Steal This 3-Step Trick to Make Any Post Impossible to Scroll Past

You’ve been there.

You craft a post you’re proud of. You hit publish. You wait.

And nothing happens.

The likes trickle in from your mom, your best friend, maybe a loyal customer or two. But that surge of excitement you hoped for? Gone. Meanwhile, your feed is flooded with posts that aren’t even that good, but they’re racking up hundreds of comments and shares.

Here’s the truth: it’s not always about the quality of your message. It’s about how you stop someone mid-scroll, hook them instantly, and make them so curious they have no choice but to read, watch, or click.

At Multipost Digital, we’ve managed over 600,000 followers and 800 million views for clients, and we’ve studied the psychology behind what makes people pause. After testing thousands of posts, we’ve boiled it down to a simple, repeatable system. This isn’t luck. It’s a method you can use starting today.

This is the 3-step trick to make your posts impossible to scroll past.

And yes, you can steal it.

Step 1: Hook Them in the First Second

The first second is life or death for your content. People don’t politely wait to see if you’re worth their time. They make a snap decision the moment your post appears.

Your job is to create an instant pattern break. Something that makes their brain say, “Wait… what’s this?”

A scroll-stopping hook can be:

A shocking stat: “90% of your posts are being ignored — here’s why.”
A bold claim: “I doubled my sales by deleting half my feed.”
A pointed question: “What’s the one post you wish you could take back?”
A mini-story teaser: “I posted the worst photo of my life… and it went viral.”

The hook works because it taps into curiosity, emotion, or urgency. It’s not enough to be “interesting.” You need to be unskippable.

Action tip: Write five versions of your first sentence before you settle on one. The best-performing creators obsess over this opening moment because they know if they win the first second, they’ve earned the next ten.

Want help building a library of hooks that pull your audience in? Book a free account setup call with Multipost Digital today and we’ll craft them for you.

Step 2: Build Tension With Every Line

You’ve hooked them. Now the real work begins. The goal isn’t just to keep them on your post — it’s to make them feel they must keep reading or watching until the end.

Think of your content like a movie trailer. It teases without giving everything away. Every line or clip should make them curious about what’s coming next.

Here’s how to create that “can’t look away” effect:

Stack mini-cliffhangers: Drop hints that pay off later. For example, “I tried the laziest content strategy I could think of. It worked better than anything else I’ve done… and here’s why.”
Use short, punchy sentences: Long blocks of text kill momentum. Break it up so the eye flows easily.
Make it about them, not you: If you’re telling a story, constantly connect it back to your audience’s own struggles or desires.
Layer emotion with logic: Facts keep their brain engaged. Emotion keeps their heart hooked.

The tension phase is where most posts lose people. They hook well but then drift into blandness. Every sentence should earn its place. If it doesn’t pull your audience forward, cut it.

Action tip: After you write your post, read it out loud. If your attention slips, so will theirs.

Multipost Digital uses this same tension-building formula across 7+ platforms daily for clients. Let’s create posts for you that no one can ignore.

Step 3: Deliver a Payoff Worth Sharing

The end of your post is not where attention should fade. It’s where you lock in the memory and inspire action.

When you deliver a satisfying payoff, your audience feels rewarded. That feeling is what makes them comment, share, save, and follow.

A great payoff can be:

The reveal: “That ‘lazy’ content strategy? I only posted once a week, but I cross-posted to seven platforms and my views exploded.”
The big tip: Give them one clear, actionable takeaway they can try right now.
The emotional punch: End with a line that makes them feel inspired, challenged, or understood.
The open loop continuation: Hint at something you’ll share in your next post so they stick around.

The worst thing you can do is build hype and then fizzle out. That’s how you lose trust. A strong payoff cements your authority and keeps them coming back.

And remember — this is also where you place your call to action. You’ve just earned their full attention. Now tell them exactly what to do next. Whether it’s “Click here for the full guide,” “DM me for details,” or “Share this with someone who needs it,” be direct.

Why This 3-Step Trick Works Every Time

This formula works because it mirrors how people naturally process content. First, they notice. Then they get curious. Finally, they decide if it was worth their time.

If you fail at any of those stages, your post dies.

Without the hook, they never even see your content.
Without tension, they leave before the message lands.
Without payoff, they forget you the second they scroll away.

When you nail all three, you not only get more eyes on your content, you get deeper engagement. People save it. They send it to friends. They remember your name. And the algorithm notices, rewarding you with even more reach.

How to Apply This Trick Across Platforms

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is thinking this formula is only for videos. It works everywhere.

On Instagram Reels or TikTok:

Use a visual hook in the first frame (unexpected action, bold text overlay, or surprising image).
Keep scenes short and flowing to maintain tension.
End with a satisfying reveal or a practical tip, plus a call to action.

On LinkedIn or Facebook:

Open with a one-line statement that challenges a belief.
Break up paragraphs for easy reading.
Deliver the key insight in the final lines and invite comments or shares.

On Twitter/X:

Use a hook as your first tweet.
Build tension in the middle tweets with hints and data.
Drop the payoff in the last tweet and link or CTA to keep the loop going.

At Multipost Digital, we take this exact approach and tailor it to each platform’s quirks. That means a hook that works on TikTok is reimagined for LinkedIn, adapted for Instagram, and reformatted for YouTube Shorts — without losing the formula’s power.

The Bonus Power Move: Repurposing for Reach

Once you’ve nailed a scroll-stopping post, don’t let it live and die in one place. Repurpose it.

Here’s how:

Take the original format and post it to your top-performing platform.
Recut or rewrite it for every other platform your audience uses.
Adjust the hook to fit the platform’s vibe while keeping the core message.

This is exactly how we get our clients maximum reach without them having to create endless new content. One great post can become seven, each one impossible to scroll past.

Your Next Step

The internet is noisy. You’re not competing with just other businesses — you’re competing with every photo, meme, video, and ad in your audience’s feed. The brands that win are the ones that stop people in their tracks, hold their attention, and deliver something worth remembering.

You now have the 3-step trick to do exactly that. Hook them in the first second. Build tension so they have to keep going. Pay it off so they leave feeling like your post was worth their time.

It works because it’s built on human psychology, not platform quirks. Algorithms may change, but the way our brains process curiosity, story, and reward does not.

If you’re ready to turn your posts into attention magnets across every platform you use, book your free account setup call with Multipost Digital today. We’ll apply this formula to your brand, your voice, and your audience so your content not only gets seen, it gets remembered.

Because in the endless scroll, being forgettable isn’t an option. Being impossible to ignore is.