#053 - How to Go Viral on LinkedIn
Ah, so you want to go viral on LinkedIn?
I get it—it’s tempting. Those posts with thousands of likes and hundreds of comments seem like the ultimate goal. But let’s take a moment to think about what going viral actually means for your professional brand.
Sure, the engagement might feel rewarding in the moment, but does it lead to meaningful opportunities? Often, it doesn’t. Would you rather have a thousand likes from strangers or a few solid connections with people who can truly add value to your network or career?
Let’s see how people often go ultra-viral overnight on LinkedIn—and why these strategies might not always be the best fit for building a strong, authentic personal brand.
The Classic Viral Hacks (That You Might Want to Avoid)
We all know them, we've all seen them, and maybe we've even been tempted to try them.
1. The Comment Collection Game
We’ve all seen those posts: “Comment below to get this amazing free resource!” Sure, it grabs a ton of engagement, but let’s be honest—it’s a misleading way to rack up comments. It’s less about sharing value and more about boosting numbers.

2. The Professional Photoshoot
These are carefully posed photos meant to look inspiring. Whether it’s standing in front of a big office building, pointing at a random chart, or pretending to work on the beach, these posts are more about optics than reality.

3. The Customer Service Story
This is hard to miss. A routine inconvenience—like a delayed delivery—gets spun into an epic lesson about grit, leadership, or hustle. It’s overdone, but people love it anyway.

Look, these tricks work - that's why people keep using them. But here's what nobody tells you about going viral...
The Dark Side of Virality
Viral success often attracts the wrong kind of attention. While you might have carefully cultivated an audience of industry professionals or potential clients, viral content tends to draw in the masses – people who might engage with your content but have no intention of ever becoming customers. This audience dilution can actually harm your long-term goals, drowning out the meaningful connections you've built with a flood of casual observers who won't contribute to your business's bottom line.
The concept of fame itself has undergone massive inflation in the digital age. Viral moments happen every hour of every day, each one quickly forgotten as the next takes its place. The internet's attention span grows shorter by the day, making viral success increasingly fleeting and ultimately meaningless.
The Sustainable Alternative
Instead of chasing viral fame, why not try something that actually works? Build real connections. Share what you actually know about. Talk to people who might actually become customers or colleagues.
Steady growth outperforms viral spikes every time. By focusing on incremental, sustainable growth, you build a foundation that withstands the ever-changing trends of social media. Your expertise develops naturally, and your audience grows organically with people who genuinely value what you offer.
The Bottom Line
Can you engineer virality? Absolutely. Should you replicate it? Not blindly.
The most successful people on LinkedIn aren't the ones with one viral post – they're the ones who consistently deliver value, build genuine relationships, and maintain their authenticity over time.
Focus on being helpful, being real, and talking to the right people. It's not as flashy as going viral, but it works a whole lot better in the long run.