---
title: "Going viral on X, how the algorithm picks up a post"
language: en
topics: ["creating", "creativity", "howto", "people", "work"]
full_article_url: https://willem.com/en/2024-11-10_go-viral-on-x/
---
# Going viral on X, how the algorithm picks up a post

*Verified likes give the algorithm its first push.*

> In 2024 I got a post to thousands of views on X in hours: one glanceable image, specific keywords, and a follow-up mentioning a few authors active on the topic. Once verified accounts engaged, the algorithm scaled it by itself.

The post combined two Apple subjects into one image: the Vision Pro and the new Mac Mini, stitched together with Pixelmator on my iPhone so I could act the moment the idea struck.
Posting is not enough; the algorithm scales a post when real, verified people like it. To get that first push I searched X for the most popular Vision Pro posts, noted the authors' handles, and published a second post wrapping the first one, mentioning them. They got an alert, the first reactions came within minutes, and after a few verified interactions the algorithm pushed the post to more and more timelines.
My takeaways: post quickly when an idea strikes, make the image glanceable, choose specific words so the algorithm knows the subject, mention 5 to 10 genuinely interested authors without annoying anyone, and ride existing trends.