I went viral. This week I experienced my first taste of internet fame. My post about being laid off from Meta got a bit of attention, ~five million views worth of attention to be precise. While this is not necessarily the context I would have chosen to go viral in, the experience was an interesting one.
This was my first experience having large numbers of strangers interacting and responding to me via the internet. While it wasnât five million unique people that viewed the post, it definitely was in the hundreds of thousands and maybe even a million. This seems like a big number, but when you put it into more concrete terms it seems really really big. The capacity of Common Wealth stadium is 60 000 people. Now imagine 10 to 20 times this. That is a lot of people. I feel that I have now been exposed to the powers of the internet. My internet virginity has been taken from me.
This post is a debrief of my first time, my first time going viral that is. If requested I can write another post about my first time being laidâŚoff. Anywho, I want to break down why this post received so much attention, and what I have learned from the experience. For context, here is the post:
Why the post went Viral
Unexpected
People were not expecting the post to be funny. LinkedIn was swarmed with melancholy layoff posts*. Everyone had an idea of what the post was going to be before they even started to read it. âUnfortunately I have been laid off, thank you to the people I have met, looking for new opportunitiesâ. Because this post was not what people were expecting, it stood out to them, it was unique. Everyone also appreciated a bit of comedic relief during a not-so-fun time.
Circumstance
There was already a lot of engagement online about tech layoffs. My post was able to ride the wave of this and reach a large audience of people who were already involved or familiar with what was going on. Most of the engagement came from people who also work in tech and likely felt sympathetic, meaning they were engaging online more than they normally would.
Well written
I will give myself a pat on the back for this one, I think it was well-written. There was a strong hook, âI admit I deserved to be laid offâ, which pulled people in. I split the content into small groups of sentences so it was easy to follow. The statements I made were sarcastic enough that people could tell I was joking. The addition of the photo proved there was truth to what I was saying. I am nearly two years into writing this blog and I do feel my writing has improved. It was validating for me to have something I wrote attract attention, and for many people to compliment me on my writing skills. This motivates me to keep writing these posts!
What I learned
Scale of the internet
The internet makes it incredibly easy to reach large numbers of people. This sounds obvious but this experience reinforced to me the leverage the internet provides. I received over 1000 comments + messages from people I donât know, this would never be possible without the internet. I was overwhelmed by the messages, I canât imagine people with large internet followings who receive even more messages every day! This also reinforces to me the power of a personal brand. Being able to send a message to thousands or even millions of people has enormous benefits. Whether it’s selling a product or promoting a message you believe in there is immense value in an audience.
People are nice
The internet gets a bad rap. People talk about all of the negativity that occurs online, and how people say things they never would in person. I am not denying this is true, but the comments I received were overwhelmingly positive. I was taken aback but how many people took the time to wish me luck on my job hunt, offered to refer me, or even just said they thought my post was funny. There were a few negative nellies out there of course but the vast majority were extremely positive. This was really nice, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to send good vibes. I will also say I have never felt inclined to comment on a random person’s post and there were some weird comments. One who said that I had a beautiful soul, another who said they loved me, and some who just messaged me saying âheyâ. For all the positives I have said about the internet, it is still a weird place.
Overall, this experience was a nice distraction from a series of unfortunate events. I have already received a few interviews out of it so I guess it served its purpose. I am also looking forward to enjoying the protein bars Quest is sending me, in addition to the bars I have stored up. Now I just need to get this blog to pop off!
– Mitch
* Not to detract from these posts. Being laid off is a serious matter, and can have negative repercussions.
Quote of the Week
âMy formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it⌠but love it.â - Friedrich Nietzsche
Favorites of The Week
đ 49ers Football Game
My family was in town last weekend and we attended the 49ers vs Chargers football game. This was a fun event and a great way to end off a busy weekend of exploring the surrounding area.
đ The Godfather - Mario Puzo
I have really been enjoying this read. I have not read much fiction recently and I find myself looking forward to reading this at the end of the day.
đśââď¸Walking
I always enjoy going for walks, but at times like this, I really appreciate them. I like to think and walking is a great time to think. They are also a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.