Viral is a Trap

Nov 05, 2025

There’s always a new trick on TikTok… Smash cuts, circle zooms, freeze-frames…

This week’s hook is next week’s cringe.

And yet… every creator I know keeps trying to out-trend the algorithm.

And because of this, every client I talk to thinks that we have to be researching trends in order to win on social.

Spoiler: You don’t.

Let me tell you what actually works.

A little while ago, I got obsessed with short-form content. Hooks, high retention-editing, hyper-optimized clips.

I studied every viral format I could find. I edited like a maniac. And, I hit 150,000 views in 3 weeks…

And hated every second of it.

Because none of it felt like me.

I wasn’t building a brand - I was impersonating a trend. One I didn’t like, at that.

Here’s the thing about filmmaking: We don’t build shots just to “hook attention”. We build frames that mean something within a broader story.

Every camera move, every cut, every lighting choice theoretically all supports a deeper story.

Short-form content deserves that level of care.

Not because it’s cinematic…

But because everything we do as filmmakers deserves care.

And when you shift your mind in this direction, that’s when people start to take notice.

TLDR; Trends are temporary. Taste is forever.

So what does this mean, in practice?

Trend-driven creators ask: “How do I make the algorithm notice me?”

Benchmark-driven creators ask: “How do I make work that reflects who I am, and evolves what I do?”

One plays to the crowd. The other plays the long game.

The audience can feel the difference. And, honestly, so can you, as the creator.

The best content I’ve made didn’t go viral.

What it did do is build trust…

It got me more clients - better clients.

It sparked conversations that said: “This really impacted me”.

That’s the real benchmark: Does your work move people, or just move numbers?

Don’t make the same mistake I did, and so many other creators have… Don’t build for the feed. Build for the filmmaker you want to be.

Cheers,

Alex

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