3 Reasons You Should Embrace Your Weirdness - And Post About It Too

​by Olivia Collins

​There may not be a tried and true formula for creating a viral video, podcast or blog, but one things that doesn't work is doing what everybody else is doing. Viral stars don’t gain fame from posting about the same boring, mundane stuff you scroll past every day. These stars prove how breaking the status quo online can bring fame and profit.

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​1. Chewbacca Mom - ​Anyone who isn’t living under a rock has seen the Chewbacca Mom video, and knows how hilarious it is. Candace Payne became famous overnight after posting a video of herself wearing a Chewbacca mask, which prompted a fit of giggles throughout her hilarious commentary. You may be asking yourself where the profit comes into play. Well, Hasbro asked themselves the same question and decided to make a Chewbacca Mom action figure to cash in on this viral video.

2. Dr. Pimple Popper - Dr. Sandra Lee made an unusual rise to internet stardom, and if her name doesn’t sound familiar you may know her by Dr. Pimple Popper. Lee posts videos of her daily adventures as a dermatologist ranging from popping cysts to extracting blackheads. She has a huge fan base and receives millions of views on her videos. Although they are not for the faint of heart, they are oddly satisfying. She now sells official Dr. Pimple Popper extractors. 

3. Gilmore Guys - ​Are you a grown man with a slightly odd yet hilarious obsession with the show Gilmore Girls? If so, you’d fit right in with Keven Porter and Demi Adejuyigbe, a.k.a. the Gilmore Guys. These two shared a love for the soon-to-be revived show that was so strong, they decided to make a podcast about it. This wildly successful podcast created the opportunity for them to go on tour and do live shows. Getting paid to do commentary on Gilmore Girls episodes in front of a live audience sounds like a dream job to me.
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And a dream marketing gimmick for others. Either way, it's clear the Internet creates unique opportunities you won't find searching Monster.com or LinkedIn. If there’s anything you can learn from these stars, it’s to be unashamedly you - warts (or pimples) and all! 

IMAGE CREDIT: MIKE MOZART