How One Phone Video on Faculty Pay Got 300,000 Views (and 200 New Email Subscribers)

One unedited video of me talking to my phone on my couch got over 300,000 views, about 1,500 new followers, and about 200 new people on my email list. No trending audio, effects or perfect lighting. If your content keeps landing with a thud, this episode is for you. I break down why my reel on faculty pay versus administrator pay hit such a nerve, and what you can copy for your own editing, coaching, or service business. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ How to find what your audience already feels but won’t say out loud ✅ Why saves, shares, and comments push your content to more people ✅ How to write an on-screen text hook and a first caption line that stop the scroll ✅ Why you can skip the fancy editing and the makeup ✅ How to turn views into email subscribers before a reel takes off Watch the full episode, subscribe, and visit AcadiaEditing.com to see how I help academics build editing and coaching businesses. Resources mentioned Kit (email service provider): https://partners.kit.com/koj113xbly45 ManyChat (comment-to-DM automation) Edits (Instagram’s video editing app) AAUP faculty salary averages AcadiaEditing.com Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach? Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Time stamps 00:00 - Cold open: what is your audience feeling? 00:29 - Welcome to Leaving Academia 01:20 - The reel that got 300,000 views 02:48 - Breaking down the faculty pay reel 04:45 - Why this reel hit a nerve 08:08 - Lesson 1: Talk about what people care about 10:29 - Start with their pain, not your answer 13:14 - Challenge: list what nobody says out loud 14:52 - Lesson 2: Create content that drives engagement 16:06 - What 772 comments taught me 20:33 - Lesson 3: The text hook matters 24:26 - Why your caption's first line matters 26:38 - You don't need fancy editing 29:23 - Turn viral views into email subscribers 32:26 - You know your audience better than influencers 34:15 - Where to get help with your content * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.