Introduction
Somewhere along the way, "going viral" became the goal. The metric. The thing every brand brief asks about and every client secretly hopes for. I've been asked about it too. And every time, I give the same answer: that's not what I do.
It's not because I can't. It's because I've seen what chasing virality costs; and most brands can't afford it.
Main Discussion
Viral content is, by definition, temporary. It spikes, it's shared, it disappears, and then you're back to zero, trying to recreate lightning. The brands and creators I admire most aren't the ones who went viral once. They're the ones who built something people keep coming back to. That requires a completely different strategy.
What I've learned from producing documentary work, managing podcast pipelines, and directing visual identity for organizations is this: the content that actually moves people is the content that was made with them in mind, not the algorithm. It's specific. It's honest. It knows who it's talking to and it says something real.
For mission-focused brands especially churches, small businesses, purpose-driven founders, chasing virality is often the fastest way to lose the trust of the exact audience you need. Your people don't want a highlight reel. They want to feel seen. They want to believe you mean it.
My approach is slower. It involves actually listening to what a brand is trying to say, building a visual and strategic identity around that, and then creating content that compounds over time. One strong video that tells your story is worth fifty trending audios that have nothing to do with you.
Key Takeaways
Virality is a moment. A brand is a body of work. Build the body of work.
The most loyal audiences are built through consistency and specificity, not volume.
Before you ask "how do we get more views," ask "do we actually know what we're trying to say?"