Welcome back to Plan Like a Boss. Today we're diving into one of the biggest myths floating around in the online business world that the fastest way to grow your business is by going viral. We've seen it happen, right? Someone creates a reel, uses the trending sound, or posts something funny that just takes off. Overnight, they've got thousands of views, comments flying in, and maybe even a spike in followers. But here's the real question: Does going viral actually grow a sustainable business? Or is it just a one-hit winder? I'll be honest, I've been there myself. The first time one of my reels took off, I thought, this is it, I've made it. But a week later, all that traffic had fizzled out. My sales hadn't budged. And I was left scratching my head. That's when I realized virality and visibility are not the same thing. And only one of them is going to build you the kind of business you actually want. So today I'm going to break down the difference between virality and visibility, why chasing virality can actually hold you back, and how true visibility works to grow your business consistently and sustainably. So let's get into it. First, let's define these two things. Virality is all about fleeting attention. It's that one post that blows up, that TikTok or reel that suddenly gets shared thousands of times. And don't get me wrong, it feels good when it happens. But most of the time, it's not tied to your actual offers. For example, maybe you share a funny story about your dog and it goes viral. Awesome! But unless you're running a business about dog training, those views aren't turning into sales. To sum it up, virality is great for your ego, but not so much for your bottom line. Visibility, on the other hand, is strategic. It's about intentionally getting your business, your message, and your offers in front of the right people, the people who are already looking for what you provide. If virality is like fireworks, big, flashy, loud, but gone in a few seconds, visibility is like a lighthouse. It's steady, it's consistent, it's guiding the right people toward you over and over again. And here's the kicker. While fireworks are fun, you can't build your business around them. But a lighthouse, that's what people depend on. Now let's talk about why chasing virality can actually hurt you more than it helps. First, as much as we hate to admit it, the algorithm is in control. You simply can't force something to go viral. You might spend hours creating content around the latest trend only to have it totally flop. Meanwhile, that random video of your cat knocks it out of the park. You just don't know what the algorithm is going to favor. Second, virality usually attracts the wrong audience. Viral content draws in people who aren't necessarily interested in your work, your services, or your products. They came simply for entertainment, not transformation. So, yes, you may get more followers, but are they your people? Probably not. And third, burnout. When you're constantly trying to chase the next trend, you're stuck in a hamster wheel that never stops. You're spending all your time creating just for the algorithm to grow an audience that's not necessarily interested in your offers. Instead of creating for the people you actually want to help. Now, I remember when I was really leaning into Instagram reels, it felt like I had to keep up with every single trending audio, every shift in the algorithm. And you know what? It wasn't fun. It wasn't growing my business. And honestly, it was exhausting. That's when I took a step back and said, okay, what's actually gonna make the biggest difference here? And that's when I decided to say goodbye to trends and go back to what I do best: visibility. Visibility is what I like to call evergreen reach. It's when you create content that works for you long after you hit publish. Think about blog posts that show up on Google, YouTube videos that keep getting views months or even years later, or Instagram posts that show up when people search the platform because the captions were written with SEO in mind. Now let's talk about Instagram SEO for a second, because this is a huge piece of visibility that most people are missing. For years, Instagram was all about hashtags. You had to slap on 30 hashtags and just hope the algorithm would push you out. But the platform has changed. Instagram is now a search engine, just like Google or YouTube. And now Instagram posts are showing up in Google searches. That means when someone types into the search bar things like Business Coach for Creatives or Instagram tips for solopreneurs, Instagram is looking at your profile. It's looking at your captions and even your alt text to decide whether to show your content first. So instead of worrying about the latest trending audio or whether your reel is gonna blow up, you can focus on using keywords your ideal client is actually searching for. It's not sexy, but it works. For example, if you're a wedding photographer, instead of a reel caption that just says, such a fun day with this couple, making sure you use that trending audio in the background, you'd want to say something like, had so much fun photographing this outdoor ceremony with golden hour portraits in Nashville. See the difference? One is cute, the other is searchable. And searchable equals discoverable. The beauty of Instagram SEO is that it works for you long after you post. A reel that maybe only got 500 views the first week can suddenly start showing up when someone searches six months later. The same for carousel post or even your profile bio. It's all searchable now and you need to make sure it's optimized. So when I talk about visibility being strategic, this is what I mean. You're not creating content just to get a dopamine hit from views. You're creating content that gets in front of the right people at the right time, the moment they're actually looking for you. And that's the kind of visibility that grows your business. Not the fleeting viral moments, but the steady flow of people finding you, following you, and eventually buying from you because your content actually helped them. This is the kind of visibility that compounds over time. It's not about reaching everyone, it's about reaching the right people, those who are already looking for what you offer. For example, I have blog posts that I wrote years ago that still bring in leads and sales today. They just keep working quietly in the background while I move on to other things. I have YouTube videos from last year still getting views. That is the power of visibility. And here's the other piece visibility builds trust. When people consistently see you showing up, when your content speaks to their needs and answers their questions, they start to see you as the go-to in your space. And that's what grows a business. Not random burst of attention, but steady trust built over time. Now, don't get me wrong, virality is not a bad thing. If one of your post happens to blow up, enjoy it, celebrate it, use it to bring more people into your world. But it's not a strategy, it's a bonus. The strategy is visibility. That's your foundation. That's where your energy should go because visibility is what builds that steady stream of clients and customers who actually want what you're offering. Think of it like this: virality might bring in a crowd for a moment, but visibility keeps the right people coming back for the long haul. So the next time you're creating content, ask yourself Am I chasing a quick viral win or am I building visibility that lasts? So if you're ready to stop chasing trends and start building true visibility that compounds over time, I'd love to invite you into my visibility membership Creative SEO. You'll find all the details in the show notes. Thank you so much for spending this time with me today. And if this episode resonated with you, hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And hey, if you know another entrepreneur who's tired of chasing virality, share this episode with them too. And until next time, keep planning like a boss.