How To Use The "In 2023" Viral Hook

Welcome back to Viral Examples 👋

Each week we break down 3 posts that got lots of engagement on X and LinkedIn:

• Why the post resonated

• A templated version you can copy/paste and use

• Our own example using the template

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In 2023 Template

Why It Works

1. Four lines with the same structure tell a whole rise and fall using only numbers. Readers fill in the drama themselves, so it takes two seconds to read and it sticks.

2. The honest drop is the hook. Almost everyone posts the climb and almost nobody posts the decline. Showing the drop earns trust and gets replies asking what happened.

The Template

Project] in [year 1]: [metric]
[Project] in [year 2]: [metric]
[Project] in [year 3]: [metric]
[Project] in [year 4]: [metric]

This [project] changed my life.

Our Example

My agency in 2023: $0/mo
My agency in 2024: $40,000/mo
My agency in 2025: $110,000/mo
My agency in 2026: $65,000/mo

This agency changed my life.

The growth bought my freedom. The drop taught me to stop saying yes to every client.

Wrong Environment Template

Why It Works

1. It gives readers permission to stop blaming themselves. "You're not the problem, your setting is" is a relief, and people share relief.

2. Three short "a [type] in the wrong [place]" examples let every reader find themselves in the list. A crisp A-vs-B closer then turns it into advice.

The Template

You can be [good trait] and [good trait] and still [struggle] if you're [hidden cause].

- A [type] trapped in the wrong [X]
- A [type] in the wrong [Y]
- A [type] stuck in the wrong [Z]

Think about your [A] as much as your [B].

Our Example

You can have a great offer and great content and still struggle to sell if you're talking to the wrong audience.

- A premium coach posting for beginners
- A B2B tool marketed on TikTok
- An agency pitching founders who can't pay

Think about who you're talking to as much as what you're saying.

If I Was Template

Why It Works

1. An exact starting point and an exact goal make the right reader stop and think "that's me." Specific beats broad.

2. "Here's everything I'd do" promises the full playbook with nothing held back. People bookmark it to come back to, which is how a mid-size account got 213K views.

The Template

If I was [specific starting point] & wanted to get to [specific goal], here's everything I'd do:

1. [step + short myth-bust]
2. [step]
3. [step]

Our Example

If I was at 1,000 followers & wanted to hit 10,000 in 6 months, here's everything I'd do:

1. Pick one topic. No, you won't get bored of it.
2. Post every day for 90 days.
3. Reply to 20 bigger accounts in my niche daily.

Time to Grow

There’s two parts to getting results from posting content:

1. High quality content

2. Relevant distribution

Megaphone, the team behind Viral Examples, helps with both.

1. Our writing team works learns your voice and delivers weekly batches of content for you to post.

2. Our creator network helps get your posts in front of the right audience.

Grab time here or just reply to this email to learn more.