The Reason Most Hooks Fail

Welcome back to Viral Examples.

On top of sharing viral posts and why they popped, we’re starting to share more full-circle audience growth tips around content, profiles, engagement, and more.

Today (in 2 mins or less) let’s talk about great hooks and how to land on one…

Most hooks fail because they chase engagement > connection.

After analyzing 1,000+ viral posts across different niches, we noticed something fascinating:

The best hooks don't just grab attention so much as they hijack the reader's emotions.

Here's your 60-second litmus test for crafting hooks that actually work:

1/ The Ego Check

Does it challenge a deeply-held belief?

Will sharing it make the reader look smart?

If you're not making someone feel slightly uncomfortable or incredibly intelligent, you're playing it too safe.

2/ The Pattern Interrupt

Does it contradict common wisdom?

Can it be summarized in one surprising sentence?

The hook should make them stop scrolling and think "wait, what?"

3/ The Status Trigger

Does it expose a hidden status game or make readers question their current position?

Great hooks make people realize they're losing a game they didn't know they were playing.

4/ The Implementation Gap

Does it point out the gap between knowing and doing?

Will it create immediate tension about missed opportunities?

The best hooks don't tell people what they don't know—they expose what they're not doing.

Quick Test:

If your hook doesn't make someone feel:

→ behind

→ smart

→ wrong

→ exposed

…it needs work.

Let’s Go Viral

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.