Your next viral post is hiding in your data

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THIS WEEK’S LESSON

Listen, Learn, Create: How Data-Driven Content Wins Hearts (and Markets)

Most creators think they have a content problem. They don't.

They have a listening problem.

Too many Former Educator Founders chase inspiration, trends, or personal preferences when building content. Instead, focus on listening to what your audience is already telling them.

The result? Inconsistent engagement, slow growth, and missed opportunities.

The truth is simple: The creators who win aren't guessing. They're listening.

When you collect and study data from your audience, you drop the guesswork. Data shows you which ideas resonate, which emotions trigger action, and which stories spread. It gives you a blueprint for making more of what people already love (and permission to cut what they don't).

Claude Hopkins, one of history's greatest advertisers, said it best:

"Guesswork is expensive. Testing is cheap."

Why Data Matters More Than Your Hunches

Data removes the ego from your creative process. It lets you:

• Spot winning topics, formats, and styles.

• Double down on what moves your audience emotionally.

• Scale your impact faster, with less wasted effort.

Without data, you're flying blind. With data, you're creating with a GPS guiding every move.

What to Track

You don't need fancy software to listen better. Start by looking at:

• Top performing posts: Which content gets the most engagement (likes, comments, shares, saves)?

• Email data: Which subject lines and articles get opened, clicked, or replied to?

• Audience feedback: Which posts spark DMs, emails, or real conversations?

• Format success: Are short posts, carousels, videos, or essays performing better?

Every one of these signals is a clue. Your job is to read the clues, not ignore them.

A Real Example: How One Post Revealed a Winning Theme

Recently, I published a LinkedIn post that has outperformed my last best post 4.8x. Usually a post dies after a day. Maybe a comment here or there.

Check out these stats (as of yesterday):

You can read the post here. I’d love it if you left a comment ❤️

By studying the data, here's what stood out:

• Timeliness: AI is a "right now" topic.

• Bold Opening: A provocative statement tied to a well-known figure grabbed attention.

• Clear Structure: Five punchy points made it easy to skim.

• Empowerment: Instead of fear mongering, the post offered hope and leadership opportunities.

• Images: All my top performing posts have some kind of image connected to them.

Part of my audience craves bold insights on the future of education. Especially when it connects to leadership and opportunity.

Without that data, I might have chalked the post up to luck. But with data, I should create more content built on those same emotional and intellectual triggers.

A Simple System to Apply This

Here's how you can put this into practice immediately:

1. Identify your top 10% winners. Look at your past 30-90 days of content. Which pieces outperformed the rest?

2. Study the winners. What topics, emotions, formats, or hooks did they use?

3. Multiply your winners. Create follow-up content:

• Deeper dives into sub-topics.

• New formats (turn a post into a video, a thread into an article).

• Related topics that hit the same emotional nerve.

4. Test, tweak, repeat. Every new post becomes a fresh data point. Rinse and repeat.

For LinkedIn, the best way to track your performance is with Shield.

I also recommend leveraging AI to help you study and create more winners.

The Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight

Most creators burn out because they keep throwing new ideas at the wall, hoping something sticks.

Smart creators build flywheels. They listen to what the market loves, and they build from the inside out.

The result? Less wasted time. More resonance. Exponential growth.

The market is already talking.

Are you listening?

Because the ones who listen best create movements ... not just content.