By Hiran de Silva
When you create content that gains traction on social media—hundreds of likes, thousands of views, and positive feedback—you will inevitably be asked:
“Aren’t you doing the same thing as all the other influencers—creating content for social media engagement?”
It’s a fair question, and one I want to address head-on.
Yes, I do want my content to reach a wide audience. Yes, I want engagement. I want people talking. I want people attending my webinars, buying my courses, introducing me to their superiors, starting projects, and transforming how they use Excel in enterprise environments.
But the intent behind my content, the structure, and the value proposition are fundamentally different.
Let me explain.
What Social Media Engagement Content Looks Like
Much of the content we see online today—especially around Excel—is designed purely to attract eyeballs. It’s short, trendy, easy to consume, and optimized for the dopamine hits of social media algorithms.
Here are some recurring traits:
- 5–10 minute “quick wins” with catchy titles like “Top 5 Power Query Tips You Didn’t Know.”
- Buzzword-driven hooks: Power Query, Dynamic Arrays, XLOOKUP, LAMBDA, Python in Excel, and now, Copilot.
- No context or application boundaries—you don’t know where the technique is relevant or where it might backfire.
- Comments full of applause, not challenge. Very little critical thinking. No space for contrarian or technical reviews.
- Creators show a pattern of repeating this style over and over—no deep dives, no enterprise insight, no intellectual scaffolding.
These videos and posts are useful as user guides. I respect their contribution to spreading Excel awareness. But they’re unsuitable when the topic demands strategic thinking, architectural context, or educational sequencing.
What My Content Is—and Is Not
My work exists to expose the true enterprise power of Excel—a capability that has been silently available for over 30 years and routinely ignored by the mainstream.
That’s not a message you can deliver in 90 seconds.
My content is:
- Long-form when necessary—not to waste time, but to build an argument, illustrate paradigm shifts, and walk viewers through real-life enterprise scenarios.
- Structured for education, not just engagement—concepts are introduced in sequence, with clear learning objectives and foundational layers.
- Loaded with context and contrast—especially between cosmetic tricks and meaningful transformation.
- Built around real-world business needs, not theoretical puzzles or influencer challenges.
A 3-minute “Mission: Impossible” episode might catch your attention. But if you follow the trail, you’ll uncover a radically different approach to process design and digital transformation using Excel as a client-server platform—with a relational database behind it.
Yes, I Want Engagement—But Here’s the Difference
I want engagement not for ego or virality. I want it because I have something valuable to show. Something most people don’t know exists.
Let me be blunt: Power Query cannot consolidate enterprise budgets. Yet there are tens of thousands of videos promoting just that—blind to the constraints of process, scale, or real-world implementation.
Meanwhile, the hub-and-spoke model I teach—where Excel is the front end, and Access or SQL Server is the central “Digital Librarian”—can do it elegantly, transparently, and at scale.
If I want this message to reach the world, I must break through the noise.
So yes, I’ll use storytelling.
Yes, I’ll design episodes with intrigue.
Yes, I’ll have headlines that make you click.
But what happens after the click?
That’s where the difference lies.
What I’m Really Selling
I’m not selling dopamine.
I’m not selling views.
I’m not even selling Excel tips.
I’m offering transformation:
- For individuals frustrated by their stagnant careers.
- For businesses trapped in chaotic spreadsheet networks.
- For leaders who sense the waste but don’t know the alternative.
This transformation doesn’t come from cosmetic features. It comes from architectural insight—from teaching people to think in systems, not formulas.
I’m selling value. I’m creating content that:
- Raises eyebrows in the boardroom.
- Starts projects that unlock hidden capability.
- Turns “temporary contractors” into strategic consultants.
It’s not about Excel. It’s about business value, agility, transparency, scalability—and above all, relevance.
The Path Forward
So what does this mean for my content strategy?
It means:
- The “shorts” I publish are doorways, not destinations.
- The “hooks” are real—but they lead somewhere worth going.
- The “engagement” is a means, not an end.
I know my audience will be smaller than those producing Power Query tips. But I also know it will be better.
The people I reach are capable of creating value, not just consuming content. These are professionals who want to go deeper. Who want to get out of Excel hell. Who are ready to triple their pay by mastering real enterprise skills—not tricks.
So to those asking whether I’m just another influencer chasing likes, I say this:
No. I’m not chasing popularity.
I’m leading a quiet revolution.
And if you’ve ever wondered whether Excel can be something more—something powerful, elegant, and scalable—you’re exactly who I’m creating this for.
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