A few years ago, I would’ve laughed if you told me a plain brown egg could beat Kylie Jenner on Instagram. But when that viral moment actually happened, it taught me something strange and honestly, kind of beautiful about how people connect online. That egg wasn’t just a joke. It was a cultural reset.
Back then, I was running a small brand page, pouring time into crafting high-quality visuals, writing polished captions, and scheduling posts at the perfect time. And yet… nothing felt real. My audience wasn’t connecting the way I hoped. That egg, with its weirdly compelling simplicity, made me rethink everything.
I stopped chasing perfection. I started focusing on emotion, authenticity, and timing. And the results? Way better than anything I’d gotten with strategy alone.
I Still Think About Messi’s Trophy Post (and I Don’t Even Watch Soccer)
Lionel Messi’s World Cup victory post now sitting at 75 million+ likes hit me harder than I expected. It wasn’t the trophy. It wasn’t the Argentina jersey. It was the emotion in his face, the way he hugged his teammates, and the raw adrenaline you could feel just from scrolling.
What made it viral wasn’t just that it was Messi. It was the moment posted just hours after the final match, while fans were still buzzing. The timing matched the mood of the entire world.
Here’s what I noticed:
- The visuals were high-quality, but not overly edited.
- The emotion was immediate: joy, relief, legacy.
- It wasn’t about Messi the celebrity. It was about Messi the human.
It reminded me that whether you’re announcing a new product or sharing a behind-the-scenes win, if your timing and emotion line up, people will care.
The Instagram Egg Taught Me to Stop Overthinking
No filters. No branding. Just a stock photo of an egg.
That’s what beat Kylie Jenner’s post back in 2019, and to this day, it still blows my mind. Why did people care? Because it was unexpected, fun, and refreshingly simple. It became a community mission. Everyone was in on the joke and that sense of shared silliness made it feel important.
Later, the account used that fame to talk about mental health, and that gave it even more depth.
Takeaway for brands?
- Simplicity works
- Community > polish
- You don’t always need a celebrity. Sometimes, you just need a reason people can rally behind
I started applying this to my own posts cutting back on overdesign, ditching the overproduced videos and guess what? Engagement went up.
I Love How Billie Eilish Reinvented Herself and Her Feed
When Billie Eilish posted her blonde transformation, it got 29 million likes. But for me, it wasn’t about the hair. It was about what it symbolized. Reinvention. Confidence. A new era.
I’d been struggling with how to announce a rebrand for one of my projects. Watching Billie go from neon green to platinum and watching how her fans embraced the shift made me realize something: your audience wants to evolve with you.
That post showed:
- A clean, bold visual
- No gimmicks just a confident reveal
- A sense of personal growth people could relate to
So when I finally launched my new brand look, I kept it visual, simple, and honest. And the response felt different like people were part of the journey, not just watching it.
This One Birthday Post Felt More Real Than Any Campaign I’ve Seen
Tom Holland’s birthday message to Zendaya wasn’t staged. It wasn’t shot in a studio. It was just a behind-the-scenes moment and a sweet caption. And it felt real.
That post with over 28 million likes reminded me how powerful authenticity is. It didn’t try to be anything more than what it was: a genuine moment between two people who care about each other.
I started leaning into that vibe more. Less curated, more human:
- Celebrating a teammate’s win
- Sharing a client story in their own words
- Posting real feedback, even when it wasn’t perfect
People notice when you stop trying so hard. And they reward you for it with engagement that feels less like numbers and more like connection.
I Was Genuinely Moved by Chadwick Boseman’s Final Message
In 2020, Chadwick Boseman’s family posted a black-and-white message announcing his passing. No photo. No hashtags. Just quiet, powerful truth. Over 21 million people liked that post not because it was trending, but because it reflected shared grief and respect.
It made me think about how rarely brands use their platforms to pause, to reflect, or to simply honor something meaningful. Not every post needs a CTA. Sometimes, people just want to feel something together.
That post taught me to stop and ask: Is this the right time to promote, or is this the time to listen?
Here’s What All These Posts Have in Common
After spending years trying to “crack the algorithm,” I’ve realized that the most viral posts don’t follow some secret formula. They follow feeling.
Every one of these moments from Messi’s triumph to Billie’s transformation shared a few things:
- Emotional connection that made people stop scrolling
- Strong, simple visuals with no extra noise
- Cultural relevance that tied into bigger conversations
- Timing that made the moment matter right then
- Authenticity that didn’t feel forced
I stopped trying to be a “marketer” on Instagram and started being a person. That made all the difference.
If You’re a Brand Trying to Go Viral, Here’s What I’d Actually Suggest
I’m not saying your post will hit 75 million likes. But if you want it to matter, these things helped me:
- Be human, not perfect behind-the-scenes > polished graphics
- Lean into timing post when it feels right, not when the calendar says
- Use emotion joy, sadness, surprise, even sarcasm. People react to feeling
- Simplify visuals one bold, clean image wins over a cluttered collage
- Create curiosity transformations, reveals, or just something weird
- Start real conversations ask questions, respond to comments, show appreciation
- Tell the story behind the photo that’s what people connect to most
Final Thoughts
The most liked Instagram posts aren’t just internet trivia. They’re proof that storytelling, emotion, and human connection still matter more than algorithm tricks or follower counts.
And that’s kind of comforting, isn’t it?
You don’t need to be a celebrity. You just need to be real.
