How Mark Decola Got the World to Care About His Broken-Down Military Generator

A creator on TikTok named Mark DeCola bought an old, broken-down, military generator, and the world became obsessed with him trying to get it up and running.

12M+ views on his first video, several million on every subsequent video.

Why?

His videos:

👉 Don’t have a hook

👉 They aren’t short

👉 He doesn’t use trending audio

👉 They are highly technical

👉 It’s super niche

👉 He doesn’t post everyday

👉 He doesn’t use popular hashtags

So how does a guy who breaks all the rules go viral?

It’s because he tells a story.

People love story, drama, tension… we also love to peak into the lives of someone who’s incredibly knowledgeable and passionate.

We become invested and crave a satisfying conclusion – will he ever get this generator up and running?

So the next time you post, or draft up your content strategy, be sure to ask yourself this question….

What story are we trying to tell?

Then figure out how you can best tell that story through narrative, visuals, editing, pacing, arcs, hooks, characters, payoffs….

You may think that something niche that you are passionate about wouldn’t have mass appeal, but if done the right way, it can work.