Today is all about going viral thanks to what I learned speaking with Brendan Kane who just released The Guide to Going Viral.

Here are the top secrets I pull from our chat. Listen to the full conversation here.

3 Secrets

1. Stop the scroll: Start every video or post with a pattern-disrupting hook that visually or emotionally breaks the scroll. Think weird, bold, contradictory, or highly specific.

Kane emphasizes that the first 3 seconds determine whether someone keeps watching. If they don’t feel curiosity, tension, or surprise right away, they bounce.

2. Test 100 Variations of Your Core Message: Don’t post randomly—systematically test different headlines, visuals, intros, and tones to see what resonates. Kane’s agency often tests 100+ variations of a single concept.

Take a core message or story from your book (e.g., “why burnout is misunderstood”) and record 5 versions of that message:

  • One funny
  • One emotionally intense
  • One with stats
  • One with a personal story
  • One in listicle format

Then post them and track which one gets the best engagement. Keep iterating from the winner.

This removes guesswork. Kane calls this building a feedback loop with your audience so your content evolves based on real data.

3. Content Series: Kane recommends designing content as episodic series, not one-offs—because people binge what they expect to continue.

Launch a weekly series like:

  • “5 Hard Truths About [Your Book Topic]”
  • “The One Page That Changed My Life” – read 60 seconds of a powerful passage from your book and explain why it matters
  • “Counterintuitive But True”

Label every episode with a number (e.g., “Ep 3: Why Most Self-Help Fails”) and drop them consistently.

Why it works: This builds habit and anticipation. Kane shows that series-based content consistently outperforms random one-offs because it encourages repeat viewers and community.

2 Links

1. For those wondering how AI will impact your book marketing efforts. This is a MUST listen by The Novel Marketing Podcast.

2. Recent guest on BTB, Brendan Kane, breaks down how to go viral on social media. Listen here.

1 Quote

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
— Richard Bach

with love and sincere appreciation,

Alex
BeforeTheBestseller | ShelfLife
alex@getshelflife.com