LS #84: The Anti-Viral Strategy: How to Build a Business With ‘Only’ 500 Views Per Post
Going viral is probably the worst thing that could happen to your business.
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In this issue, you’ll find:
The Anti-Viral Strategy: how to build a business with ‘only’ 500 views per post
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The Anti-Viral Strategy: how to build a business with ‘only’ 500 views per post
Everyone wants to go viral.
I see it every day. Founders obsessing over view counts. Comparing their 300 views to someone else’s 50K. Feeling like failures because their post didn’t blow up.
Here’s the truth nobody wants to hear:
Going viral is probably the worst thing that could happen to your business.
I know that sounds crazy. But hear me out.
I’ve watched dozens of founders chase virality. They post something that gets 100K views. The dopamine hits. The likes flood in. Everyone’s tagging them.
And then... nothing.
No clients. No leads. No revenue.
Just a bunch of strangers who saw a meme and moved on.
Meanwhile, there’s another group of creators. The ones getting 500 views per post. Maybe 1,000 on a good day.
They’re quietly building six-figure businesses.
Let me show you why.
The Virality Trap
Here’s what happens when you chase virality:
You start posting for reach. Not for your audience.
You write hooks designed to get clicks. You share takes you don’t really believe. You talk about trending topics that have nothing to do with your business.
And it works. Sometimes.
You get 50K views. Your follower count jumps by 2,000. You feel amazing.
But here’s the problem:
Those 2,000 new followers have no idea what you do.
They followed you because of one viral post. Not because they need your service. Not because they’re your ideal client.
They’re just... there.
So you keep posting. Trying to recreate that viral moment. Chasing the high.
And your content drifts further and further from what you actually sell.
Six months later, you have 10K followers and zero revenue to show for it.
That’s the trap.
The Math Nobody Talks About
Let’s do some simple math.
Scenario 1: The Viral Post
50,000 views
0.1% conversion rate (because the audience is random)
50 people click your profile
2% book a call
1 lead
Scenario 2: The Niche Post
500 views
10% conversion rate (because you’re speaking directly to your ideal client)
50 people click your profile
20% book a call
10 leads
Same profile clicks. Wildly different results.
The viral post gave you a dopamine hit and one lead.
The niche post gave you 10 leads and built your business.
Which one would you rather have?
The 100 True Fans Strategy
Kevin Kelly wrote about “1,000 True Fans” back in 2008.
The idea: you don’t need millions of followers. You need 1,000 people who truly care about what you do. Who trust you. Who buy from you.
On LinkedIn, that number is even smaller.
You need 100 true fans.
100 people who:
Read every post you write
Comment regularly
DM you with questions
Refer you to their network
Buy from you when you launch something
100 true fans will make you more money than 10,000 random followers.
And here’s the best part: building 100 true fans is way easier than going viral.
What The Anti-Viral Strategy Actually Looks Like
Forget virality. Focus on depth.
Here’s how:
1. Write for one specific person
Not “founders.” Not “marketers.” Not “entrepreneurs.”
One person. Your ideal client. The person you actually want to work with.
When you write for everyone, you reach no one.
When you write for one specific person, you reach everyone like them.
Example:
Generic: “5 tips to grow your business”
Specific: “If you’re a solo founder doing $50K/year and want to hit $200K without hiring, here’s what worked for me...”
The second one gets fewer views. But it gets the right views.
2. Go deep on one topic
Most people post about everything. Marketing. Productivity. Leadership. AI. Crypto. Whatever’s trending.
You become the “guy who posts stuff.”
Instead, own one topic. Go so deep that you become the obvious expert.
When someone thinks of that topic, they think of you.
Example:
Broad: Posting about marketing, productivity, and AI
Deep: Posting only about LinkedIn outreach systems for B2B founders
The first person has 10K followers who barely remember them.
The second person has 500 followers who send them referrals.
3. Engage with the right 20 people
Stop trying to engage with everyone.
Find 20 people who fit your ideal client profile. People who are already posting about the problems you solve.
Comment on their posts. Not “Great post!” comments. Real, valuable comments that add to the conversation.
Do this every day.
Within 30 days, those 20 people will know your name. They’ll check out your profile. Some will DM you.
That’s how you build true fans. One relationship at a time.
4. Track business metrics, not vanity metrics
Views and likes don’t pay your bills. Clients do.
Stop checking your view count. Start tracking:
Profile views from your ideal clients
DMs that turn into calls
Calls that turn into clients
Revenue per post
A post with 500 views that books 3 calls is infinitely better than a post with 50K views that books zero.
Change what you measure. Change what you optimize for.
Real Example
Let me show you two real creators.
Creator A:
25K followers
Posts go viral regularly (20K+ views)
Talks about trending topics
Posts 5x per week
Revenue: $30K/year
Creator B:
2K followers
Posts get 300-800 views
Talks about one specific niche
Posts 3x per week
Revenue: $180K/year
Same platform. Completely different strategies.
Creator A optimized for reach. Creator B optimized for revenue.
Who won?
The Contrarian Truth
Here’s what most people won’t tell you:
The best LinkedIn content doesn’t go viral.
It resonates deeply with a small group of people who actually matter.
It starts conversations in DMs. It leads to coffee chats. It turns into consulting calls.
It builds businesses. Not follower counts.
Going viral is easy. Anyone can post a hot take or a meme and get 50K views.
Building a business from LinkedIn? That’s hard. That requires focus. Discipline. The willingness to ignore vanity metrics.
Most people aren’t willing to do that. They’d rather chase the dopamine of going viral.
That’s fine. Let them.
While they’re chasing views, you’ll be building a business.
Your Anti-Viral Action Plan
This week, try this:
Step 1: Define your one person.
Who is your ideal client? Get specific. Write down their exact situation, problems, and goals.
Step 2: Write 3 posts that speak directly to that person.
Don’t worry about going viral. Worry about being so specific that your ideal client thinks: “Did they write this for me?”
Step 3: Find 20 people who fit your ideal client profile.
Follow them. Engage with their content. Add value in their comments.
Step 4: Track what matters.
How many profile views did you get from your ideal clients? How many DMs? How many calls booked?
Forget the view count. That’s not the game.
That’s it for this week.
If you’re tired of chasing virality and want to build something real, reply and let me know. I’d love to hear what happens when you focus on the right 100 people instead of the wrong 10,000.
See you next week!