The Real Reason Your Social Media Content Isn't Getting Views

If you’ve been creating content that you know is valuable but your views are still… underwhelming, you are not alone. Almost every creator goes through this at some point, and while there are a variety of reasons to consider, the biggest mistake I see most creators make online is not leveraging the 5-second rule of content.

Your Audience is Scrolling Online Fast

People are scrolling quicker than ever, and they decide in seconds whether something is for them or not. Your content could be the best content out there, but if you don't have a genuine hook at the beginning of your video, your audience will keep scrolling until someone else catches their attention.

The 5-second rule of content is simple: in the first 5 seconds of your video, you need to have a visual, written, or spoken hook that makes your ideal audience want to watch the rest of your video. This can be applied to carousels too by making sure you're using a hook in the first slide of your carousel.

The mistake many creators make is that they spend too long easing into the topic they want to discuss, sometimes even having dead space at the beginning of their videos. This makes a lot of people, who are often doomscrolling online, quickly scroll past the video because they've already lost interest.

That's why the 5-second rule matters. When you start your content by naming a struggle, desire, frustration, or moment that your audience can connect with, you give them a reason to stay before they lose interest and scroll away.

What Makes a Strong Hook?

A strong hook doesn't need to be complicated or dramatic. It just needs to be specific, relatable, and clear. When your audience hears something that reflects an experience they've actually lived, they feel seen, and that recognition makes them want to stay to find out more.

For example, I, for a very long time, was adamant that a lot of the makeup products the girlies were using in their videos were not actually necessary. It wasn't until I came across a video from a creator who highlighted a clear pain point I was experiencing that I realized that some products were not just vanity items, but essentials that fixed specific problems.

Look at the difference between these two hooks:

Weak hook:

“Look at this new setting spray I got."

Strong hook:

“If you're tired of leaving your makeup on everyone you hug at church on Sunday, then you need this setting spray."

I (and many others) would have scrolled past that first hook because, unless you care about setting sprays, you don't care to watch someone talk about it.

But the second hook stopped my scroll, not because I cared about setting sprays at the time, but because the creator started the video by highlighting a problem the setting spray could help me solve.

That's the power of a strong hook!

So if you've been getting low views on your content, I encourage you to audit your content yourself, and as you review it, be honest with yourself:

• Is there dead space in the first 5 seconds of the video where someone scrolling would have no idea what the point of the video is?

  • Your hook can be written, so even if the video has a slow build to it, are there words on the screen that you use to grab your audience's attention?

  • Your hook can be visual too, so does something happen in the first 5 seconds of your video that grabs your audience's attention?

• If you were scrolling online in your personal time, would you stop for this video?

These are questions you can ask yourself, not only when you're auditing your content, but before you post a video to make sure it's 5-second rule approved!

How Can You Start Incorporating Hooks In Your Content?

Now that you know why your content may not be getting views, it's time to start creating content that grabs your ideal audience's attention! If you're feeling a bit lost on where to go from here, don't worry, I've created a FREE guide you can use to start incorporating hooks in your content. It comes with a list of 30 hooks you can use at the beginning of your videos or on the first slide of your carousels so you can grab your ideal audience's attention in your content.

Grab your FREE guide here!

A preview of what's inside the 30 Content Hooks Guide

Happy Creating!! 🧡