I Accidentally Went Viral Online: Here’s What I Learned
From 0 to 700,000 views, I learned a few things about achieving my goals.
A recent study found that most children choose Youtuber/Influencer as their dream job. An undoubtedly 21st-century specific career path, but overall this is not a shock. With the onslaught of social media influencers and headlines about content creators making millions of dollars annually from their work.
It is no surprise that more and more people want to cash in on a relatively new and seemingly ideal career path. But for most people, having a video go viral in any capacity is nearly impossible. And most individuals who post on the platform never even make it to a monetizable status.
When I started making Youtube videos as a college Junior, it was not really with the intention of going viral or becoming another online star. I made acne videos. I sat in front of my camera, showing my most uncomfortable and embarrassing acne-ridden photos, and given monthly updates on how my face changed during Accutane treatment.
The videos garnered virtually no views, which was somewhat of a relief. The vulnerability of bearing it all and showing the world my biggest insecurity terrified me. And that was exactly why I did it. For years I struggled with self-esteem and body image issues. I hated my weight. I hated my face. I hated my hair. I hated pretty much everything about myself. But I was tired of feeling that self-hatred. So I started making videos.
When my acne subsided and I was unable to continue making Youtube videos on that topic, I didn’t know what to do. My primary goal had been completed. I had documented my journey both for myself and for anyone else who was nervous about going on such a strong medication. But I did miss making videos. I found a new passion.
Making stupid videos that nobody else would see for the sake of simply having something to do. Filming and editing these videos gave me a way to take up the free time in my schedule. And it also made me feel like I was learning a new skill. Both of these things brought me a lot of joy.
But then I stopped for a bit. Life got in the way and before I knew it my channel of 8 subscribers and approximately 50 views per video was abandoned for over a year. Then quarantine hit and I yet again was faced with a lot of free time and no way to fulfill my creative desires. So I made another video. And yet again it garnered virtually no views, which I didn’t care about because I had something to do and could play around with Final Cut Pro again.
So when I used up my free time to start a workout routine I filmed another video on it. The concept was simple. A before and after video about my body pre and post-workout program. I played around with my editing style, learned some new techniques, and overall felt like my skills were growing. I uploaded the video with the expectation that yet again nobody would really watch the video.
Then, without even trying really, the video took off.
Within one month my video had hit over 500,000 views and I had gained Youtube monetization. I had put social media information in the description box of my video “because that’s what YouTubers do.” I had a private account, I needed to approve anyone who saw my accounts anyway so what harm could it do. In the past, this made no difference because I wasn’t getting views anyway and so the concept of getting follow requests really wasn’t something I thought about. But when I suddenly amassed over 100 Instagram follow requests directly from people who had seen my videos, the magnitude of how significant my situation and video popularity was finally hit me. It also terrified me.
I feel guilty for being wary or cautious of the sudden popularity of my video. This is something so many people dedicated endless time and money to, yet I feel slightly unnerved by it. It was always a possibility, but it wasn’t one that I found realistic or likely. So for this opportunity to fall into my lap, and for me to grapple with the fact that it was accidental, seemed like taking something amazing for granted.
As I began to see comments thanking me for giving people with larger bodies some representation in the fitness community, that’s when it hit me that I was given a gift by the universe. That chance to help people like me, which was the sole purpose of my first set of videos, had finally fallen into my lap. I made my impact, even if it was a fleeting or minor one.
The Youtube algorithm is a tricky code to crack. Many people have attempted to figure out the exact method of being noticed and having your video make it onto the homepage. I had and continue to have no understanding of what it takes to scientifically grow a following. I threw random seemingly appropriate tags onto my video, did not post it on any other platforms, did not publicize it on my personal social media accounts, and quite frankly did not try at all for this to happen. I wish there were step by step directions on how I strategically hit this milestone but to be honest, it was sheer dumb luck.
Where I, and my channel, go from here is unknown. This could be a new chance to explore my passion at a greater scale, making exciting content for a group of people who actually watch and enjoy it.
Or I could never make a significantly successful video again and fade back into obscurity and anonymity. But regardless of the outcome, one thing is for certain. I am going to take this opportunity and run with it.
