You wouldn't build a house on sand—so why build your content marketing strategy on the shaky ground of virality?

The obsession with viral content is killing authentic content marketing strategy. While every brand dreams of their TikToks hitting the jackpot, chasing "going viral" is a reckless gamble—an algorithm raffle with more losses than wins. Instead, smart brands are doubling down on what actually works: content that's genuinely useful, interesting, or brave enough to carve a niche. And that's where your real content marketing strategy should lie.

The Viral Mirage: Why Lightning Strikes So Rarely

Creating viral content is about as predictable as catching lightning in a bottle. You can have all the right ingredients—trending audio, perfect timing, relevant hashtags—and still watch your content disappear into the void while someone's random cat video gets 10 million views.

If I had $1 for every time I've heard, "Can you make us go viral too?", I'd be filthy rich. Ask any social media manager or content marketing manager if they've heard this in their career, and I'm 99.9% sure you couldn't find one person who hasn't heard this.

You'd never ask a meteorologist to conjure up a storm, yet brands treat virality as some mystical spell. As if, all that needs to be done is whispering "Abracadabra, so mote it be" and voila, a viral moment is born.

Through these conversations, I've learned: Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes, going viral can open a Pandora's box that brands aren't prepared to handle. I've watched companies get their viral moment only to have their websites crash, their inventory completely depleted, and their customer service overwhelmed.

Remember when Stanley tumblers went viral on TikTok (thanks to #WaterTok)? Target stores sold out nationwide, leaving frustrated customers and a brand scrambling to meet impossible demand. Or when Fenty Beauty's viral launch created such a frenzy that the website crashed repeatedly, potentially losing millions in sales.

Viral content isn't scalable. It's luck, timing, and cultural alchemy—never a repeatable content marketing strategy.

What Works: The Triple Threat of Useful, Interesting, and Brave

While everyone's chasing viral dreams, the brands building lasting audiences are focused on three pillars that move the needle:

Useful content

This type of content solves real problems for real people. Think Canva's design tutorials, HubSpot's marketing resources, or Notion's productivity templates. These brands understand that "only 20% of bloggers report strong results, down from 30% five years ago," and those who succeed are the ones providing genuine value. What exactly would I consider useful content to be? There are a few examples that help build lasting audiences:

Step-by-step tutorials that teach valuable skills
Resource libraries and downloadable templates
Problem-solving guides for common industry challenges
Tool comparisons and honest product reviews
Educational content that saves time or money

2. Interesting content

Interesting content captures attention through unique perspectives, compelling storytelling, or fresh takes on familiar topics. It's the difference between another generic "5 Tips for Better Marketing" post and a deep dive into why most marketing advice fails. Social media and website engagement are the most tracked content metrics worldwide at 53% each, and interesting content consistently drives both. So, what keeps your audience engaged? These content pieces:

Behind-the-scenes stories from your industry
Contrarian takes on popular beliefs or trends
Personal narratives that connect to business lessons
Data-driven insights presented in compelling ways
Case studies that reveal unexpected outcomes

3. Brave content

Content under this pillar takes stands, challenges conventional wisdom, or addresses topics others won't touch. It's Patagonia's environmental activism, Dove's real beauty campaigns, or Buffer's radical transparency about their business metrics. Brave content doesn't just capture attention, it builds movements. If you're looking to build momentum, these examples are a great start:

Taking public stands on important social issues
Sharing failures and lessons learned openly
Challenging industry practices or conventional wisdom
Addressing controversial topics with nuance and depth
Being transparent about business practices and values

When you focus on being useful, interesting, or brave, you're not just creating content, you're building a brand that people want to follow long-term.

The Authenticity Advantage: Why Real Beats Viral Every Time

The most successful content creators and brands share one common trait: they're unapologetically authentic. They're not trying to be everything to everyone or gaming the latest algorithm. Instead, they're consistently showing up as themselves, sharing their expertise, and building genuine connections with their audience.

Showing up like this does something viral content rarely does: compound growth. While a viral post might spike your followers temporarily, authentic content builds a foundation that grows stronger over time. Your audience begins to trust your voice, anticipate your content, and become advocates for your brand.

Consider the difference between a brand that has a one-hit wonder moment of fame and disappears versus one that consistently delivers value. The latter builds what I call "earned attention," the kind of audience engagement that can't be bought or hacked, only earned through consistent quality and authenticity.

The Numbers Don't Lie: Long-term Strategy Wins

The data supports this shift away from viral obsession. 46% of B2B businesses increased their content marketing budget in 2025, but they're not throwing money at viral attempts. Instead, they're investing in a sustainable content marketing strategy that delivers measurable results.

According to HubSpot's latest research, "blog posts (19.47%) were the fourth most popular content format used by marketers, following short-form video (29.18%), images (28.95%), and interviews (21.64%)." Notice what's missing from that list? Viral content isn't even a category because it's not a reliable content marketing strategy.

Brands seeing real ROI focus on:

Consistent publishing schedules that build audience habits
Deep, valuable content that positions them as industry experts
Community building rather than follower accumulation
Long-form content that showcases expertise and builds trust

The brands investing in sustainable content marketing strategies, not flash-in-the-pan crazes, are usually the ones killing the content game.

Building Your Anti-Viral Content Marketing Strategy

So, how do you shift the conversation from chasing viral moments to building lasting impact? Start by auditing your current content marketing strategy against these three questions:

Is it useful? Does your content solve a genuine problem or answer a real question your audience has? If someone bookmarks your post to reference later, you've created useful content.
Is it interesting? Would you personally share this content with a friend? Does it offer a fresh perspective, tell a compelling story, or present information engagingly?
Is it brave? Are you willing to take a stand, challenge assumptions, or address topics your competitors avoid? Brave content doesn't mean controversial—it means meaningful.

Your content marketing strategy should prioritize depth over breadth, consistency over viral gambles, and authenticity over algorithm optimization. This doesn't mean ignoring trends or platform best practices, but it does mean building your foundation on substance rather than spectacle.

What If Something Goes Viral Unintentionally?

Sometimes lightning does strike. When content unexpectedly takes off, having a crisis management plan for success is crucial.

Here's how to handle sudden viral spikes without damaging your brand:

Infrastructure preparation: Ensure your website can handle traffic surges. Set up auto-scaling on your hosting, prepare backup servers, and have your IT team on standby. Nothing kills viral momentum faster than a crashed website.
Customer service scaling: Have a plan to rapidly expand customer support. This might mean activating part-time staff, creating FAQ resources, or setting up automated responses that manage expectations while maintaining your brand voice.
Follow-up content strategy: Don't let viral success become a one-hit wonder. Prepare secondary content that capitalizes on the momentum—related posts, behind-the-scenes content, or educational pieces that convert viral viewers into long-term followers.

The average viral moment lasts just 48-72 hours, so the key is riding the wave while it lasts and staying true to your brand values throughout the moment.

Balancing Trends With Authenticity

Smart brands participate in trending topics without losing their voice or focus. The secret is finding the intersection between what's popular and what's genuinely relevant to your audience and expertise.

Before jumping on any trend, ask yourself: Does this align with our brand values? Can we add genuine value to this conversation? Will our audience find this helpful or interesting, or are we just trend-chasing?

The brands that master this balance treat trends like seasoning—they enhance the flavor without overwhelming the dish. They participate in conversations that matter to their audience while maintaining their authentic voice and expertise. Bottom line: Don’t be something you’re not.

Building Feedback Loops That Create Loyalty

The most successful content marketing strategies include robust feedback mechanisms that turn content consumption into conversation. This means:

Active listening: Monitor comments, social media mentions, and direct messages not just for sentiment, but for content ideas and audience insights.
Co-creation opportunities: Ask your audience what they want to learn about, invite them to submit questions, or create content that directly responds to their feedback.
Community building: Foster discussion in your comments, create dedicated spaces for conversation, and treat your audience as collaborators in your content journey rather than passive consumers.

Listening builds love. When brands acknowledge audience feedback, it shows they care—and that they're one of us. Brands that thank commenters for ideas or answer client questions score trust points, and often spark viral goodwill, ironically.

The HubSpot Model: Earned Attention Over Viral Moments

Consider HubSpot's approach to content marketing. While other brands chase viral moments, HubSpot has built a marketing empire through relentless consistency and genuine value creation.

For over a decade, they've published daily blog posts, created comprehensive marketing resources, and shared transparent insights about their business, never once relying on viral content to drive growth.

Their success isn't built on a few trending moments, but on being genuinely useful to marketers every single day. They've created over 4,000 blog posts, hundreds of free templates, and countless educational resources. Their audience doesn't follow them for entertainment—they follow because HubSpot consistently makes their jobs easier and their marketing better.

This is the content marketing strategy playbook every brand should study. HubSpot's millions of followers aren't there because of one viral moment; they're there because the brand has earned their attention through years of consistent value delivery and authentic expertise sharing.

Your Content Legacy: What Will You Be Known For?

Ultimately, a smart content marketing strategy isn't about chasing hype, it's about creating heaters: content that warms and lasts. Make it useful. Make it interesting. Make it brave. And above all—make it real.

Ground yourself when developing your content marketing strategy by asking yourself: What do you want to be known for? A brand that had one viral moment and disappeared, or one that consistently delivers value and builds lasting relationships?

The brands that survive algorithm changes, platform shifts, and cultural moments are those that know viral content is a bonus, not a business model.

Your content marketing strategy should be built to last, not to spike. Focus on creating content that serves your audience, showcases your expertise, and builds the kind of community that becomes your biggest competitive advantage because, in the end, that's the only viral worth chasing.

Stop Chasing Viral Content: How To Build Brand Content That Lasts