Be honest, how many hooks have you saved to use “one day?” But each time you go to use them, you go blank.

“What do I even put there?”

Believe me, you’re not alone. You already have the template of what to say but what you’re missing is the specificity…and that’s what changes everything!

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of watching what actually gets views, saves, shares, and real followers: vague content gets scrolled past every single time. Specific content is what gets people stopping.  And the gap between the two is usually just a few extra words.

So let’s fix it today!

The Main Reason Why Instagram Content Isn’t Getting Results…

I know it’s easy to blame the algorithm for low reach and no engagement but it’s not to blame. It’s because a lot of the content out there is too generic.

“Travel tips for your next vacation.” Okay, from who? For what kind of traveler? Going where?

“Business advice for entrepreneurs.” Sure, but which ones? Doing what? At what stage?

When your content too general,  it connects with no one in particular. And Instagram’s whole job is to match people with content they feel something about. If your content doesn’t signal clearly who it’s for, the algorithm genuinely doesn’t know who to show it to.

So let’s give it something to work with!

What “Specific” Actually Means (Because It’s Not What Most People Think)

Specific doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in a box within your niche like you’re only talking to left-handed, gluten-free solopreneurs in the Pacific Northwest. 😅

Specific means your content makes someone think that’s for me within the first two seconds.

Think about the last post you shared to your Stories or sent to a friend. I’m willing to bet it made you laugh, or it said something you’d been feeling but couldn’t articulate, or it gave you information that felt weirdly, perfectly relevant to your exact life. That’s specificity at work.

Here’s a quick example. A real estate post could say: “Beautiful home with amazing views.”

Or it could say: “Imagine having your kids grow up here. Your nearest grocery store is 25 minutes away, and this is your view every morning.” (example)

Same house. Completely different pull. The second one paints a picture of a specific lifestyle for a specific kind of buyer, and the people who want that life will stop scrolling every single time.

That’s what we’re going for.

The Simplest Way to Add Specificity: Call Out Who You’re Talking To

This is where the RISE Formula comes in, and it’s my favorite place to start when a hook feels flat.

RISE stands for: Recognizable, Identity, Specific, Effect.

You don’t need all four every time, but you do need at least two, and Identity is almost always one of them.

Identity means calling out who your person IS, or who they want to become. Not just “entrepreneurs.” Not just “small business owners.”

Think:

• Empty nesters who finally have time to travel
• First-time moms navigating postpartum
• Beginner golfers who want to stop embarrassing themselves at corporate events
• 2027 brides in a specific city looking for a venue unlike anything they’ve seen

The more clearly you name someone’s identity, the faster they feel like you’re speaking directly to them. 

And people who feel seen? They follow. They save. They share.

The “I Wish More People Knew” Hook (Try This One This Week)

If you want one hook to practice right now, this is it: “I wish more [specific person] knew…”

I’ve seen this one help so many people get their first viral post, and it works because it checks almost every box at once. 

✅It’s generous, you’re sharing something valuable

✅It’s identity-driven, you’re calling out a specific person, and it creates instant curiosity.

Let’s look at an example

🥱 Vague: “I wish more people knew eating more protein is good for you.”

🤩 Specific: “I wish more people knew you can blend half a block of tofu and a can of lentils into your marinara sauce. It makes it super creamy and adds 50 grams of protein and 26 grams of fiber.” (see it here)

One of those got over a million views. You can probably guess which one.

The specificity is what earns the view, the save, and the share. People aren’t going to share something they already knew. They share the thing that genuinely surprised them or helped them.

So when you’re filling in the blank, don’t stop at the surface level. Go one layer deeper. What’s the specific tip, the specific number, the specific outcome that your particular audience would stop everything to know?

What to Do When You Don’t Know How to Describe Your People

This is the one I hear the most: “Shannon, I sell to everyone. I don’t know how to narrow it down.”

Here’s the thing. You probably don’t actually sell to everyone. You sell to people in a specific situation, a specific season of life, or a specific struggle. That’s your in.

If you genuinely can’t call out an identity, call out the scenario instead. Think about the moment your client finds you. What are they feeling? What have they tried that didn’t work? What are they Googling at 11 pm?

“Stuck in 200-view jail and convinced the algorithm hates you personally.” That’s a scenario. And if that’s your person, naming it directly in your hook will stop them faster than any trend, sound, or aesthetic ever could.

You don’t need a perfectly polished niche statement. You need content that makes the right person think wait, how did she know?

Why Human Content Outperforms “Professional” Content Right Now

I know some of you are still hesitating to share anything personal because someone, somewhere told you to keep it professional. I want to gently push back on that.

Taco Bell posts like a person now. Delta posts like a person. Even TSA has a personality on social media. The brands growing the fastest aren’t the most polished, they’re the most human.

And here’s the data to back it up: 88% of people say the rise of AI content has made them trust what they see online less. Only 7% trust AI-generated recommendations as much as human ones. People are craving realness right now in a way we haven’t seen before.

Sharing your perspective, your lived experience, a story from your actual life, that’s not unprofessional. That’s a competitive advantage. Business is personal. Social media is called social media. You’re allowed to show up as a human being and still be taken seriously as an expert.

The most specific content you’ll ever create is the stuff only you could post.

So this week, try it. Pick one hook, get specific with it, and post it.

Don’t overthink it. Start messy. The right people will stop scrolling, I promise.

And if you want more hooks, more ideas, and a whole community cheering you on, come find us in the Reels Lab. We’ve got you.