Stop Using These 3 Words in Reels—They’re Killing Your Reach
You spent hours editing that Reel. The audio syncs perfectly. The colors pop. The caption? Witty and clever.
You hit post.
And then… crickets.
It’s not the algorithm. It’s not your gear. It’s not because you posted on a Tuesday at 3:07 PM instead of 2:59 PM.
It’s your words.
Specifically, the first ones your audience sees.
At Multipost Digital, we’ve tested thousands of Reels across every platform you know. TikTok. Instagram. YouTube Shorts. Facebook. We know exactly what grabs viewers and what makes them scroll away without a second thought.
And in this post, we’re exposing the three words that quietly destroy your reach before the algorithm even gets a chance to help you.
Want us to audit your Reels and show you exactly how to boost reach and reactions? Book a strategy call here
"Hey guys"
The first social media sin.
We see it every day. A creator pops into frame and kicks off their Reel with a cheerful "Hey guys!"
In real life? Friendly. Warm. Nice.
Online? Deadly.
Here’s why it fails:
Nobody is waiting to be greeted. They’re not your friend yet. They’re scrolling through a sea of content, hungry for something that hits them in the gut. And if your hook starts like a FaceTime call, they’re gone in a blink.
"Hey guys" tells them nothing. It gives them no reason to stay. No curiosity. No tension. No dopamine.
What to say instead:
Open with a punch: "This tip saved me 10 hours last week."
Lead with drama: "I almost deleted my entire account… and here’s why."
Use a teaser: "You’re one sentence away from doubling your followers."
The most powerful Reels don’t greet—they grab. The goal of your first line is to make someone stop. Not to be friendly. Not to warm up. To interrupt the scroll.
There are thousands of people who might be your ideal customer. But you get one chance to pull them in. Don’t waste it on politeness.
Multipost Digital writes scroll-stopping hooks for Reels, Shorts, and TikToks. Want us to build a custom hook bank for you? Let’s talk
"Just wanted to hop on and say…"
The death spiral of engagement.
This phrase doesn’t just waste time. It bleeds attention.
When someone says, "Just wanted to hop on and say...", they’re announcing that they have nothing urgent to offer. No tension. No cliffhanger. No promise.
Social platforms reward one thing above all: retention.
If you give viewers an excuse to check out in the first three seconds, the algorithm notices. It decides your video isn’t worth pushing. Your reach drops. Your visibility tanks. Your content dies before it lives.
Why creators fall into this trap:
It feels natural. Conversational. Low-pressure. But content is not casual. It’s strategic.
You have 3 seconds. Use every millisecond to lock attention.
Imagine two creators. One opens with, "Hey, just wanted to hop on and share a quick thought about content strategy." The other starts with, "Your content strategy is broken—and here’s why your audience already tuned out."
Which one gets watched? Which one gets skipped?
What to say instead:
Open with a cliffhanger: "Most people mess this up… and it’s killing their growth."
Lead with proof: "This post got me 10,000 followers. I’m breaking down exactly how."
Ask a high-voltage question: "What if I told you the best time to post is actually midnight?"
"Just hopping on" signals low stakes. It tells people this can wait—and if it can wait, they won’t bother watching now.
Pro Tip: Always review your first 10 seconds and ask, Would I stop to watch this if I had no idea who I was? If the answer isn’t an instant yes, cut the intro.
"Excited to share"
This one stings.
Because it feels right. You are excited. You do want to share.
But the problem isn’t your intention. It’s how little it does for the viewer.
"Excited to share" puts the spotlight on you. Not them. And people don’t engage with content that feels self-centered. They engage when they feel seen, helped, surprised, or sparked.
If your Reel starts with "I’m so excited to share..." it feels like a company announcement, not a hook. You become just another brand shouting into the void.
What to say instead:
Lead with the benefit: "This will cut your editing time in half."
Drop the shock: "I tried the worst-performing sound on Reels… and went viral."
Make it about them: "If you’re stuck at 500 views, do this one thing."
Viewers don’t care that you’re excited. They care about why they should care. They need a reason to invest those next 10 seconds.
Want us to craft Reels that actually get watched, shared, and saved? Book your free setup call
Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever
Instagram Reels. TikToks. Shorts. The battle is won or lost in the first 3 seconds.
Not in your caption. Not in your edit. Not in your hashtags.
It all comes down to the words on-screen and the words you say.
Our internal data from managing 600,000+ followers and generating 800M+ views shows that:
Reels that open with a benefit-driven hook get 2x the watch time.
Reels that start with fluff see 60% higher drop-off rates.
The first 3 words of your caption and video text determine how the algorithm treats you.
When you start strong, the algorithm listens.
When you start soft, the audience scrolls.
And when they scroll? You lose everything.
This is why Multipost clients win. Every Reel we write is designed to jolt attention, earn retention, and stack dopamine from second one.
The Fix: Steal This 3-Part Hook Formula
Here’s the exact structure we use with Multipost clients to trigger curiosity and engagement:
1. Open with a cliffhanger
"I almost quit after this post bombed."
2. Tease a result or benefit
"This changed how I write captions forever."
3. Hint at something hidden
"Nobody talks about this, but it works every time."
Mix and match those ingredients. Keep it under 10 words. Say it in the first breath of your video. That’s how you win.
Want to level this up even further? Pair your hook with on-screen text. Add subtitles with movement and timing. Use facial expression and body language to anchor the idea.
When you combine visual and verbal hooks, you turn passive scrollers into active watchers. And that’s when the algorithm starts working for you, not against you.
Need help writing those hooks or editing high-retention Reels? We do it for you
Final Word: Never Start Weak Again
The difference between a viral post and a forgotten one?
It usually comes down to your first sentence.
"Hey guys". "Just wanted to hop on". "Excited to share". They feel nice. They sound polite. But they’re slow poison for your content.
Your job isn’t to be nice. It’s to be noticed.
Strip the fluff. Lead with fire. Speak in hooks, not greetings.
And if you want help building a content engine that never starts slow?
