It’s so frustrating seeing a post on Instagram in your niche that absolutely explodes, and you KNOW your content is better. 

But many of yours seem to flop.

What gives? What will it take to finally break through?

Luckily, viral posts aren’t magic. They don’t rely solely on luck. 

Viral Instagram posts often have the same 4 components. And if you replicate them in your reels, you give yourself a great chance of getting more views.

How to Go Viral on Instagram: The 4 Key Components of Viral Posts

1. The Irresistible Hook

You have 3 seconds…

If you don’t grab your viewer in those first 3 seconds, they’ll scroll to the next post. 

This is your “hook,” and its job is to be so irresistible that people just have to stop scrolling and watch your reel. 

You need to do 3 things to form your irresistible hook:

1. Keep it short and simple — Ideally, your hook should only be 5-8 words (either spoken or text on screen, or both). Too long, you’ll lose people. Too short, people will find it vague and won’t keep watching.

2. Hit them in the feels — Whether it’s curiosity, relatability, surprise, excitement, humor, or even shock, you want your audience to feel something in the first 3 seconds, so that they go on to watch the rest of the reel. 

3. Use strong visuals — Many people watch reels on mute, which is why adding text on screen is crucial. Plus, a good visual hook can also stop people from scrolling. 

Understanding your audience plays a big part in knowing which hooks will make them stop. 

So study your niche. Find the reels that are doing extremely well, and analyze their hooks. Ask yourself, “What makes people STOP to watch this?” 

Here are some example hooks you can spin to fit your audience: 

Provocative Questions

• “Do you know the one money habit that keeps you broke?”

• “What’s the cheapest way to see 3 countries in 7 days?”

• “Ever wondered why you’re not losing fat even if you work out?”

Bold Statements

• “Most people save wrong — here’s how to do it right.”

• “This island is better than Bali — and nobody’s talking about it.”

• “Crunches are the worst way to get abs.”

Shock/Surprise

• “I lived on $10 a day in Chicago — and still had fun.”

• “This beach is so hidden, even locals don’t know it exists.”

• “This tiny tweak in your form doubles your results.”

Relatable Pain Point

• “Tired of your savings disappearing every payday?”

• “Sick of paying double just because you’re a tourist?”

• “Frustrated that you work out daily but see no changes?”

Teaser

• “In 30 seconds, I’ll show you how to save $500 a month.”

• “Here are 3 tricks to cut your flight costs in half.”

• “Watch this before your next workout — it’ll save your back.”

Storytime

• “I used to be broke until I tried this one habit.”

• “I rented a motorbike… and ended up in the most beautiful spot.”

• “I nearly quit the gym… until I learned this simple hack.”

2. Keep Their Attention (The Tension Builder)

A strong hook is only a piece of the puzzle.  

Now that they are hooked, you need them to keep watching. That means keeping them engaged, like you’re breadcrumbing them each step of the way. 

Pacing and building tension are vital to keep them engaged. 

And there are proven formats that creators use all the time to keep people glued to their content. 

One thing that ALL these formats have in common is that they’re easy to consume. There’s a logical flow from one point to the next, and they all lead up to the climax. 

Here are some well-known formats you can use: 

• Listicles — (Top 3, top 5, top 10) Listicles like these are extremely good at holding people’s attention since we all naturally want to know what’s #1. 

• Before vs After — This format starts with a hook, shows what the “before” is like, shows what the struggle was like, and then reveals the successful after. It takes viewers on a journey, encourages them to go for it, and is relatable in the struggle. 

• Step-by-Step — For tutorials, a step-by-step guide is easily one of the most effective formats to use. Make each step actionable, but still easy to consume, and people will save your video and keep coming back to it. 

• Storytelling — Tell a story that happened either to you or someone well-known in your niche. Start with drama. Build tension. Deliver a surprise ending. Stories stick in people’s minds.

• Challenge/Experiment — This is an exciting branch of storytelling because people want to see if you succeed or fail at the end. Start with the hook, show your attempts, and keep them guessing about whether you’ll succeed until the payoff at the end. 

• POV (Point-of-View) — Showing things from your POV works because the viewer feels like they’re in the reel themselves. In this format, visuals are everything. Doing something interesting, talking to people, or going somewhere are all great ways to make this format work. 

And there are plenty of other formats and combinations.

So, pro tip, study other viral posts.. Ask yourself, “Why is this interesting?” “Why am I not scrolling away?” and “Why did I stay until the end?” 

3. The BIG Payoff

What actually makes people like, comment, and share your video? 

Hint: it’s not by telling people to “smash that like button right now!” 

Instead, your reel should end with a BIG payoff that makes them feel something and make them…

• Inspired to take action
• Smart for watching
• Shocked by the reveal
• Happy about the outcome
• Connected to your journey

Any feeling (as long as it’s not disappointment that they spent time watching your reel!) 

Strong feelings are what push people to react to your video. 

Here are some feelings you can target depending on your format: 

Format	Payoff
Listicle	You’ll want your audience to feel smart (because they knew what #1 was going to be), curious (because they now want to try the #1 item), or shocked (because the #1 was NOT what they expected).
Before vs After	Inspired. By showing people what you came from and where you are now, you want to inspire people to take action.
Step-by-Step	Relief. A step-by-step guide can make a daunting task seem easy. When people feel relieved, they’re bound to react.
Storytelling	Good storytelling can leave people with a range of emotions. Happy, sad, amused, empowered, inspired, etc. It all depends on the tone of the story.
Challenge/Experiment	Inspired if you succeed, amused if you fail! Challenges that work can push people to try it themselves, while challenges that fail are bound to get laughs or empathy, depending on how you present your payoff.
POV (Point of View)	Connected. POV reels let your audience feel your excitement, fear, or joy through your eyes. People could also feel the fear of missing out (FOMO) if they see you’re living your life to the fullest, while they’re sitting at home.

Again, go to the reels that are going viral in your niche. 

This time, ask yourself…

“What do these reels make me feel?” 

Viral reels always leave you feeling something. So pay attention to it, and try to apply it whenever you create a reel yourself. 

4. The Call to Action (Tell Them What to Do Next)

If you have a product to sell or a newsletter you need to promote, adding a call to action is essential. 

If you want people to take action, you NEED to spell out what to do for them. 

Even if your reel is the best thing since sliced bread…even if it leaves people feeling inspired to take action…

VERY few people are going to do anything with that unless directly asked. 

If all you want is more followers or shares, you don’t necessarily have to say it in a call to action, but why not? 

If people got something out of your video, they’re very likely to react if you ask them to. 

So tell them to check the link in your bio to sign up. 

Tell them to hit follow for more tips. 

Or tell them to send this to their friend who is struggling with _____. 

Don’t Skip This CRITICAL Step

Before you go and start creating your first viral reel. It’s important to analyze your competitors first. 

You’ll learn what types of hooks, formats, payoffs, and calls to action your target audience likes. 

Here’s how to analyze what’s working: 

1. Open Instagram and go to the search tab.

2. Type in a keyword related to your niche, such as “financial advice” or “investing.” 

3. Watch and save the 10 – 15 most popular reels that you find.

4. Take note of the hooks, formats, payoffs, and calls to action that these reels use. 

This should give you the viral formula for your niche. 

Now add in your own ideas and unique spin, and you’re all set to take off.

Ready to Go Viral?

Viral posts aren’t magic. They have a repeatable system.  

Once you know how to craft irresistible hooks, glue your viewers to the screen with an unskippable format, and leave them with intense emotions, you’re giving yourself the best chance to get thousands, even millions of views. 

Pair that with a good content strategy, and you’ll be unstoppable on Instagram. 

Not sure how to strategize your content?

Read our complete guide on how to reach 1,000 followers here.