20 social media prompts that win the first two seconds

Most posts lose people in the first line or the first two seconds of video. These prompts start from your audience and the platform, write the hook first, and make the model rank its options before you post.

Swap anything in [brackets] for your post, account or audience.

01. Write ten hooks for the first line, then rank them

Before you write the rest of any post or video.

I am posting on [platform] for [who follows me or who I want to reach]. The post is about [topic, result or story].

Write 10 opening lines (or, for video, the first sentence said on camera in the first two seconds). Each one must name something specific: a number, a mistake, a result, a place or a person. No questions like "Ever wondered...?" and no "Here's the thing".

Rank them by how likely my audience is to stop for it, and say in one line why the top three work. Flag any that promise more than the post delivers.

02. Script a 30 second video that pays off the hook

A TikTok, Reel or YouTube Short you keep putting off filming.

Write a script for a [length, e.g. 30 second] vertical video on [platform] about [topic].

What I want viewers to take away: [one point]
What I can show on screen: [me talking, my screen, the product, b-roll]

Lay it out as a table with three columns: seconds, what I say, what is on screen. The first two seconds state the hook out loud and on screen. Deliver the payoff before the last five seconds, not after. Every line I say must be under 15 words so I can read it off a phone.

Then list the one shot I should not skip and the line I could cut if it runs long.

03. Plan a carousel where every slide earns the swipe

An Instagram or LinkedIn carousel from an idea or a long post.

Turn this into a carousel of [number, 6 to 10] slides for [Instagram or LinkedIn]:

[paste the idea, notes or post]

For each slide give the on-slide text (under 20 words), and one line on the visual. Slide 1 is the hook and must make sense on its own in the feed. Each slide ends on a reason to swipe to the next. The last slide gives one clear next step.

After the slides, write the caption to go with it, and tell me which slide is weakest and how to fix it.

Unlock the other 17 prompts for free

Rewrite one caption for each platform it goes on
Rebuild a post that worked for a different platform
Reply to comments so the conversation keeps going
Answer a negative comment without making it worse
Pick three content pillars from what you actually know
Rewrite your bio so a stranger knows why to follow
Find out why your best posts worked
Build a 30 day posting plan from one goal
Choose hashtags and keywords people actually search
Write a collab pitch DM a creator will answer
Write the on-screen text for viewers watching on mute
Write a thread that people read to the last post
Adapt a trend so it still fits your account
Write the pinned post new followers see first
End a post with one ask that fits the platform
Score a draft post as a stranger scrolling past
Have a second model critique the first one's posts