Doing something completely unique and never-seen-before will make you different, but not popular. Why? Let’s talk about that!

My name's Mark Valasik 

and I help B2B companies to flip their Marketing Right Side Up 📈 ⬆ 

Let's connect and discuss!

Here’s a list of events happening in the past week or so:

• Youtube introduced new features and changes mainly to Shorts.

• X updated Terms of Service to destroy the Block feature and to allow Generative AI to be trained on ALL data and content.

• After X updated ToS, massive numbers of users started deleting their accounts and flocking to competitor BlueSky, causing outage

• Instagram says a new algorithm change promotes static images and carousels more, showing them in Reels feed and adding new insights on why Reel is popular

• Daze, a new messaging app aimed at Gen Z, is going viral on TikTok

• Threads launched analytics on mobile

• Linkedin bug deleted your connects, “up to thousands” in some cases

And if you prefer video over reading, here’s today’s article in a 4-minute video format (I really tried on this one):

Why Creativity Alone Doesn't Sell

So, you think being completely unique and original will make you the next viral sensation or startup unicorn? Think again.

The harsh truth is that originality and creativity alone don't sell. What actually sells are the things people already know and love. In this post, we’ll explore why chasing originality is a waste of time and why riding trends with a creative twist is the real key to growth.

The Power of Familiarity

If you want people to notice you, don’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, recycle what already works. Why do trends work so well? Because humans are creatures of habit. We’re drawn to familiar things. That’s why popular songs sound like the “good ol’ ones” or why new viral TikTok dances look kind of familiar and a lot like the older viral TiKTok dances. That’s why ads for new mobile games look almost identical…

The same concept applies to influencers and brand ambassadors. They work because they’re familiar faces doing things people already know and like. It’s not about creating something new; it’s about taking what works, getting inspired by it, and adding your own spark to it.

The Double Jeopardy Rule

This brings us to the Double Jeopardy Rule: Brands with a larger market share gain more customers faster and keep them longer. The same goes for content creators. Why? You guessed it—familiarity. Larger creators get more returning viewers because people already know what to expect. If you mimic what’s familiar, you’re likely to catch their attention and do it faster.

So ‘how to use this to my advantage’ you ask?

Don’t chase complete originality—it's a surefire way to isolate your audience. Instead, take what’s already popular, give it a slight creative spin, and sprinkle in just enough uniqueness to stand out.

Think about it this way:

You want 1 million impressions, right?
1 million will notice you → 10,000 will like you → 100 will follow or buy from you. 

But none of those 1 million will notice unless you start with something they recognize. 

Going with something completely unique and never-seen-before will make you different, but not popular. Masses flock together towards generally known and accepted motives.

Being unique and super creative is anything BUT that.

Key takeaway

Creativity doesn’t sell. What sells is familiarity with a twist. The next time you're planning your content or product launch, ask yourself: Am I chasing originality, or am I giving people a familiar reason to care?

And if you want ANOTHER reason to care, check out my previous post about why I often leave and why you should probably too.

Thanks for reading and see you next week!

Cheers,

Mark.