Emily Farrell 
Years ago, I listened to “How Things Spread,” an episode from NPR’s TED Radio Hour podcast. The episode brought in thought leaders from across industries to discuss the concept of virality, and Seth Godin’s perspective on marketing stuck with me the most. That same summer, I posted a TikTok, following a trend tied to none other than Peppa Pig appearing in unexpected places, that earned 5.2 million views. I felt like I had cracked the code.
If you want to see the elaborate project that earned virality, watch here.
The secret factor, that Godin outlined and I witnessed firsthand, is remarkability. Content that is “remarkable” is worthy of an audience’s attention and engagement. It’s just unusual enough to stop someone mid-scroll. Speaking literally, it’s enough for a viewer to prompt a remark — a like, comment, click, or share.
It Doesn’t Take a British Pig
I’m not prescribing Peppa Pig for your professional social platforms. Remarkable content doesn’t have to be that absurd or risky. For corporate social, it just has to be interesting, memorable, and true to your company.
Your company’s social media is one of the few platforms where you have complete control over the narrative. Unlike earned media coverage, where you have to coordinate with journalists and hope your messaging comes through, social media allows you to craft and share your story directly with your audience.
Remarkability requires effort and ingenuity. Often, businesses play it safe with their social presences, and it’s not for lack of interest in engagement. It’s because it’s way easier to stick to the easily approved, simple-to-coordinate content than it is to take full advantage of the unique opportunity social media provides to own your narrative.
That’s not to say that simple content should be skipped, since social media algorithms award consistency, but sticking only to your “bread and butter” means you may miss out on the dessert. What we have seen time and again is that there is a payoff from making the effort to showcase your company’s personality, get multiple parties involved, and share the human side of your brand.
What Does Remarkable Content Look Like?
We live in an attention economy where we are bombarded with thousands of messages daily. Remarkability is the factor that makes a post scroll-stopping, while others don’t receive a second thought.
There’s no clear formula, since it relies on surprise, transparency, and breaking the pattern, but you know remarkable content when you see it. It can be funny, serious, heartfelt, or simply unusual. Here are a few of my favorite examples, from others and from Maven’s portfolio:
Mohawk Chevrolet’s “The Dealership”
Mohawk Chevrolet, a car dealership in upstate New York, created “The Dealership,” a mockumentary-style video series inspired by The Office that showcases actual events from their dealership with deadpan humor and employee interviews. The series went viral with individual episodes gaining nearly 3 million views and a cumulative viewership of over 5.7 million, cutting through the noise of traditional car advertising.
Unit Spotlights with Silk Screen Studios
Former Maven client Silk Screen Studios, a Fishtown workspace home to entrepreneurs, professionals, and creatives, saw success with spotlighting the special features of their most unique units. While the more standard units signed faster, we knew the rarer units were what ultimately got people in the building.
Across nine months of support, our integrated approach of paid social media, organic content creation, and digital marketing helped Silk Screen Studios receive over 500K impressions, reach over 180K accounts, and increase their follower base by approximately 150%.
Behind the Scenes of Small Businesses
Edgly Marketing Group, a vertical-video-forward marketing agency, has established a uniquely engaging style for the small businesses it represents by documenting the people behind the brands. Their style can bring viewers right into the action of a Jersey bagel shop, Tampa hair salon, or, on their own page, a growing agency. It’s effective because it shows consumers who’s behind their purchase, promoting the product as an extension of the people.
What if Video Isn’t an Option?
Video is a great vehicle for remarkable content, especially as short-form video continues to be favored across all social media platforms, but remarkability can also be achieved in static and written content.
Celebrating Work Milestones with Hangley Aronchick
Our “HASPSiversary” campaign for Maven client Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller was their highest-performing campaign in 2024, with LinkedIn posts receiving a median engagement rate of 9%, nearly triple the industry standard for legal and professional services. The campaign highlighted attorneys’ work anniversaries, touting the firm’s retention in tandem with celebrating individual milestones.
Honoring Women’s History Month with Stevenson Search Partners
Maven client Stevenson Search Partners, an executive search firm specializing in life sciences, is vocal about its commitment to improving diversity in the field’s leadership. That’s why we saw Women’s History Month as an opportunity to recognize women in the field in an intentional and uplifting way. We connected with Stevenson team members to help them share a reflection on the women they admire in life sciences. It was a heartwarming and fitting way to uplift specific women in the field. Ultimately, the post received an engagement rate of over 50%.
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Remarkable content wins attention by saying something actually worth remembering. While that attention is finite, the trust and investment that it can build is genuine and will compound.
Wondering How to Start Making Remarkable Content?
Start by thinking of your social media presence as an extension of your company culture. Post fun, candid photos of your employees out enjoying themselves. Highlight their unique skills and achievements, not just their day-to-day work. I know it can be tempting to play it safe, sticking to a very polished, professional tone, but I would caution against being overly reserved. Communicate substance and do it in a way that feels genuine and relatable.
Again, effective, remarkable content doesn’t have to be risky – it just has to be interesting, memorable, and true to your company. I guarantee you’ll see the results in increased followers, higher engagement rates, and a stronger overall brand presence. Have fun with your social media, and your audience will thank you.
Our social media is our guinea pig for our remarkable content ideas. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see this play out in real time.
Posted In Digital Strategy & Social Media, Media & Culture