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Social Media Decoded
What Going Viral Actually Taught Me About Visibility
00:11:00
In this episode, Michelle Thames shares the real truth about going viral and why visibility is about so much more than views and followers. From multiple viral moments to local visibility lessons, she breaks down why consistency, relationships, and systems matter more than chasing the algorithm if you actually want to grow your business.
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If you walk into a room and can't remember why, it could be nothing or something more. If you confuse a familiar recipe, it could be a slip up or it could be associated with amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Amyloid is a protein that your body produces naturally, but a buildup in the brain could lead to memory and thinking issues. To see what may be behind your memory and thinking issues, talk to your doctor about getting a full assessment. It's never too early to start the conversation. Visit amyloid.com to learn more.
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Let me say something that might surprise you. Going viral is not what changed my business. Yep. And before y' all look at me crazy, hear me out. Because I've gone viral more than once. Not once, not twice. Like multiple times. On Instagram, on threads, reels, content, hidden 50k, 100k, hundreds of comments, shares, and new followers pouring in. And every single time, people say the same thing to me. Michelle, omg, you made it. Or teach me how to go viral. Or my favorite, if I could just go viral one time, my business would change. And today we're talking about the truth. The real truth. What going viral actually taught me about visibility. Because I think social media has sold people this fantasy that virality equals success. And let me tell you, that is not the whole story. So if you've been posting consistently and wondering if it's worth it, or feeling discouraged because your content isn't blowing up, or you secretly think one viral video is gonna save your business, this episode is for you. Welcome back to the Podcast Friend. If you're new here, hey, I'm Michelle Thames, marketing strategist, visibility coach, podcaster, community builder, and somebody who has been in this online space for a long time. Like, long enough to know trends come and go. Algorithms change every five business days. One minute Instagram wants one thing, then threads pop off, then LinkedIn matters, then SEO, then video, then storytelling. And somewhere and all of that, people start chasing attention instead of building authority. And I've done both. So let's Talk about it. Go ahead and grab your pens and your notepads because gems are about to be dropped. Okay, so recently, I mean real recent, as of this past month of May, because we're going into June, I had a few pieces of content go crazy. And when I say crazy, I mean crazy. One of my reels reached over a hundred thousand views. Another one took off. Threads started moving. Hundreds of comments, thousands of people seeing my content. Hundreds of new followers, DMs, people saying, where have you been? And I was laughing because I'm like, I've been here. I did not suddenly become smart. I did not suddenly become talented. I did not suddenly become an expert. You just found me. That's the difference. And I think this is something people need to hear. Because when someone goes viral, people act like they became successful overnight. No? Most of us have been shooting in the gym for years. Years. Podcasting, posting, showing up, helping people, learning, failing, trying again, reposting, pivoting, getting better. I've been doing Digital Marketing for 17 years. I've hosted over 650 podcast episodes. I've hosted over 100 events. I've worked with major brands, built communities, worked behind the scenes, consulted, spoke, created content when nobody cared. And then suddenly one post hits, and now people think, omg, she came out of nowhere. No, visibility just caught up. And I need somebody listening to hear me when I say this. Just because people are discovering you now does not mean you're just starting. Sometimes visibility is delayed. Sometimes people don't see you until they're ready. Sometimes you are one piece of content away from being discovered. But the key word discovered, you have to already be there. Let's talk about what people think virality is. Now, here is what they think it actually is. They think, I'm going to post this one video, get a million views, people will magically buy, and suddenly my business changes. That is the Internet fantasy. And listen, can virality help? Absolutely. Virality can open doors. Virality gets eyeballs. Virality creates awareness. Virality can speed things up. But what people don't tell you, virality also exposes your gaps. Because if people come to your page and there's no clear message, no offer, no trust, no ecosystem, no consistency, no way for people to stay connected, guess what happens? They leave. And fast. I've seen creators go viral and disappear. I've seen people get millions of views and struggle financially because attention and conversion are not the same thing. Let me say that again for the people in the back. Attention and conversion are not the same thing. Views do not automatically equal clients. Followers do not automatically equal money. Comments do not automatically equal sales. And this is why some people are confused, because they're chasing visibility without strategy. What was that shift? Going viral taught me a lot. It taught me that visibility matters. But visibility by itself is incomplete. You need an infrastructure. You need a system. You need somewhere for people to go. This is why I always say visibility gets attention, and systems build businesses. That line right there. I mean that with my whole chest, because, let's be honest, what happens after somebody finds you? What happens when somebody says, huh, I like them? Then what? Do they binge your podcast? Do they join your email list? Do they come to an event? Do they join your community? Do they watch your stories? Do they know what you actually help people do? This is the part people skip. And honestly, this is why consistency matters way more than virality. Because consistency builds trust. Consistency creates authority. Consistency makes people feel safe enough to buy. I can't tell you how many people say to me, michelle, I've been following you for years, years, quietly watching, and now they're ready. That didn't happen because of one post. That happened because I stayed visible. Now, let me tell y' all something else that going viral taught me recently. Local visibility lessons. Yep. You're probably saying local visibility, yes, that thing is different. I've been posting these local hidden gem videos, Restaurants, experiences, community, places in the south suburbs and Chicago area. And these videos, people love them. We're talking crazy engagement. People tagging friends, people, businesses, reposting, businesses reaching out, asking me to come do videos about their establishment. People saying, I didn't know this was here. And what I realized is this. People are craving connection. They want real, they want community, they want experiences and businesses. They need visibility. This honestly opened my eyes because visibility is bigger than. Than social media. Visibility is relationships. Visibility is showing up in rooms. Visibility is collaborations. Visibility is community. Visibility is becoming known somewhere online and offline. And I really think local visibility is one of the biggest opportunities right now, especially for entrepreneurs, especially for service providers, especially for service providers, especially for people trying to become known. Because let me tell you, you do not need a million followers. What you need is the right people to know who you are. That's it. One room, one connection, one referral partner, one speaking opportunity, one strategic relationship that can change everything. So if you're listening and you're like, okay, Michelle, what should I actually focus on? Here's what I want you to do. Stop obsessing over viral and focus on visibility. It's different energy instead I want you to ask yourself, am I consistently showing up? Is my message clear? Do people know when what I help with? Do I have a way to nurture people? Do I have an ecosystem? Meaning if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, could people still find me? Email list, podcasts, community events, networking, relationships? This is why I'm always talking about building an ecosystem. Because content alone, that's not enough anymore. And if something goes viral, amazing. Leverage it, but do not depend on it. Because something sustainable. Build something sustainable. Build trust, build systems, build community that lasts longer. And honestly, this is exactly why I created the visibility reset. Because I know you are talented, smart, gifted, but you're overwhelmed. You're posting randomly, you're overthinking. You know you should be visible, but you don't know what actually moves the needle. And I want to help you simplify visibility in a way that actually feels aligned to you. Not performative, not exhausting, not dance on the Internet for attention. Real visibility, strategic visibility. The kind that gets you known, gets you opportunities, get you clients, get you in rooms. So if this episode spoke to you, go ahead and DM me the word visible. V I S I B L e on Instagram. Seriously, friend, DM me visible. Tell me what hit home, tell me where you're stuck and let's talk about your visibility. Because you do not need to go viral to win. You just need to become known. And trust me, that changes everything. I'll talk to you in the next episode. Peace.
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If you walk into a room and can't remember why, it could be nothing or something more. If you confuse a familiar recipe, it could be a slip up or it could be associated with amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Amyloid is a protein that your body produces naturally. But a buildup in the brain could lead to memory and thinking issues. To see what may be behind your memory and thinking issues, talk to your doctor about getting a full assessment. It's never too early to start the conversation. Visit amyloid.com to learn more.
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