This powerful ingredient helped my LinkedIn post go viral
John Cleese, the British comedian, writer, and actor has been making people laugh for decades. I grew up watching him in a show called Fawlty Towers, where he plays an overwhelmed (and amazingly rude) hotel manager, endlessly dealing with the requests of his guests, all while rolling his eyes.
Cleese knows humour and he knows how powerful it is:
Image courtesy of Google
Don’t worry, there’s a reason I’m telling you about John Cleese.
And the reason is this: laughter heals us and helps us connect.
If you’re still in the working world, I’m willing to bet you’ve seen some pretty terrible job postings. As a writer, I see them all the time and it got me thinking: do companies and staffing agencies read the ridiculous job ads they post?
Some of them are pure comedy, but since people need work, no one is laughing.
I decided it was time to flip the script and post a job for a writer with some insane requirements.
Maybe a few of these companies would see it and learn a thing or two about the unrealistic standards they are setting.
And guess what?
The post went… wild.
Image courtesy of the author
Humour, done right, is a goldmine
After I hit “publish” on my post, the notifications started rolling in.
The post made people laugh, and I kept seeing that awesome blue laughing face emoji multiply under the copy.
Then the comments started and I knew I had hit a nerve — but in a good (funny) way!
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When people feel seen, heard, and understood, you’ve got a goldmine on your hands. And when you can add a little levity without blaming anyone, that gold turns into diamonds.
Some people replied with even funnier questions, some thanked me, many reposted it, and a ton felt validated.
And yes, I had about 5% of people who read the post think it was real (that says a LOT about the real postings out there) and sent me materials. Don’t worry, I messaged them back and explained and then we laughed even more!
So, in case you missed it, here’s the ingredient that can help you go viral on LinkedIn or anywhere:
Craft humor effectively, without personal blame, and with deep wit so people feel seen, heard, and understood.
And if you’re curious about the LinkedIn post itself, here’s what it said…
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