It went Viral
I just had my first-ever viral reel! It’s super exciting!
It is fascinating how these kinds of things work. The reel wasn’t planned. It was created on the spur of the moment because Akila (my Basenji dog) created another mess I had to clean up. In fairness, it is her way of telling me she needs more food in her snuffle mat, and it is not a big deal to clean up. But it happens frequently and I was slightly annoyed by it.
I learned my reel went viral when I looked at the data on my Instagram account. Periodically, I check how much reach posts, reels, and videos are getting, and this reel went big. Instagram also sent me a notification that the reel went viral.
In addition to doing a happy dance(!) I get to decide what I want to do with this new information. First things first, if you are not looking at the data within your business, you are missing out.
Had I missed the Instagram notification and not checked my data I wouldn’t have known the reel went viral. I never would have been able to celebrate this major accomplishment. Social media is not a ‘natural’ habit for me. It’s been a learned process, and a reel going viral feels like acknowledgment that the work to change my mindset and share with a new audience is worthwhile.
That acknowledgment reinvigorated my commitment to social media. I’ve even made a deal with myself to post a reel a day for the next week. It might not sound like a big, audacious goal, but it is the start of what I hope will become a habit.
That habit will expand my social media audience, the pool of potential clients who see my posts, my leadership muscle, my capacity to create on the fly, my confidence, and my know-like-and-trust bank account. It creates goodness for me and the business.
That habit is the definition of consistency. Sending a blog, article, or newsletter every week is a consistent action that keeps you connected to your list.
Looking at your social media data should become something you do consistently. I look at my data every Monday. It doesn’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes. If I get sucked into something interesting it can take longer.
If I can't determine how to capitalize on what I see, I contact my support staff for their suggestions. Even when I know what to do, I reach out to my support staff. They are in touch with changes, trends, what’s working and what is not.
Get into the habit of looking at the data. Capitalize on what is working and eliminate what is not.