How to Go Viral (Without a Big Audience)

A simple recipe to follow for maximum internet points

Jason Gutierrez
ILLUMINATION

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash

A few years ago, I went viral on Medium.

One article. 954,000 views. 67,000 claps. and $12,700 in earnings paid directly to me. It was a great time.

Since then, I’ve written hundreds of other articles. While only a few of those went viral, I think I’ve figured out what it takes.

I first did it as a part-time writer with only a couple of hundred followers, most of them family and friends. If I could do it, so can anyone.

Here’s how to go viral (as a virtual nobody):

1. Publish a lot

Going viral is a numbers game. Period.

You can try to break down viral content section by section. You can make a science out of what hooks readers, what compels them to keep scrolling, and why certain pieces are shared more than others.

But the truth is, even if you follow the science to a T, you probably won’t go viral.

Amateurs don’t understand this. They get angry. Frustrated. They want the process to yield consistent results. The experts, however, expect this. They know it’s just part of the game.

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Jason Gutierrez
ILLUMINATION

Engineer. Papa. I share short essays and stories on careers, life, and the creative process 🖊: https://parttimewriting.beehiiv.com/subscribe