This Headhunter Has Nailed LinkedIn Virality Twice in 7 Days

Written By Scott Stockdale

9 lessons from 2 mega-viral posts

Getting one post to go viral is hard enough.

But two in the space of a week?

That’s exactly what Maria has managed.

She’s a headhunter living in London, and her posts about childcare have gone viral on LinkedIn.

Post number one — the one on the left (see above) — has reached 649K people. Post number two has reached over 2.25M.

Having dissected her content, I’ve picked out nine lessons you can apply to your own posts.

Let’s dig in.

Lesson #1: #MarchoftheMummies

There’s a reason for the signs.

Maria wrote the first sign she’s holding before taking to the streets:

“Join me this Saturday 29th of October for #MarchoftheMummies led by the tireless Joeli Brearley, author of Pregnant Then Screwed, as we demand Government reform on: childcare, parental leave, and flexible working.”

Would her posts have blown up at any time of the year? Maybe. Maybe not. There’s no denying the timeliness of the march helped, though.

Timing is everything.

Lesson #2: “Why Should I Pay For YOUR Child?”

The picture used in post two is a little ambiguous.

Did Maria say this?

You have to read on to find out. It’s only when you dig deeper that things start to make sense:

“To 585,000 of you who saw my £21,584 childcare bill — THANK YOU! Though it hit a nerve with some. Two very wrong things in particular…

1. Children are a lifestyle choice, why should the government / ‘I’ pay for YOUR child?
2. It’s not a gender issue”

Maria highlights the issues she saw in her comments to post number one. It’s not her saying, “Why should I pay for YOUR child?” This is only apparent by reading her post.

And in the world of attention, getting someone to read your next sentence is the game.

Hook people in.

Lesson #3: Use Good Old Pen & Paper

Maria is passionate about childcare.

Subconsciously, you know this even before you start reading.

And that’s because of her pictures.

Her handwritten signs hark back to a time of campaigning and mass protests. You get the sense that this topic matters. That you should care.

So you read on.

This doesn’t mean you have to use handwritten signs in your posts as well. Just know that eye-catching images won’t do you any harm.

Lesson #4: “My childcare bill is £21,584 per year for two children”

I had to read this twice when I saw it.

Maria leads with this line in her first post.

For people like me who’ve never thought about childcare costs, £21,584 a year seems outrageous.

You feel her sense of injustice.

Maria follows this emotional punch with stats. She appeals to both sides of your brain: logic and emotion.

“3 years after having a child, 28% of mothers were in full-time work compared to 90% of fathers. And 5 years after having a baby, only 13% of mothers were promoted compared to 26% of fathers.”

Here’s another stat from post number two:

“Save the Children estimate that as many as 870,000 mums in the UK want to work but don’t due to a lack of adequate and affordable childcare provision.

“If all 870,000 were in full-time employment at a mean average salary, that would raise in the region of £7.5 Billion in PAYE and NI.”

Admittedly, Maria lives in London — one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Still, the text hook has done its job.

You read on.

Lesson #5: Two Sides to The Coin

Whether you agree with Maria or not doesn’t matter.

The fact is, when she lays out her arguments, you’re compelled to take a side. Are you with her or against her?

The comments reflect this.

Many agree with her arguments. Others don’t. Those who don’t aren’t afraid to tell her:

The fact people on both sides are willing to write long, thoughtful comments mean one thing:

Maria has hit a nerve.

When she thoughtfully engages back in the comments, she stokes more conversation. And more replies pile in. The algorithm ticks in her favour.

Maria wins.

Lesson #6: You Don’t Expect This

I haven’t seen anyone talk about childcare on LinkedIn.

Yet there’s clearly pent-up anger.

It makes me think about economics. When you study this subject, one of the first things you learn is supply and demand.

It goes like so:

When there’s zero demand for a product that’s in high supply, the price of the product goes down. I’d say this reflects 99% of posts on LinkedIn. Everyone’s talking about the same old sh*t.

However, when there is high demand for a product that is in short supply, the price goes up.

You get virality.

Lesson #7: Be Smart With Tagging

Maria tags people who are close to the action.

They’re also “micro-influencers”.

For example, Joeli Brearley led #MarchoftheMummies. She’s the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, and she has over 30K followers on LinkedIn:

Screenshot from Joeli Brearley’s LinkedIn

So when Joeli likes Maria’s posts, they’ve shown to her audience of thousands.

This adds fuel to the flames.

Lesson #8: White Space Is Your Friend

Maria’s posts are easy to read.

She hasn’t slipped into LinkedIn “broetry” (i.e. one line for every paragraph), and there’s plenty of white space.

She also sprinkles in emojis for a more personal touch:

Her grammar isn’t perfect, and some full stops have been left out.

And this is okay.

Maria’s aim is to get readers onto the next line. That’s all.

Her writing style makes this possible.

Lesson #9: Wrap It Up

At the end of her posts, Maria finishes with a question:

  • Post one — “What are you paying to go to work?”

  • Post two — “[…] What sad world do we live in where we only fight if it benefits us directly?”

If someone was on the fence about commenting, one of these might tip them over the edge.

She opens the door to conversation.

Maria concludes her second post with punchy, short sentences. They’re powerful. They’re like a call to arms:

“To all #mothers out there — I hear you. I see you. I stand with you.”

Final Takeaways

Success leaves clues.

In Maria’s case, she’s stumbled on a LinkedIn formula that’s proven to work. It’s not a one-off. She’s had two viral mega-hits in the space of seven days.

Follow her lead, and you could go viral too.

Here’s a quick summary of those lessons:

  • Lesson #1: #MarchoftheMummies — Why now? Why should people listen? You’ve got to nail the timing.

  • Lesson #2: “Why Should I Pay For YOUR Child?” — A little ambiguity isn’t a bad thing. Hook people in.

  • Lesson #3: Use Good Old Pen & Paper — Eye-catching images stop the scroll.

  • Lesson #4: “My childcare bill is £21,584 per year for two children” — Throw a combination of logic and emotion. It’ll punch your readers hard. An emotional hook is good too.

  • Lesson #5: Two Sides to The Coin — Take a stance. If you can provoke readers into writing long, thoughtful comments, you win.

  • Lesson #6: You Don’t Expect This — It’s just demand and supply, baby.

  • Lesson #7: Be Smart With Tagging — If you quote someone with lots of followers, be sure to tag them.

  • Lesson #8: White Space Is Your Friend — Use it. The odd emoji can add a little spice.

  • Lesson #9: Wrap It Up — End on a high note. Prompt readers to take action by finishing with a question.

Go get it!

Scott Stockdale
Previous

The Creator Path Is a Crowded Snoozefest
Next

Portfolio Website > Anything Else to Sell Products In Your Sleep