Virality != Originality
What Eminem Can Teach Us About Virality
The reason most creators never go viral is because they focus too much on being original.
They believe they need brand-new ideas to stand out. But in trying to be unique, they overlook what actually makes content spread: saying what everyone’s already thinking but hasn’t put into words yet. That blind spot kills relatability, and without it, there’s no chance of virality.
The solution isn’t to go deeper. It’s to go simpler.
Which is why we’re going to talk about how to tap into what your audience already thinks, but haven’t dare saying.
We’re going to walk you through:
Why viral ideas are usually shared thoughts, not new ones
How naming what your audience already feels builds instant connection
Why timing beats originality and how simplicity makes it stick
If you’ve struggled to come up with “unique” ideas, this will change how you create. You’ll learn how to stop overthinking and start writing content that clicks because it reflects what people already feel. That helps you build trust, create faster, and get more engagement. Ultimately, it helps you become the voice people follow because they feel seen.
Let’s start by rethinking what makes something go viral in the first place.
Viral Ideas Are Shared Thoughts, Not New Ones
Most viral posts don’t invent something new. They say what’s already in people’s heads but no one dare saying.
Most people self-censor. They hold back feelings or opinions that seem too weird, risky, or personal to share publicly. That means there’s a huge backlog of unspoken but widely shared thoughts just waiting to be voiced.
Here’s an example:
When you step in and say those unspoken thoughts clearly, you instantly build trust. You become the person who “gets it” and speaks for them. That connection is powerful—it makes your audience feel seen and heard.
The truth is, you don’t need to invent anything new. The most valuable ideas are often the obvious truths that everyone knows but no one dares to say. Dig into your own mind and listen for those hidden feelings and common experiences.
That’s where the real viral potential lives.
Name What People Feel but Can’t Express
You don’t need to invent brand-new ideas. You just need to give clear shape to the ones people already feel but can’t put into words.
When you articulate a half-formed thought someone’s been carrying around, it hits. That “Yes, exactly!” moment is what makes people share. It’s not about sounding smart, it’s about making people feel seen.
That’s what sets you apart in your' readers’ mind. You stop being just another creator with opinions. You become someone who gets it.
A common mistake here is over-polishing. Don’t smooth out the edges so much that the truth disappears. Leave it a little raw. That’s what makes it feel alive.
The key isn’t in polished phrasing. It’s precision. The more specific the feeling, the harder it hits.
For example:
Weak Version: “Sometimes your model works in testing but fails in production.”
This is too generic. It states a fact, but there’s no feeling, no image, no tension. It’s forgettable.
Strong Version: You deploy the model, it nails all the test cases—but then it fails on a user query with an emoji and a typo, and now your PM’s asking if you even tested it.
It hits because it’s specific, concrete, and loaded with a quiet sense of panic. This makes it feel real, and real is what spreads.
Let’s now talk about what separates people who go viral once… from those who do it again and again.
Timing Beats Originality
If you can sense a shift in how people feel or what they’re experiencing before it becomes mainstream, you can tap into massive attention.
Twitter’s data show that early adopters of trending topics got 4.6x more engagement than those who joined later.
Speed gives you authority. It tells people you see things early — and that makes you worth following. Being fast makes you look smart and in the know. People want to follow that.
But many creators delay. They polish their ideas too long. By the time they post, the moment is gone. The fix:
Post when your ideas is about 80% ready. That’s when it’s still fresh and alive.
Good timing means catching the wave, not chasing it.
Next, let’s see how to make your ideas easy to read and remember.
Simplicity Makes Relatability Stick
If it takes effort to understand, people won’t bother sharing it and ppl sharing—and sharing is what drives virality.
A study by Buffer and Hemingway App found posts written at a 5th-grade level got 36% more engagement. This isn’t about dumbing down, it’s about giving your message a fighting chance at getting noticed.
Plus, simplicity makes people feel smart because they understand it quickly. When your message is clear, they own the idea and share it confidently, as if it’s their own.
The biggest mistake is making things too complicated. Trying to sound smart often just muddies the message. Here’s a simple fix:
Rewrite your post like you’re texting a friend. If you’d send it to them, it’s ready.
So what’s the bottom line?
Key Takeaway
“When I write, I write the things that I think of.
I think a lot of other people think the same things I do too, they just don’t say it.”
— Eminem
This is the essence of virality.
It’s not about being unique. It’s about being relatable.
Your next viral hit is already in your audience’s mind.
You just need to say it first.
Key Actions Recap
Say what your audience already feels but hasn’t said.
Be specific: details make it hit.
Post fast. Timing beats polish.
Keep it simple, write like you text.
Don’t chase originality. Chase relatability.
That’s it for now—more soon!
Catch you next time,
Creator of LinkedIn Audience Building for AI/ML Engineers
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