I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a viral post.
Of course I do.
If one of my clips randomly pulls a million views tomorrow, I’m not exactly deleting it out of principle.
But the longer I build ChannlerG, the more I’m realizing something:
Going viral and building a brand people trust are not the same thing.
One gets attention.
One creates momentum.
I think a lot of creators confuse the two.
Why Virality Feels Better Than It Really Is
A viral post feels incredible.
For like… 48 hours.
Then reality shows up.
Because unless that attention turns into:
- returning viewers
- subscribers
- email signups
- website traffic
- trust
…it was basically entertainment.
Not business.
And I say that as someone who had a post unexpectedly take off.
My most successful Instagram video pulled over 250,000 views.
Which was awesome.
But you know what it taught me?
Helpful + funny works.
That’s valuable.
But virality by itself didn’t magically solve anything.
That lesson mattered way more than the views.
@channlerg New ARC Raiders update is here and so is the VAPORIZER #arcraiders #arcraidersgameplay #arcraidersupdate #vaporizor #arcenemy
Why viral attention usually disappoints:
- It’s unpredictable
- It usually doesn’t stick
- Views don’t automatically become money
- Random followers rarely become a real community
Why Community Wins
I’d rather have 500 people who genuinely care what I’m building than 500,000 people who forgot me tomorrow.
That’s not me pretending virality doesn’t matter.
Attention matters.
But attention without connection is fragile.
Community is different.
Community:
- comes back
- comments
- shares
- supports
- buys
- sticks around when things are slower
That’s the difference.
Learn more about what I’m building in What is ChannlerG: My real Start (Wins & Losses).
What I’m Trying to Build
I’m not trying to become “the viral gaming guy.”
I’m trying to build a brand people know and trust.
That means:
- a website Google actually trusts
- content people find months later
- a recognizable brand
- real conversations
- an ecosystem bigger than one platform
Because social platforms can disappear tomorrow.
The website?
That’s mine.
The email list?
Mine.
The audience relationship?
That’s the real asset.
Part of how this site makes money is through affiliate marketing. Check out Affiliate Marketing for Gamers: What Works (What’s a Waste of Time).
If You’re Building Something Right Now, Focus Here
If you’re creating anything:
Stop obsessing over views.
Ask:
- Would people come back?
- Do they trust me?
- Am I helping or entertaining consistently?
- Am I building something deeper than content?
Because that’s the game.
Not chasing random spikes.
Building repeat attention.
Final Thoughts
I still want growth.
I still want bigger numbers.
I still want more people seeing what I’m building.
I’m human.
But I’m getting better at understanding the difference between attention and actual progress.
And if I have to choose?
I’ll take slow growth with real people over empty virality every single time.
Because one feels exciting.
The other actually builds a future.