Hi,
Last week, we talked about why you don’t necessarily want to go viral. But let’s be honest, everyone wants at least a few likes and comments on their posts. Engagement is the goal.
So what happens when you have a post that totally bombs? I’m talking one or two likes from your closest allies (or your co-founder), no comments despite a thoughtful question, and an embarrassingly low number of views.
First of all: it’s OK. Take a deep breath. And most importantly, don’t take it personally.
Bombing happens to everyone. Yes, everyone.
Remember when I mentioned last week that I had a post getting 10k views a day? A post just a few days before that one got 60 views total. 😬
And that’s fine.
All it means is that you’re putting yourself out there and sharing what you find interesting or important. When you do that consistently, sometimes it hits — and sometimes it doesn’t.
Once you’ve accepted that, here are a few things to do next.
Don’t delete the post.
Unless what you shared was inaccurate or truly off-brand, leave it up.
Deleting posts reinforces the idea that you should only share content that’s “good” by someone else’s standard, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid. That mindset is how you end up posting once every few months — or not at all. We’re aiming for consistency, not perfection.
Look For Other Signs of Success
Yes, likes and comments are great. But did someone DM you about the post? That could be 100x as valuable.
Did someone reference it in a meeting later that week?
Did writing it help you clarify your thoughts so now you feel confident broaching the subject with customers, partners, and investors?
All of those are signals the post mattered. Vanity metrics don’t.
Save the idea and try again later.
Yes. Really.
If you feel the post deserved more attention, or you care deeply about the topic, revisit it in a week or two. No one saw the first post anyway, right?
Maybe you posted on an off day.
Maybe the timing was weird.
Maybe you buried the lede and a stronger opening would change everything.
Maybe something happens in the world that suddenly makes your point more relevant.
Plenty of “viral” posts started as very meh first drafts.
And, because it’s worth repeating, don’t take it personally.
One post not performing well does not mean your ideas aren’t worthy, your audience doesn’t care, or thought leadership won’t work for you.
There are a lot of variables at play, most of them completely outside your control.
The real failure isn’t the post that bombs. It’s the post that convinces you to stop showing up altogether.
Thought leadership isn’t built on your best post. It isn’t even built on your 10 best posts.
It’s built on a consistent body of work over time that people can point to and say, “Wow, you’ve been doing this for a while.”
That’s success.
And that’s exactly why I’m launching The Hook Lab in 2026 — to help founders and CEOs create that body of work and stay accountable to it, week after week.
Want more information? Hit reply.
See you next week,
Megan
P.S. Yes, I am planning to send this email both next week, and the week after that. And I hope you’ll stay tuned, because I’m offering 26 tips for building thought leadership in 2026 (half next week, half the week after). You won’t want to miss them, and I’d love if you’d share with a few friends who might be interested as well!