I Went Viral on LinkedIn (And I Regret It)
On June 19th, 2026, I went viral on LinkedIn.
Yet… I regret it.
The post was about how I’d just graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Influence from UTSA.
I was ecstatic!
After 4 long, hard years of learning, working full-time, and grinding away for the mystical piece of paper, I’d finally done it.
I walked the stage.
So, naturally, I wrote a 500-word-long post about how I was excited I got the achievement, it was all thanks to my friends and family, and I tagged the University.
(Well, and of course I had to talk about my business in that post as well, and the backstory on how I started it in college.)
I clicked ‘send’.
I didn’t expect anything of it.
I mean… it was just another generic LinkedIn post, posted by another random college student who graduated that year.
At least, that’s what I thought…
But two days later, I checked LinkedIn to see a flurry of comments, 5,000 views and counting, and even a comment from UTSA.
It was incredible.
I gained followers, views, and recognition from friends, family, and peers. It continued to climb the ranks and ended up as my #1 post with 13,000 views.
But here’s why I REGRET making that post.
While it DID bring a considerable amount of followers, views, and recognition, I didn’t get ANY of what was really important…
Leads.
I thought that viral content automatically meant reaching the business owners and practice owners who would pay for my services.
But it didn’t. It brought zero business, and it honestly kind of sucked.
Especially since 2 weeks later I was laid off from my job of two years (a story for another time).
This is the exact same mistake I see business owners make within their own content too.
They see people online go viral. The views, the likes, the “money” they wave around on the internet, and think:
“Wow! Social Media must really help businesses take off. Let me give it a whirl too!”
So, they try it for a few months, realize they’re not getting anyone in the door, burn out, and give up completely.
But the reason it didn’t work is that you weren’t targeting the right people.
This is the same mistake I made with this viral post.
Think about it. I made a post that covered three things:
- My graduation (an achievement)
- How I started my business in college (a story)
- A generic lesson about applying what you learn (a lesson meant for students)
I accidentally wrote for my peers, instead of for the business owners I’m meant to target. The people who will spend their money with my business, and become loyal customers.
After having this realization (and realizing I need to take my own advice), one thing’s for sure…
I will NEVER make this mistake again!
And I hope the same goes for you.
If after reading this, you’ve realized that you need to switch up your strategy online, I can help!
I’ve personally helped 8 businesses grow their audience, revenue, and get back their time by targeting the right people, with the right content, in the right place.
There’s a strategy to this online thing, and it can be HARD. Especially if you’re a business owner who handles the billing, hiring, admin, marketing, and more!
I’d like to take one of those things off your hands, and it’s what I do best.
Marketing.
If you’d like me to build your entire marketing system for you, so that you no longer have to worry about where your next paycheck will come from during a slow season, visit this page to learn more: https://newversion.hayesadvertisingco.com/
I hope this helped!
Talk soon,
Nick Hayes, Owner, Hayes Advertising
nick@newversion.hayesadvertisingco.com
P.S. I’ve got other resources and lessons where that came from…
Want to find out where your practice is leaking patients? Go here: https://newversion.hayesadvertisingco.com/free-resources/
Want to see more of my work before you decide? Go here: https://newversion.hayesadvertisingco.com/portfolio/
Want to visit my LinkedIn and explore more of my content? Go here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayesadvertising/
Want to read more of my lessons on business & marketing? Scroll down below and check out a few more of my articles!
Thanks for reading.
