The Myth of “Going Viral”: Why Brands Should Build Credibility, Not Just Chasing Clicks

Visual inspired by a viral Social Media Trend in 2025 - 100 Men vs. 1 Gorilla

In every brainstorm session, on every content calendar, there’s that one hopeful suggestion: “Let’s make this go viral.” It’s the holy grail for marketers – a piece of content that explodes across the internet, racks up millions of views, and earns overnight fame. Brands obsess over shares, likes, and view counts, convinced that virality is the fastest route to relevance.

But here’s the hard truth, why chasing virality is a trap and what brands should do differently. Because going viral isn’t a strategy. It’s a gamble. One that often burns through budgets, energy, and credibility, with little to show for it beyond a fleeting dopamine hit.

So, let’s unpack the illusion and redirect focus towards what actually works.

The Allure (and Illusion) of Virality

“Going viral” used to mean your content spread like wildfire, naturally, unpredictability, and massively. The world is driven by algorithms, and it usually means spiking impressions thanks to a trending sound, format, or hot take. It’s no longer just organic. It is manufactured, gamified and increasingly short-lived.

Brands chase virality for understandable reasons: attention, relevance, visibility. A viral moment can put your brand on the map. It can lead to press coverage, buzz and maybe even a surge in traffic or followers.

But virality is not impact. Attention does not equal trust. And visibility doesn’t always lead to value.

Even when brands do go viral, the moment often fizzles before it translates into meaningful engagement let alone revenue. How many loyal customers will you get from millions of views?

The real cost of viral obsession

The pursuit of viral fame comes with a hidden price tag. When brands prioritise views over values, content starts to feel hollow or off brand. Teams bend over backwards to chase trends, not realizing how quickly audiences detect inauthenticity. There’s also creative burnout to consider and constantly producing reactive content can drain energy from deeper, more strategic storytelling.

Worse, this short-term thinking can erode long term brand equity. Consistency and credibility, the cornerstones of trust, take a backseat to shock value.

Consumers expect personalized, authentic interactions with brands not gimmicks. Viral moments rarely deliver on that expectation.

What brands should focus on Instead

It is time to shift the goal from being shared to being remembered. Here are five things brands should invest in instead of chasing virality

1.      Clarity over clickbait

Define who you are and what you stand for. Brands that consistently communicate a cleat message will be remembered longer than those who hop on the trend treadmill. Your content doesn’t need to be loud to be effective. It needs to be aligned. Build a content compass. Every post should ladder up to your core brand promise.

2.      Consistency Builds trust

People trust what feels familiar. A viral hit might introduce your brand to the masses, but consistency is what makes them stay. Show up regularly. Tell your story repeatedly. Stick to your tone and visual identity even when the trends tempt you otherwise. Focus on a content cadence that you can sustain and scale over time.

3.      Value-driven content wins long term

Audiences remember how you made them feel. Not just how you made them laugh. Instead of churning out trend-based content, focus on delivering real value. Educate. Inspire. Entertain with purpose.

4.      Community over virality

One thousand true fans are worth more than a million passive viewers. Build relationships, not just reach. Engage with comments. Highlight user stories. Make your audience feel seen and heard. Allocate time to community management not just content production

5.      Create for people, not the algorithm

The algorithm is fickle. It rewards frequency, favors trends, and changes weekly. But your audience? They remember the post that made them think, the story that stayed with them, the brand that showed up consistently. Somone might read your post today and feel deeply moved by it, and never hit like, but that moment of impact still matters. The algorithm may not reward it, but your brand will benefit from it in the long run.

Be remembered, not just reposted

Chasing virality might get you a moment. But building credibility, consistency, and connection? That gets you a legacy.

Going viral is never guaranteed. And its rarely repeatable. Instead of trying to game the algorithm, focus on what you can control. Your message, your audience, and your values. Because the brands that win in the long run are the ones that choose depth over noise, and meaning over metrics.

So here is your call to action. Stop trying to go viral. Start trying to matter. Focus on building something that lasts beyond the scroll. Your brand deserves more than fifteen seconds of fame.

Let the others chase the algorithm. You? - Build the brand that’s unforgettable, even if only one person sees it and is changed by it.