My 5-Step LinkedIn Viral Post Framework
Steal this workflow while it still works - get 100K impressions and 1,000+ followers in <24 hours
Dear GTM Strategist!
After tremendous engagement, I have gotten privately to my previous post - “My 7-Day Business Idea Validation Framework: Actual case study for an AI chatbot: 21 hours of work, $20 budget” - my assumption is that you are up for more tactical posts in 2025.
So, I wanted to present you my 5-step framework for building my LinkedIn viral posts, which are a HUGE part of my launches. After the holidays, the traction on LinkedIn was a bit slower and I wanted to warm up the scene a little 🔥 so we are ready to start 2025 on a strong note.
🚨 Note that this tactic is not innocent:
LinkedIn says they will suppress the reach of such posts soon
Lots of people complain that their feed is turning into viral posts dumpster
I was temporarily restricted from LinkedIn once for 23 hours because I sent out too many messages when I had my last viral post
But - I am back doing it - more cautiously, though, because:
It still works like a charm, and I will do it as long as it works.
If you are curious how to build viral sensations on LinkedIn, I have a treat for you:
Before we dive in - let me stress that I use this tactic conservatively because it can attract a lot of shit-leads to your email lists and adds up a considerate workload to admin if you want to execute it sustainably (actually keeping your promise). Use it with discretion (while it still works).
Step 1: Create a Strategic Asset with Viral Potential
Not every brain dump deserves to be a viral post. Sure, you can go viral with screenshots of ads or landing pages, reading lists, and 15-year olf pitch decks from the internet - it will get you vanity metrics in. But to have a good sales result, you have to think strategically - what will attract your ICP and how will you create a first impression so good they will assume you are crazy for giving this out for free?
How I do it:
Rule #1: The asset MUST be relevant to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
Use assets built on 50+ hours of analysis and aligned with your business.
The asset should have potential upsell opportunities.
Shortcut: Use the by-products of your work to create assets that you’ve made, tried, and tested.
Example from a campaign this week:
I was exploring best practices from expert content creators (not copywriters, not storytellers, not full-time content creators, not fortune cookie inspo quote makers) - from people that actually work outside LinkedIn and can spare up to 8 hours a week on content creation. My team and I invested 56 hours into this analysis to gain insights into how to write more applicable content - not just one mental model on top of another. I stand by this board and I use it for my content strategy. This is why it deserved to be a viral asset.
Step 2: Engineer the Lead Nurturing/Upsell Dynamic
Intentionality is the key - to go “viral” is a vague goal. Roll the hamster wheel in the strategic thinking part of your brain and answer your self a question - why are you doing this? If you just wanna boost your LinkedIn traction, fine - you do you, whatever you think will “go viral” memes and cat pics to the rescue. But if you would like to develop a lead nurturing campaign and actually gain relevant leads and sell something, you need to be more intentional.
How I do it:
Define the goal of the campaign and set clear objectives.
Decide whether nurturing will be done through LinkedIn or email (gated or non-gated).
Identify a natural upsell: How can your ICP get more of the same or similar value?
Be careful with automations – aggressive use may get you restricted on LinkedIn.
Example: My email automation system balances value delivery with lead nurturing.
Example from a campaign this week:
This lead magnet was outside my core ICP for consulting, so I did not develop a service offer for this campaign. If I used it for consulting, I would first validate an ICP-fit and only talk to relevant prospects. For broader campaigns, I lead with digital products - if the audience enjoyed this asset and got a lot of value out of it, they can get 100+ more of such goodies by getting my GTM Checklist which is applicable for more professionals.
Step 3: Launch the Post on LinkedIn
This is where you make it or break it. If your post is off, if you do not create the critical mass of early engagement, or if the audience starts to complain about the quality of lead magnet - game over. All this effort went in vain.
I started doing viral posts in June 2024 by simply copying the structure of another viral post and guess what - if you just save a couple of successful viral posts that you like, feed them to the AI model of your choice and tweak it as only you can - this is not that complicated. But you have to be there and fight for early engagement.
How I do it:
Use best practices for viral posts—study successful creators and feed examples to your go-to AI model.
Create a video preview of the asset that communicates the Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and Unique Selling Point (USP).
Highlight what’s in it for the audience and why your asset is better/different.
Timing: Sunday afternoon Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy works best for me.
Engage intensely for the first 2–3 hours after posting—this is critical for traction.
Example from a campaign this week:
Step 4: Observe Traction and Adjust
This step is very simple. You can face two opposite problems:
The post does not pick off - in this case - DM comes to the rescue - just ask some colleagues or, even better, ICP-fit connections to engage, comment, and like it.
If the post really picks off - you will have a strong admin issue.
Example from a campaign this week:
I have never had a problem with engagement for a viral lead magnet, but processes and making sure the assets are delivered is a huge pain. You should not trigger safety mechanism for spamming Linked and even though you would like to send everyone the asset immediately - rather play safe then sorry.
Step 5: Ensure Delivery
I am known to have very good lead magnets and I tend to keep my promise that your effort of engaging will not go to vain. If I possibly can, I like to chat with you guys, too. Sometimes people test me if I am a bot - it is very fun :D
While I am doing these campaigns, I learned a lot- with some of you - that have read the book and followed my Substack. It is actually the first 1:1 touchpoint that I have, so I will try hard to answer all the meaningful messages and comments myself.
But too much is too much, it would be a huge vaste of my time if I would be sitting down for 3 days copy-pasting the same message - for that we have technology …
How I do it
Avoid LinkedIn restrictions by sending fewer than 100 DMs/day (conservatively).
My approach: I’ve pushed up to 300/day; I tried 500/day but faced consequences.
Work with virtual assistants (VAs) or custom-built automation/copilots to avoid triggering spam alerts.
If working with VAs, use VPNs connected to your primary location to stay compliant.
Mission-critical: Always deliver on your promises to avoid damaging goodwill.
Example from my campaign this week:
Over 30 hours went into distribution and engagement efforts and we are still not finished. We will do it, but slowly and steadily so I do not get temporarily restricted again. 🤠 I want to talk with you on LinkedIn every day.
Because I am limited to sending 150 messages a day, I couldn’t send the asset (LinkedIn moodboard) to everyone yet. If you didn’t get it yet, here it is: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVL3URF94=/
Scorecard of my latest campaign
Effort: $1,000 opportunity cost and 30+ hours of hard work.
ROI: Achieve 5–12x returns based on my campaigns.
Make sure to deliver on your promises—your reputation depends on it.
Do this occasionally (1–2 times/month) to sustain results.
How did you enjoy this post?
Please reply to this email, send me a DM on LinkedIn or comment if you prefer more applied content or should focus more on uncovering interesting theoretical concepts and mental models.
Use this one with care and a lot of respect for your audience while it still works.
Sincerely,
Maja
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that's helpful. Going ot use this for ActorDo
Great post, Maja. What's the advantage of sending DMs rather than providing a link to a landing page? Is it only about going viral? Do I miss something?
It would be awesome to combine those techniques with copywriting hacks. Here, I described how I got 45M+ impressions and 100K+ new followers in 12 months:
https://www.productcompass.pm/p/the-secrets-of-copywriting-proven 😀
(Sorry for the plug, I did this for the first time, it just seem to fit well)