Case Study: I Rewrote 10 Viral Posts and Here is What Happened

The "originality trap" is the biggest killer of LinkedIn growth.

New creators think they need to invent a new philosophy, coin a new term, or discover a new planet to get engagement. They sit in front of a blank screen, waiting for divine inspiration.

Meanwhile, the smartest creators are doing something else entirely. They are remixing.

I wanted to prove that you don't need "original" ideas to grow. You just need proven ideas delivered in your unique voice.

So, I ran an experiment.

I used Comment Rocket's "Rewrite" feature to find 10 viral posts (1,000+ likes) from big creators in the B2B marketing niche. I rewrote them for my small account (which had roughly 500 followers at the time).

I didn't copy-paste. I didn't steal. I took the core concept—the hook, the structure, the psychological trigger—and rewrote it from my perspective.

Here is exactly what happened, the data behind the experiment, and how you can replicate it.

The Hypothesis

My hypothesis was simple: Familiarity breeds engagement.

People engage with topics they already understand and care about. If a post went viral once, it means the topic resonates. The structure works. The hook stops the scroll.

If I could leverage that existing validation but add my own low-follower "underdog" context, I predicted I could outperform my usual engagement metrics by at least 500%.

I was wrong. I outperformed them by 2,200%.

The Methodology

Here is the exact process I used:

1. Sourcing: I looked for posts in the "Marketing" and "SaaS" niches posted in the last 6 months.
2. Filtering: I only selected posts with >1,000 likes and >100 comments. This ensured the topic wasn't just "seen" but "discussed."
3. Analysis: I deconstructed why the post worked. Was it a contrarian take? A "how-to" listicle? A personal failure story?
4. Rewriting: I used Comment Rocket to generate a draft, then spent 10 minutes adding my own stories, examples, and "micro-voice."
5. Posting: I posted one rewritten post every day for 10 days, at 8:00 AM EST.

The Data: Before vs. After

Let's look at the cold, hard numbers.

My Baseline Metrics (Previous 30 Days):

• Avg. Views per Post: 200
• Avg. Likes per Post: 8
• Avg. Comments per Post: 2
• Inbound Leads: 0

The "Rewrite Experiment" Metrics (10 Days):

• Avg. Views per Post: 4,500
• Avg. Likes per Post: 145
• Avg. Comments per Post: 42
• Inbound Leads: 7

Total Reach Increase: 22x (2,200%)

The Breakdown: 3 Examples of "The Rewrite"

To help you understand how to do this, let's look at 3 specific examples from the experiment.

Example 1: The "Contrarian Truth" Post

Original Viral Post:

• Topic: "Cold calling is dead."
• Angle: The creator argued that nobody answers phones anymore and email is the only way.
• Structure: Statement -> Evidence -> Solution.
• Engagement: 3,400 Likes.

My Rewrite:

• Topic: "Cold calling isn't dead, your script is."
• My Angle: I took the opposite stance but kept the same high-voltage topic. I argued that because everyone is emailing, the phone is actually an open channel again.
• My Hook: "I made 50 cold calls yesterday. 4 people picked up. 2 booked meetings. Tell me again how cold calling is dead?"
• Result: 6,200 Views, 85 Comments. People love debating this topic.

Example 2: The "Vulnerable Failure" Post

Original Viral Post:

• Topic: "I lost my biggest client."
• Angle: A CEO sharing a mistake that cost them $50k/month.
• Structure: The Event -> The Mistake -> The Lesson.
• Engagement: 8,200 Likes.

My Rewrite:

• Topic: "I lost my first $1,000 client."
• My Angle: I didn't have a $50k client to lose. But I remembered losing my first client. The emotion is the same, even if the numbers are different.
• My Hook: "The email was only 2 sentences long. 'We're moving in a different direction.' My stomach dropped."
• Result: 3,800 Views. High empathy engagement.

Example 3: The "Curated List" Post

Original Viral Post:

• Topic: "10 AI tools that will replace designers."
• Angle: Fear/Opportunity listicle.
• Structure: Tool Name + One sentence benefit.
• Engagement: 12,000 Likes (Saves).

My Rewrite:

• Topic: "5 AI tools for writers who hate writing."
• My Angle: I niched down. Instead of "designers" (broad), I targeted "writers" (my niche).
• My Hook: "Writer's block is a choice in 2026. Here are the 5 tools in my stack:"
• Result: 5,100 Views. 400+ Saves.

Why This Strategy Works (The Psychology)

Why did this work so well? It comes down to three psychological triggers:

1. The "Familiarity Heuristic"

The human brain prefers things it recognizes. When you write about a topic that is already "trending" or "proven," you are surfing a wave that already exists. You aren't trying to create a wave in a bathtub.

2. The "Gap Theory" of Curiosity

By taking a viral topic and adding a slight twist (e.g., "Cold calling is DEAD" vs. "Cold calling is ALIVE"), you create a curiosity gap. People who agreed with the original want to see your perspective. People who disagreed want to see if you validate them.

3. Algorithm Favoritism

LinkedIn's algorithm is semantic. It knows what topics are trending. When you use keywords and structures that are currently triggering high engagement, the algorithm is more likely to categorize your post as "high value" and test it with a broader audience.

How to Build Your Own "Rewrite Engine"

You can replicate this experiment next week. Here is your step-by-step battle plan:

Step 1: Build Your Swipe File (Days 1-2)

Don't write yet. Spend 2 days just scrolling and saving.

• Find 5 big creators in your industry.
• Go to their "Activity" -> "Posts".
• Sort by "Top" (or just scroll to find the big numbers).
• Save the URL of every post with >500 likes.
• Goal: Collect 20 proven post ideas.

Step 2: Categorize by Template (Day 3)

Group your saved posts into "Templates":

• The Listicle: "X ways to do Y."
• The Story: "How I went from X to Y."
• The Contrarian: "Why everyone is wrong about X."
• The Observation: "I analyzed X and found Y."

Step 3: The "10% Twist" (Day 4)

Take a post and change 10% of it.

• Change the Niche: "Marketing" -> "Sales".
• Change the Magnitude: "$1M revenue" -> "$10k revenue".
• Change the Tone: "Professional" -> "Casual/Rant".

Step 4: Schedule and Engage (Days 5-14)

Schedule these posts out. But here is the secret sauce: Engage with the original creator. If you rewrote Justin Welsh's post about solopreneurship, go comment on his recent posts. His audience is the exact audience that will like your rewritten post.

The Ethical Question: Is This Stealing?

This is the most common question I get. "Isn't this plagiarism?"

No.

Plagiarism is copy-pasting. Plagiarism is taking someone's specific story and claiming it happened to you.

Rewriting is remixing.

• Austin Kleon wrote "Steal Like an Artist."
• Tony Robbins remixed Jim Rohn.
• Jim Rohn remixed the Bible and Earl Nightingale.

There are no new ideas. There are only new perspectives on old ideas.

When you rewrite a viral post, you are honoring the topic but serving it through your unique lens. Your experience, your tone, and your specific audience make it new.

Conclusion: Stop Guessing, Start modeling

If you are stuck at 200 views, stop trying to be a genius. Stop trying to invent the next iPhone of ideas.

Look at what is already working. Ask yourself: "How can I say this, but from MY perspective?"

That is the fastest path to growth.

I did it for 10 days and grew 22x. Imagine what would happen if you did it for a year?