How to Keep People Watching Your Content

Most of us get into social media because we’re trying to build something. We’re trying to build a brand. We want to share our work. We want to talk about the thing we care about. Maybe we’re trying to start a movement, or we just have something that feels meaningful to us and we want it to reach people.

So we use social media to do that. But here’s the piece I think a lot of people miss. The platforms we’re using also have goals. And their goals are actually pretty simple. They want people to stay on the app longer. That’s it. Everything they push is in service of that.

So when we post, we’re not just sharing our message with the world. We’re putting it inside a system that will always be asking, “Does this keep someone here?”

And if the answer is no, it doesn’t really matter how important or thoughtful or meaningful the message is. It just won’t get pushed.

If we want our work to be seen, it has to hold attention. You don’t only get to think about your purpose for posting. You also have to think about how the platform works. And the real work is learning how to hold both at the same time. Here’s how to do this.

You can think of this as a simple formula:

Attention = Curiosity + Emotion + Movement

Here’s how to actually apply that in your content.

1. Create an Open Loop

You want to start with something that isn’t finished yet. Something that makes the brain lean in a little.

This can be:

• A question

• A mystery

• A contradiction

• An unresolved tension

Example hooks:

• “I thought this was my breakthrough moment. But as it turns out, this was actually the beginning of the end.”

• “Everyone told me this was the smart move. But it almost broke me.”

• “This looked like success from the outside. It didn’t feel like it on the inside.”

• “I didn’t realize how stuck I was until this moment.”

These kinds of openings make people stay because they want the rest of the story.

The brain hates unfinished business.

2. Add Emotional Movement

If your content stays in one emotional note the whole time, people start to drift off. You want contrast. You want to move between feelings.

Examples:

• Start hopeful → end disappointed

• Start confident → reveal doubt

• Start calm → introduce urgency

• Start wanting → show restraint

Content example:

• You start a video excited about a new opportunity.

• Halfway through, you admit you were terrified it wouldn’t work.

• At the end, you share what actually happened.

That shift in emotional states is what keeps someone watching.

3. Show Change

Every compelling piece of content shows some kind of shift, even a small one.

That change might be:

• A belief that changed

• A mood that changed

• An identity that changed

• An outcome that surprised you

Examples:

• “I used to think I needed to be louder to be seen. Now I know I just needed to be myself.”

• “I went into this convinced it would fail. I left realizing I was wrong about what I was truly capable of.”

• “I thought I wanted one thing for my life. This moment changed that.”

If nothing changes, there’s nothing to track. And the brain needs something to track.

4. Let Tension Breathe

A lot of people rush to the takeaway because they’re afraid of losing attention.

Ironically, that’s what loses it.

Instead of immediately resolving everything, let the tension sit for a moment.

Example:

• Instead of opening with the lesson, you show the moment before you knew what to do.

• You let the confusion or fear exist for a few seconds.

• Then the insight comes.

That pause is what makes the insight land harder.

5. Be Specific, Not General

This is one of the fastest ways to make content more engaging without changing the message at all.

Not:

• “I was sad.”

• “It was a hard season.”

• “I felt overwhelmed.”

But:

• “I sat on the bathroom floor with my back against the tub, counting the grout lines.”

• “I stared at my inbox refreshing the same email over and over.”

• “I pulled the same sweatshirt over my head every morning because I didn’t want to be seen.”

Specific details create mental images. Mental images hold peoples’ attention.

6. Let Something Real Be at Stake

People can feel when:

• You’re overly polished

• You’re trying too hard to protect yourself

• Nothing is actually on the line

And they can also feel when something is at stake.

That stake might be:

• Emotional

• Reputational

• Internal

• Relational

Examples:

• Admitting you were wrong about something you once taught

• Sharing a fear you still haven’t fully resolved

• Naming a desire you don’t know how to fulfill yet

You don’t have to share everything.

But something real has to be at risk for the content to feel alive.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about gaming a system or chasing attention for the sake of it. It’s about learning how to share work you care about on a platform that doesn’t have your purpose in mind. You don’t have to become louder. You don’t have to become someone else. You just have to learn how to hold someone long enough for what you care about to actually land. That’s the work. And it’s learnable.

Whether you're just starting out or ready to take your content to the next level, PBA will give you the tools, community, and confidence to show up as yourself, and be seen for it.

Join Personal Brand Accelerator and start creating content that connects.