227,000 Views. Two Followers. Let's Talk About That.

By Julia Block Pearson

Last week, a post I made hit 227,000 views.

Two hundred and twenty-seven thousand.

And honestly? I thought it was kind of funny. Not funny ha-ha. Funny in the way that the internet has a way of reminding you that it doesn't owe you anything.

Because that post with 227K views (one of my own viral social media posts) got me two followers.

Two.

Meanwhile, a different post I made around the same time, one that barely cracked 2,200 views, got me three… obviously nothing to write home about, but an extra follower compared to my viral post!

So if you're out here building a strategy around going viral, I'd gently suggest we need to have a talk…

Virality and growth are not the same thing. They never really were. But the internet has done a spectacular job of convincing us otherwise. We see the big numbers and assume they mean something. Sometimes they do. And sometimes 227,000 strangers watch a thing and then go about their day.

Here's what actually works if you want to grow your following with intention: paid follower ads. 

Boring, I know. Nobody makes a Reel about their ads dashboard. But if you want to build an audience of people who actually want to hear from you, that's where I'd put my energy. (If you want the shortcut version of how I do it, I walk through the whole thing in Follower Fast Track.)

But if you're committed to cracking the code on virality, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I just finished reading Contagious by Jonah Berger, and it's the most useful framework I've come across for understanding why things actually spread.

What are the key elements of content that achieve widespread online sharing?

His answer is STEPPS. Six elements that, when present, make content more likely to be shared. 

Social Currency is first, and honestly, one of my favorites. People share things that make them look good or feel like they're part of something. Not just any group. A specific one. The insider feeling. You see this constantly when people share a meme to their stories that basically says "this is me, this is my people."

Triggers are about association. The idea is that the more your content connects to something people already encounter, the more often it resurfaces in their brain. It's not about frequency so much as the link itself. The more that content gets fed to you, the more two things become connected in your mind. That's the trigger doing its job.

Emotion is the one everyone tries to engineer, and most people get wrong. It's not about making people feel good. It's about arousal. Awe, anger, humor. The things that make you physically need to show someone. Mild satisfaction doesn't move.

Public is simple: we copy what we can see. If the behavior is visible, it spreads. If it's hidden, it doesn't. Brands use this through affiliates and influencers on purpose. The more people talk about something, the more it feels like everyone is doing it, and you should be too.

Practical Value might be the most underrated one, and it's the one most small business owners are already sitting on. Useful content gets shared because sharing it makes the sharer look helpful. The more shareable the value is, the farther it travels.

And Stories. Not "storytelling content" as a trend. Actual narratives. The insight alone doesn't travel. The story it lives inside does.

What are some examples of viral social media posts?

A note before I get into these examples: Berger's book covers a lot more than social media. Some of these are easier to spot in other forms of marketing. But I did my best to find real examples, and not all of them are brand-related. Some are just posts that went viral and are worth looking at.

Social Currency: You see this constantly when people share a meme on their stories that identifies them as part of a group. In this case, Costco shoppers. If you shop at Costco, you share it. Because being a Costco person is a whole identity and sharing it signals you're in the club.

Check out an example here or below.

Triggers: The Ilona Maher x Coppertone commercial is a good one here. Personally, I think it's a little cheesy. But people who love Ilona will now think of Coppertone, and vice versa. The more that content gets fed to you, the more those two things become linked in your brain. 

Check out the full reel here.

Emotion: This travel Reel pulls you in with the footage alone, and the question layered over it makes you sit with it. That kind of longing moves people. Mild interest doesn't. 

See the full reel here.

Public: I started following color analysts who help you figure out what colors look best on you. The algorithm figured that out fast, and suddenly, I was being served everyone getting their colors done. I got sold. 100%. Same principle as every AG1 influencer post you've ever seen. 

The full reel can be found here.

Practical Value: The "sprinkle theory" post is a great example. Moms who loved it shared it with other moms, or with their partners. That's practical value doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

See the full post below or here.

Stories: This one is not for a brand. It's just a mom and daughter navigating an unexpected milestone together, and we get to watch it unfold. That small story pulls you into their larger one.

Check out the full post + reel here.

Why follower ads are more dependable than hoping something goes viral.

Here's the thing about STEPPS. It's a useful lens. It can make you a more thoughtful creator. But you cannot engineer a viral moment on command, and you definitely can't build a business on the hope that one might happen.

So here’s my little pitch…

Follower ads are different. When you run a follower ad, you're not throwing content into the void and waiting to see who shows up. You're choosing who sees it. You can target by interest, by behavior, by location, by the kind of person who is already buying from businesses like yours. That Ilona Maher x Coppertone reached Coppertone shoppers by accident (or via the very unreliable algorithm). A follower ad reaches your ideal client on purpose.

That's the difference. Control versus chance.

The 227K post found a lot of people. The right people? Two of them.

You can't depend on virality. But you can depend on a strategy. And if you're ready to build one, Follower Fast Track is where I'd start.

Check out Follower Fast Track here.