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Caught a client saying 'just make it go viral' in a meeting yesterday
I was sitting in on a kickoff call for a blog series and the marketing director literally said 'just make it go viral' three times. She had zero interest in audience research or keyword mapping. Has anyone else dealt with people who think content strategy is just luck?
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blake3222mo ago
Yeah that's a big red flag. Viral isn't a strategy, it's a result. And even then it's usually from luck or a huge ad budget, not from someone saying "make it go viral" in a meeting. Sounds like she's confusing exposure with real engagement. People who skip the research always end up with content that doesn't stick. You can't force a viral moment. Better to focus on reaching the right people than trying to hit some random jackpot.
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kai_butler831mo ago
Three times in one meeting... that's just painful to hear. I've sat through calls where "viral" is thrown around like it's a button you push, and it always ends the same way - wasted time and a client who's disappointed when the blog posts don't magically hit millions. The thing is, she's ignoring the actual work that builds real traffic, like knowing your audience and what they actually search for. It's lazy thinking, treating content like a lotto ticket instead of a long term investment. I'd rather have steady growth from the right people than a one day spike that dies out.
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