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Most creators are scared of falling off. They’re consistently chasing the next viral trend, hoping to stay relevant. But the truth is, relevance isn’t about going viral. It’s about staying visible when the culture shifts.
That’s why the Zeitgeist format—reacting to major events and cultural moments—is one of the smartest strategies creators aren’t using enough.
And no one does it better than Zack Hoyt, aka Asmongold.
A gamer turned cultural commentator, Asmongold built his brand not by creating viral ideas, but by interpreting them with honesty and a shared perspective with his loyal audience.
There are plenty of creators who use the zeitgeist format, but either fail to get traction, or burnt out quickly.
But Asmongold’s version of this format has allowed him to stay relevant for years. Let’s break it down:
Authenticity
A few years ago, Asmongold went viral for a tour of his house and living conditions. There was trash and filth everywhere. It was the setup of a typical person who doesn’t leave his house and plays video games all day. While most creators polish their brand, Asmon doesn’t hide the mess.
He lives in chaos (both online and irl), and watches it unfold in front of him without pretending to be better than his viewers. And this makes his voice trustworthy.
His commentary on culture and politics feels like it comes from the common people. His viewers prefer watching his take on the news rather than watching the news itself. Because they feel that his point of view is honest and often reflective of their own.
Access
Asmongold isn’t a journalist who has exclusive press access. But he does have access to a wide community on Twitch, X, Reddit and other platforms that are always feeding him the latest news that they find most important to them.
And when you’re creating content in the zeitgeist format, speed and discourse are the strongest factors of your success.
Authority
Asmongold dropped out of college and doesn’t have any formal degrees or credentials. And yet he still commands authority in the topics he talks about, from his years of experience.
He has debated highly controversial topics live, and watched as other creators rise and fall around him. He would witness these events alongside his audience, making his voice sound like it came from the everyday person.
And this shared lived experience makes him more relatable than just another guru.
The best part about the Zeitgeist format is that you don’t need to be perfect, or even original. You just need to have an opinion, and a voice that people can trust to help them make sense of the chaos.
And that’s what every creator should be looking to do with their format.
If you’re not sure what format(s) fit your brand best, we built an AI tool to help with that. It’s free if you have ChatGPT, and takes 15 minutes to help you identify how to position your brand and unique advantages.
The Complete YouTube Playbook to go from 0 to 100K
YouTube advice is everywhere. But most of it is either too general or too outdated to actually help serious channels grow.
We’ve made over 700 videos, built a channel with 1.3M+ subscribers, and helped dozens of 7 and 8-figure brands scale from scratch.
This week, we packaged everything that worked into one tactical masterclass:
- The exact roadmap from 0 to 100K subs—and how long it really takes
- Why YouTube is more like Netflix than TikTok (and how to build accordingly)
- Our 3-part framework for finding your channel’s signature format
- The biggest mindset shift serious creators make to unlock growth
- And how to build systems to scale without burning out your team
This is for creators and brand teams who are looking for high level strategies that work.
until next time,
Mike and Matty