What if you could predict which of your posts will go viral? Would you trust me to explain how to get more views for your content?
Ever wondered why some brands go viral while others get ignored? The answer might surprise you. What about now?
Undoubtedly, I’ve piqued your interest. Marketing is art and science. Obviously, creativity is the sexy part. Marketers dream of creating ad campaigns that skyrocket revenues. On the other hand, science is how we engineer the probability of success. Today, we’ll focus on how to get more views for your content.
Heard of ADHD? I have it, and I’m not alone. Therefore, many of us need frameworks to accomplish our goals. Whether you’re becoming a freelancer or building a brand, you’ll need useful frameworks and habits to grow. Enrico has laid out a simple, yet effective framework for content creation. Let’s unpack how to get more views through writing better hooks.
Understanding the view count metric
First, what is a view? A view count is calculated when somebody visits your content. In contrast, you may have heard of impressions. Don’t get these terms confused. An impression is calculated when somebody sees an ad. Simply, an impression means your ad landed in front of their eyes. Consequently, It doesn’t matter whether they interact with it or not.
Content views are an important frontline metric. You put the hard work into writing a post, shooting a video, or selling a product. Now, you want to ensure people are seeing your creation. In fact, the more views the better. However, view count doesn’t tell us everything.
In order to understand how to get more views, we need other metrics. For instance, are people watching our videos all the way through? Did someone leave a comment on our post? Did someone subscribe or buy? In short, views are only one part of the bigger picture. Engagement metrics fill in the gaps.
How to get more views with better hooks
If you want to get more views for your content, you’ll need strong hooks. Accordingly, essay writing is a great place to pull inspiration. Thankfully, there are over a dozen types of hooks. Once you get familiar with them, you will start seeing theme everywhere.
Below, I’ve listed my favorite hooks.
- Thought-Provoking Question Hook: Ever find yourself hooked by a really good question? Starting with a compelling question can draw your readers in, making them eager to find out the answers you’ll reveal.
- Bold Statement Hook: Imagine kicking things off with a statement that makes your audience do a double-take. Bold claims can grab attention, sparking curiosity about how you’ll back them up. This works great for argumentative pieces.
- Anecdotal Hook: Who doesn’t enjoy a good story? Sharing a light-hearted anecdote or a bit of humor related to your topic can make even heavy subjects feel more approachable. Just remember to use them in the right context!
Your approach may depend on your subject matter. Importantly, it’s smart to test different approaches, especially on social media. This will allow you to see what resonates best with you audience. Remember, your view count should increase if you’re catching people right away with your hook.
How to get more views understanding the data
How do you know if your efforts are paying off? Clearly, a viral video would be epic and obvious. Unfortunately, we can’t expect each video to go viral. We need to understand how to make incremental changes along the way. Therefore, I recommend two ways to approach your view count data.
First, compare your videos to themselves. For example, use a spreadsheet to log your content performance. It’s helpful to consider the content format and style. You can be as detailed as you like. You’ll want to standardize the information so you can compare apples to apples. Oftentimes, I will often break out performance by platform too. Below, are other metrics to consider including:
- Follower count when you hit publish
- Follower count 48 hours later (or a timeframe that makes sense)
- View count after 48 hours
- Hook type/style
- Hook written out
Secondly, find other creators in your space. Similarly, you’ll want to pick some at your level and some above. Be gentle with your comparison. The last thing you want is to feel inferior or jealous by another creator’s success. Instead, use this comparison to understand what’s possible. Consider it healthy competition. Or, gather inspiration but don’t copy.
Examples of attention-grabbing hooks
Practice is how to get more views for your content. Let’s take my three favorite hook styles and put them into practice. Let’s take a piece of interesting data and turn it into different hooks. Be mindful of whether they grab your attention.
Dark Social: Over 80% of online shares are “dark social,” meaning they’re shared through private channels like direct messaging and email, making them difficult to track.
Thought-Provoking Question Hook
“What if I told you that over 80% of your content shares are happening out of sight, in private channels like direct messages and email? Discover how tapping into ‘dark social’ can skyrocket your engagement and maximize your ROI. Ready to revolutionize your strategy?”
Anatomy
What if told you: The first sentence is the thought starter. It greets you with an unbelievable statistic or claim in the form of a question. Psychologically, you want someone to think Wow, I didn’t know that! It’s the beginning of a breadcrumb trail towards a valuable payoff.
Discover how: Our second sentence is setting expectations. After you’ve grabbed someone’s attention, hint at what’s coming next. The key is that the hint should highlight something valuable to them.
Ready to: Lastly, the hook ends with a call to action (CTA). You won’t always need this in your hook. Typically, CTAs are great when accessing your content requires more steps. For instance, a lead magnet requiring an email to download a freebie. With social media videos, you might wait until the end of the video to share a CTA.
Bold Statement Hook
“Over 80% of online shares are invisible to marketers. Imagine how much engagement you’re missing out on.”
Anatomy
Over 80%: Again, a lofty number upfront to grab attention.
Imagine how: Simple and effective. The statement closes by pointing out a deficit. The deficit is something important to your business or brand. Similarly, it’s highlighting something valuable to the audience.
Anecdotal Hook
“Once, I worked with a brand struggling to boost their ROI. They had no idea that most of their shares were invisible, happening through private messages. Curious how ‘dark social’ could be the game-changer for your engagement?”
Anatomy
Once, I worked: This hook opens with authenticity and relatability. Moreover, it also provides immediate credibility. Upon reading, you know this person has worked with other brands.
They had no idea: Next, we do two things. One, we add to credibility by showcasing our expertise compared to the client. Then, we let the audience in on it by dropping a bold insight.
Curious how: Closing with a CTA paves the way towards a next step. Remember, this isn’t always necessary upfront. However, this would be perfect for a social post at aimed driving people to the full story.
Bonus: More tips for how to get more views
Social media trends are always evolving. Hooks are a great way to get people interested in hearing the rest of your story. In addition, they’re also a great way to get people to take an action in your funnel. But, hooks are only one part of the story though.
If you’re wondering how to get more views, think about other tactics as well. Here are some bonus tips that can help improve your view count as well.
- Add Thumbnails: Images can help grab attention right away. Personally, I gravitate towards YouTube channels and podcasts with great cover art imagery. Layering text over and engaging shot helps me learn about the topic and the personality.
- Be Relevant: Make sure your subject matter isn’t too niche. More importantly, make sure the topic within your subject matter is something people care about.
- Start Short: Longer videos and articles are a bigger commitment. Perhaps, start shorter and build longer content as your reputation grows.
- Get Meta: Pay attention to other creators in your subject are doing. Again, don’t copy. You’re looking snippets of tactics that resonate given your shared audience. For instance, are videos fast-paced or slow? More specifically, GRWM videos are perfect for beauty tutorials and dating stories.
- Stand Out: No, this doesn’t mean you need to be eccentric. Be authentic and find your own spin.
You’re ready, you’ve got this
In this post, we’ve explored how to get more views, emphasizing the importance of understanding key metrics like view counts and engagement. We’ve delved into the art of creating compelling hooks—whether through thought-provoking questions, bold statements, or engaging anecdotes—to capture and retain your audience’s attention. Additionally, we’ve highlighted the necessity of analyzing data to refine your strategy continuously. By combining creativity with analytics, you can enhance your content’s reach and impact, ensuring your marketing efforts are both engaging and effective. Ready to elevate your strategy? Let’s get started!