How to stop people scrolling past your social media posts

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Pop the kettle on. I’ve got a quick story to tell you.

Back in 2014, I created a spoof news website for the people of Wales, where I’m based.

At that time, there was a large NATO meeting in Cardiff.

All the big names were going to be there, including the then US President, Barack Obama.

The climax of the two-day summit was a posh dinner at Cardiff Castle.

One of the supposed news stories that I put out on my spoof website was a story that Barack Obama had got into a local taxi and asked to be taken to Cardiff Castle. According to the story, the cab driver took Barack Obama to Castle Bingo in Cardiff, rather than Cardiff Castle.

If anyone had taken the time to read the story in full, it would have been obvious that the story wasn’t real.

But the story was shared over 10,000 times.

It brought me in over 1,000 new social media followers.

But here’s the thing - most people who commented on the story were genuinely startled that such a thing could happen.

They thought it was real.

It was clear that many people had seen the story on their feed, stopped scrolling, and reacted instinctively - without even taking the time to question the validity of the story.

For me, it taught me a few things about stopping people mid-scroll.

This is what I learnt:

#1 Hook them in

Here’s a fact - it’s the headlines that stop people scrolling

What is a headline?

It’s simply a collection of words, arranged in a certain order.

But it’s the words that you choose and the order that you put them in that will make all the difference.

• Grab the reader's attention immediately. It should be concise, compelling, and relevant to your audience.

• Clearly communicate the core value or takeaway of your content. Give the reader a reason to keep reading.

• Set the right tone and voice for your brand. Make sure the hook aligns with your overall content style. And keep your hooks consistent.

#2 Tell a story

If you’re selling a service or a business, storytelling gives you much more power.

You could be telling a story about your own brand or you could even be telling a story about one of your clients (with permission granted, obvs). Try:

• Generating curiosity. For the most part, people are nosey and want to know what happens next.

• Connect emotionally. What primary emotion does your audience deal in? In my case above, it was humour. Make your audience members feel something.

• Make it memorable. Everyone loves something that they can tell their friends or better still, share on their own social media profiles. Make your story one to remember.

#3 Speak your audience’s language

Become one of them.

Using the words and phrases that your audience uses immediately makes you one of them. Your audience members will be more likely to stop scrolling if they find something (hopefully your social media post) that they feel familiar with. 

Consider addressing the following:

• Their pain points. Demonstrating that you understand your audience’s problems immediately makes you more relatable. It can also allow you to provide solutions to those problems (think of this email helping you with your social media, for instance).

• Cultural references. The familiarity of referencing things that your audience members will be familiar with will create a bond and make them feel that you are on their side.

• Language styles. Using slang and phrases that your audience is familiar with becomes a beacon for them and also new audience members.

#4 Create some urgency

People don’t like to miss out.

It’s instinctive human nature to not miss out. Consider:

• Limited-time offers. Promoting a special offer, sale, or other time-sensitive content can encourage your audience to pause their scrolling and engage before the opportunity expires.

• Countdown timers. Incorporating a visible countdown timer into your social media posts can create a sense of scarcity and drive immediate action from your audience.

• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Highlighting exclusive, behind-the-scenes, or other ‘insider’ content that your audience doesn't want to miss out on can compel them to stop scrolling.

#5 Test and tweak

Things change. Get used to it.

The best way to find the perfect recipe to stop people scrolling is to continually test and tweak.

Solution: 

- Analyse the data. Look over your previous week’s stats, searching at what’s working best for you.

- Smell what sells. Reword and repost your previous week’s greatest hits. 

- Do a little garden maintenance. Prune and ditch the stuff that doesn’t work.  

#6 Write for scanners

If you need proof that people scan information as they’re scrolling, I think my Barack Obama story provides that. So write for those scanners. Use hooks that:

• Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Write as if it was one of them writing it.

• KISS - Keep It Short and Simple. You don’t want your headline extending off the screen.

• Speak in second person. Talk as if you’re speaking directly to one person. It’s a lot more effective.

#7 Use specific figures

Being vague on social media will bring vague results. 

If you want measurable developments, the best way to do this is to be specific in your output.

For instance, if I tell you that I can help your social media grow, that’s pretty vague. It’s not going to get you excited.

But if I were to say to you that I can help boost your social media engagement by over 100% in 7 days, it’ll get you a little more engaged initially. It could stop you scrolling.

Use actual figures and facts where you can, especially in your headlines.

#8 Back up your claims with social proof

If you have clients who are happy with what you do, ask them to provide a few short sentences that you can use for your marketing. Use a social media tool like Social Bee to create recycled queues that continually promote and highlight how your product or service has helped others. After all, you check out the reviews on Amazon, don’t you?

Let me know how it goes!

And have a great week ahead.

Patric

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