Sometimes, you don’t need data to know where this is heading. Open the app, scroll a bit and there it is: grilled chicken, sitting there like an old friend who knows you’ll pick them anyway. No pop-up. No recommendation. Just quietly waiting. Well. I usually do.
Somewhere, in an office where the espresso machine hums louder than the ideas some mornings, a post went live.
Not just any post — the post. The one everyone quietly hoped would do the rounds. Rattle a few notifications. Maybe sneak into that mysterious corner of WhatsApp where uncles, aunties and long-lost school friends collectively decide what’s “viral”.
For a few hours — or days — it did exactly that.
Likes soared. Shares flew. Someone even screenshotted it and sent it to the team with a celebratory “Look, Ma, we made it!”.
And then… nothing.
Fast forward a fortnight. The campaign review is underway. Slides are up. Numbers sparkle. But somewhere mid-presentation, someone casually asks, “Wait, which post was that again?”.
Now that’s curious, isn’t it?
Key thought: If a post goes viral but no one remembers it… did it really connect?
It’s tempting, this game. Trending audio? Why not. That viral meme format? Absolutely. POV reels? Everyone’s doing them.
Before you know it, a bank post sounds uncannily like a snack brand, which feels like a coffee chain, which — surprise — could easily be confused with everyone’s favourite newest D2C darling.
Makes one wonder: When everything sounds the same, what stands out?
Scroll long enough, and it hits you. Fonts blend. Punchlines echo. Even captions start to feel like déjà vu. The entire feed slowly starts resembling one giant content assembly line, producing endless variations of the same joke.
Another thought: Is being heard enough if you’re not being recognised?
And here’s where it gets interesting. Has personalisation quietly turned into repetition? The more our feeds ‘know us‘, the less surprised we seem to be. Every ad feels like it’s seen our browsing history, stalked our playlists, and peeked into our carts. Convenient? Sure. Exciting? Not always.
A small question: If discovery feels pre-decided, is it still discovery?
Meanwhile, somewhere off the trending grid, a quieter feed tells a different story. One where brands don’t feel the pressure to trend-hop like they’re chasing a moving train. Where the posts sound like an actual conversation you wouldn’t mind being a part of. No panic to jump on yesterday’s trending audio. No forced relatability packed into the latest meme template.
They’re not trying to out-shout the algorithm. They’re just building a quiet familiarity. The kind where you stumble upon their post after weeks, and still know exactly who it is. Like bumping into someone who doesn’t have to introduce themselves anymore.
Pause here: Is it better to be first in the trend, or first in the mind?
Because here’s the thing. May be visibility isn’t volume. It’s most likely the vibe.
It’s that distinct tone that makes you feel like you’ve heard this voice before — and want to hear it again. Like recognising someone across a crowded street just by the way they wave.
Trends aren’t villains. Of course not. Used smartly, they can add freshness. But let’s admit, most brands aren’t adding their twist — they’re copy-pasting the format and hoping for the same outcome. It’s like singing along to a song without really knowing the lyrics!
So here’s a gentle question: Is your brand riding the trend, or being ridden by it?
The ones that build memory, not just momentum, seem to have figured this out. They show up consistently, but not desperately. They’re not in every reel, but they’re rarely forgotten. They’ve realised you don’t have to hijack every hashtag to stay in someone’s head.
Worth pondering: Would your audience recognise your post without the handle or logo? Because isn’t that real recall?
Think about it. In a world obsessed with reach, do we sometimes confuse exposure with engagement? Are we collecting views or building relationships? The numbers look fantastic on the dashboard. But when the dust settles, what lingers?
Tiny poke: What’s easier — being seen or being remembered?
Some posts are like polite small talk at a wedding. You nod, smile, forget. Others are like that one oddball story that gets retold over dinner — not because it was the loudest, but because it was the most ‘them’.
Another nudge: Are you trying to trend for a day, or be remembered for a while?
Because eventually, the algorithm will shift. The formats will change. Today’s trending audio will become tomorrow’s ‘oh-not-this-again’. And when that happens, what remains?
Surprisingly, it’s often the quieter, consistent voices that usually survive the noise. The ones who weren’t trying to be viral today, but familiar tomorrow.
Obvious question: Would your content survive a trend drought?
And yes, sometimes, less is more. Skipping the meme everyone’s posting might actually make you more distinct. Not joining every viral challenge might earn you a personality. Saying no to ‘template content’ might give you an actual voice.
Because at the end of the day, your audience isn’t counting your posts. They’re building impressions — not the metric, the memory.
Last thought over coffee: If your viral post disappears tomorrow, would anyone still know it was you?
Now, that’s worth sitting with — over your next perfectly brewed cup.
