Is Viral Content Killing Your Business?

The Systems Club Letters by Ken McCarthy is an underrated gem. This book contains 57 ideas for transforming an online business. One big takeaway for creators who want to go viral?

The 40–40–20 rule. Ken writes:

"40% of your success comes from having the right audience for your message, 40% comes from having the right offer for the audience, and 20% of your success comes from ‘the creative’.

I wish I’d known this rule when I started my business.

I’ve attracted the wrong audience by SEO and by going viral a few times. I created a lead magnet a few years ago that taught people how to turn a Moleskine notebook into a productivity system for Gettings Thing Done.

My lead magnet was insanely practical and even contained step-by-step photos. I published it on my site, got 1000s of pageviews via SEO, and attracted a few hundred subscribers. However, my lead magnet didn’t align with my ideal client or my offers. So, creating that magnet was a waste of time.

I’ve also created offers that most of the audience didn’t want. I recorded an online course a few years ago teaching publishers how to hire other writers and editors for their business.

I sold a few dozen copies of the course, but not enough to justify the time and energy I invested into it. And it didn’t align with what my audience wanted at the time.

As for 20% of success coming from the right creative? I’ve labored over sales pages for hours, but even Ken McCarthy and a thousand X notifications can’t save a launch if the offer and audience aren’t right.

Trust me when I say investing time and energy in the wrong types of content and offers is frustrating. So, now I frame what I do using the 40–40–20 rule.

Consider carefully who you want to attract, how you will do it, and what you’re selling.

I see many creators and business owners publishing roundups of the best Harvard Business Courses on LinkedIn or memes on Insta or Facebook. They might go viral (I did when I tried this approach), but good luck selling anything to your followers.

The reality is the creator economy is becoming much more competitive. Instead of chasing vanity metrics or trying to go viral, consider who you want to attract carefully. Create content specifically for them that maps directly to one of your offers.

If you like reading this, you’ll love my private, no-cost Telegram channel for pro creators. I share behind-the-scenes content about how I’m growing my content business. I can help you add $3–5k to your business in 2025. Join here​