Why Your Content Isn’t Going Viral (And Why Mine Accidentally Did When I Was Drunk)

A true story of fish-net content, unplanned virality, and why the algorithm loves chaos more than talent.

When you hit 500,000 views but haven’t hit the shower in 3 days.

If effort equaled success, I’d be famous and moisturized by now.

You’ve scheduled the posts. Optimized the hashtags. Sacrificed your dignity at the altar of short-form video. And yet… nothing.

Meanwhile, some guy with a GoPro duct-taped to a squirrel just got 2 million views and a brand deal with oat milk.

So what’s the deal?

Let me tell you about the time my YouTube channel exploded — completely by accident — while I was operating on 3 hours of sleep, 2 drinks deep, and zero understanding of the algorithm.

I had no strategy, just a camera and a mild addiction to interviewing strangers

Back in 2007, before YouTube was a career and TikTok was a gleam in Vine’s dead eyes, I had an idea.

I would film 10 interviews, ask each person 10 questions, and get each answer down to about 1 minute. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it was structured enough to give me hope and chaotic enough to keep me interested.

The topics? All over the place. Some were cultural. Some were personal. Some were so niche I’m not even sure I understood what I was asking.

But that was the point. I wasn’t trying to “nail the niche.” I was throwing a digital fish net into the algorithmic ocean and waiting to see what swam in.

The results were… confusing

Some videos completely missed. Zero traction. Maybe a few sympathy clicks from my mom. (Thanks, mom.)

Others did “fine.” Not amazing, not embarrassing — the YouTube equivalent of someone nodding politely at your party and then leaving through the bathroom window.

And then, some exploded. I’m talking half a million views on a single video. Out of nowhere.

One night, while mildly drunk and watching the analytics rise like a bad decision, I realized something: I had no idea what I did right.

What actually worked (and no, it wasn’t the camera quality)

Looking back, a few patterns emerged. Here’s what seemed to separate my “meh” videos from the ones that went viral:

1. The Topic Hit a Nerve

The viral ones were always about something people were already talking about — or wanted to talk about but hadn’t found the words yet.

The videos that bombed? Usually too niche, too early, or too safe.

2. It Felt Like Eavesdropping

The best-performing interviews didn’t feel like content. They felt like accidentally overhearing something intimate, like reading someone’s diary but they’re smiling at you while you do it.

3. The Thumbnail Was Ugly but Real

No text overlays. No fake smiles. Just a freeze-frame of someone mid-sentence, usually blinking. The algorithm apparently loves bad photography.

4. I Posted a Lot, Fast

The fish-net strategy worked because I cast wide and weird. If I had waited for one video to “work,” I’d still be editing in Final Cut and wondering if my mic was on.

The viral moment: Half a million views and no pants

One of my most-viewed videos was an interview I barely edited. I posted it late at night, slightly buzzed, wearing boxer briefs and doubt.

It had a provocative topic, a genuine moment of surprise in the interviewee’s answer, and a title that was somehow both clickbaity and sincere.

I didn’t think it would go viral. I barely thought it would be watched.

It hit 500,000 views in what felt like a week.

So why isn’t your content going viral?

Honestly? Maybe it’s too calculated.

We all try so hard to look like creators that we forget the internet rewards rawness, speed, and unpredictability. Your best work might be buried under the pressure to “get it right.”

Here’s what I learned:

• Don’t chase virality. Chase volume with variety.

• Don’t over-polish. Publish more, edit less.

• Let the audience surprise you.

• And maybe have a drink. (Kidding. Unless…?)

What you can steal from my strategy (and still sleep at night)

• Fish-net approach: Try lots of formats, questions, styles. Think quantity with curated chaos.

• Strategic randomness: Mix trending topics with evergreen ones. Let the algorithm decide what to promote.

• Batch and release: Film in clusters and post on a schedule. Don’t wait for perfection.

• Track your flukes: Sometimes the accident is the strategy. Reverse-engineer your own viral content.

Viral = honest chaos + timing + zero expectations

I didn’t go viral because I was better. I went viral because I stopped trying to go viral and just made stuff. A lot of it. Fast. While slightly tipsy.

Sometimes, the algorithm doesn’t want your perfect video.

It wants your imperfect moment that feels like life.

So stop obsessing. Start fishing.

And wear pants. Or don’t.

Just don't focus on why your content isn't going viral. And it just might.