Social media users (they’re called that for a reason, by the way) spend around 3+ hours a day scrolling through TikTok, Instagram or X.
And remember: social media is 99% marketing and advertising.
There was never anything social about these platforms in the first place.
That’s just the cover story.
Even more important, however, is the need to rethink the private nature of the Internet, which seems to have betrayed its initial promises: not the expected vector of widespread economic opportunities and democratic empowerment, but a driver of commodification, concentration of techno-economic power and geopolitical tensions.
InterEconomics
When was the last time you interacted with someone in a meaningful way on social media?
Nearly all content you come across on social media serves two, simple purposes: selling and influencing.
That’s why everybody is obsessed with going viral, and most will do literally anything in a bid to try and do it, including:
- Clickbait titles
- Thumbnail image optimizations
- Big, bold claims with no payoff
- Calling perfectly normal things INSANE
Dead internet theory aside, much of the web and nearly all of social media has been ruined from the inside out by this cult of virality.
Don’t Chase Going Viral, Focus on Being Authentic
My advice to you, creator to creator, is this: forget this nonsense and go the opposite way.
Focus on authenticity, frankness, being honest and straight-forward.
- Don’t take pictures of yourself pulling stupid, faux-shocked faces for your thumbnail.
- Don’t review or cover things you haven’t tested yourself.
- Don’t chase trends or hacks.
- Don’t use AI for your content, captions, and titles. Use your brain, get your creative juices flowing.
Have more respect for yourself, make being honest and helpful your core principle, and you’ll quickly discover that there is literally zero need to go viral. Ever.
People (Your Potential Audience) Hate Viral Content Hacks
I see it more and more, channels and creators I like and respect debasing themselves with clickbait titles, stupid thumbnails and seldom delivering on what’s promised.
Check out any SEO turned AI-automation grifter on YouTube. They’re a perfect example of this in action.
Every new AI tool is INSANE. Every new update is INSANE.
Everything is INSANE.
And, irony of ironies, this clickbait actually drives their followers INSANE because, like everybody else on the web, they’re irritated by the constant hyperbole.
Screw this. Don’t swallow that poison pill.
OK, So What Do I Do Instead?
Focus on solving problems. Be true to yourself, be open and honest, and deliver as much value as is humanly possible.
Create lead magnets that actually deliver on their promises. Be available to your audience and help them figure things out.
Be a friend to your audience; don’t treat them like marks to be exploited for your own financial gain.
Be clear, don’t let AI speak for you (or, use an AI avatar), and develop and own your voice.
This is what builds trust. People buy from people, not brands. If you want to sell, you first have to build relationships.
The Internet is Full of Slop, Be The Change You Want To See
Take things slowly.
Be more thoughtful about what you put out.
Take your time, enjoy the process of creating because if you don’t, what exactly is the point anyway?
All you need to succeed is an email list, some social accounts, and a voice.
If you have that, you can make a living as a creator. There’s no magic formula. It’s just about creativity, time, and persistence.
You don’t need millions of followers. You don’t need to “game the algorithms” or buy courses on viral marketing.
“Bullhorns are overrated: having ten times as many Twitter followers generates approximately zero times as much value.”
Seth Godin
What you need is good quality followers that like you and trust you.
And the only way to get these kinds of followers is by being authentic.
And Remember: Big Tech is The Enemy
As you slowly and organically build up a following, your sole focus and goal (besides serving your audience) is getting as many of them as humanly possible off of Big Tech’s platforms and onto one you own.
Big Tech is the enemy. They will screw you over. Do not trust them and do not build your audiences solely on their platforms.
If your entire audience is on a platform owned by Google or Meta or Elon Musk, they are NOT your audience. You’re renting them.
And they can disappear at any time.
So Facebook fully removed the Search Engine Roundtable page – I don’t understand why. It’s been on Facebook for like 20 years – Facebook even gave it a custom url before other channels got it. Oh well. I guess less for me to manage. I really thought it was some mistake and a… pic.twitter.com/vj4sAdjDXD
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) October 3, 2025
Use social media to find your audience, and then do all you can to get the best ones into your email list or community.
Never trust Google, Meta or X, they will screw you over at some point. It’s only a matter of time.
Me? I like email because it’s simple and cost-effective to run, even with extremely large numbers of subscribers.
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