a way to apply the relatable with entertainment formula to your niche, either as a meme or as a full on production with you front and center?
I’m tellin’ you, that’s👆 what gets you followers.
Here’s an AI prompt to help you start brainstorming:
“I’m a [your photography niche] photographer who serves [extremely specific ideal client – their exact job title, industry, and career stage]. Provide 3 viral Instagram post ideas (meme or reel) that combine my ideal client’s biggest pain point with humor. Their #1 pain point is [specific frustration they have about photos/their image/booking a photographer]. Each post should mirror their exact internal dialogue (what they tell themselves at 3am) but make it funny… Include the visual concept, the text on the video if needed, caption with a relatable hook, and explain why it will make them tag their friends or share it with their friends. Don’t teach or sell – just reflect their experience back to them with entertainment value. Think of formats like ‘POV: You’re about to…’, or ‘Expectation vs Reality.'”
Example filled out: “I’m a headshot photographer who serves actors in LA who haven’t booked in 6+ months. Create 3 viral Instagram posts… Their #1 pain point is feeling invisible at auditions despite being talented.”
Post your ideas below in the comments. I’ll reply and let you know if they’ll work!
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