April 7, 2026
So you ran trial reels and found a winning hook. Now what? Last week on Unfiltered, Greta and Judy shared how they set up trial reels to find winning hooks. This week, they dig into why you need winning hooks and what to do once you find one.
Truly unfiltered: they’d been chatting for a few minutes before realizing they should just hit record, because they were already talking about this exact topic. Greta (founder) and Judy (CEO) cover how to tell a real winner from baseline data, how to repurpose a hook, and why going viral is overrated.
Greta has been running trial reels with a couple of our social media strategists for a couple of months. Judy started doing them for her own account, and her results were all close together, only about six views apart. That’s not a clear winner.
Greta’s first reaction was, “That’s not what happens.” In other accounts, she sees results like 400, 600, and 3.2K. The 3.2K is clearly a winner. But reflecting on it, Judy was really collecting her baseline data. Now we know her baseline, and she should still use the ones with slightly more views.
Remember to let each trial reel run for seven days. Depending on how many you post per day, your first month may just be collecting a baseline. Keep going and you’ll eventually see clear winners. Even in a client account where it worked, some batches weren’t dramatically different.
We look for hooks that hit a 10x multiplier, or at least 5x, compared with your baseline views.
Greta says seven days, but you could choose a shorter window. Five to seven days is best. What matters is comparing at the same point. Don’t say “this one only got 200” when it’s only been up two days. That’s comparing apples to oranges.
Every time we’ve picked a hook with more than a 5x multiplier, it has performed when posted to the feed. In one account, normal trial reels get about 400 to 600 views and the winner got 3.2K. Their typical reels get 2K to 4K views, and the reels built on winning hooks got around 20K. They mirrored the trial reel result, about 5x normal. Everyone’s definition of “viral” is different, but for that account, that counts.
It usually happens quickly. As long as Instagram is behaving, you’ll see a hockey stick: flat for the first few hours, then straight up.
When Judy asked whether she should just move the winner from a trial reel to a regular reel, Greta said no. Always leave your trial reels running. Don’t turn them off.
Then repurpose the winning hook as many ways as possible:
When you find a winning formula, repeat it. Most people aren’t seeing your organic content anyway. If it’s a strong, scroll-stopping hook that helps them, use it again. They won’t remember they read it.
Judy’s two points for business owners. First, if this feels like something new to add to your plate, you shouldn’t be doing it. Someone on your team should. Second, as Alex Hormozi says, volume negates luck.
Think about how many times you repeat the simplest process to your team. Judy’s VAs send a simple end-of-day message, and some still get it wrong after months. That shows how many times people need to hear something to remember it. With everything people see on social media, they won’t notice you used the same hook in a talking head reel and a carousel a few days later.
Some of our most-watched videos are the vulnerable ones. Greta and Judy are fortunate to have each other. Judy can say, “Mine are all within 10 views. Which should I post?” and process it with Greta.
If you don’t have someone to talk this through with, message us. We love getting messages. Or just pick the one with the most views. If it’s six more views, it’s six more views. You’re still producing content. Keep posting trial reels, because the hook you never thought would take off will be the one that does.
It’s easy to get discouraged. If getting views and making money were easy, we’d all be multi-millionaires after 10 posts. If you need support, join a community or message someone, since it’s easier to encourage others than yourself. Or ask ChatGPT. Just be careful: if ChatGPT tells you to wait for a 5x multiplier, you may never post, and then you’re right back where you started. Be consistent, post, and be authentic.
It’s better to post than not to post, as long as it’s something you believe in. Whether 100 people or 10 people see it, someone needed to hear that message from you today.
Greta was recently in a meeting with other ad managers. One manager’s client had a post go viral, and she got flooded with junk messages. He said he hates it when a client’s post goes viral: you get tons of low-quality followers who aren’t there for your content, and it messes up the algorithm. Everyone aims for viral, but from a true marketing standpoint, it’s often not what you want.
More followers and virality don’t automatically mean more money. It’s the message. That’s why we base views on a solid, scroll-stopping hook, not trending audio, a dance, or quick tips to get more views. Trending audio may not speak to your actual audience.
Share this with the team member who does your trial reels, along with last week’s episode, which covers the technical side of formulating hooks.
Compare views against your baseline over the same time window. We look for at least a 5x multiplier, ideally 10x.
You’re probably still collecting baseline data. Pick the one with the most views and keep posting consistently.
No. Leave them running, and repurpose the winning hook in carousels, talking head reels, and regular reels.
We don’t post them to Facebook. Turn off the Facebook display when you post.
If you want a system for finding and using winning hooks in your content and ads, see our services or reach out to us.
Want more? Watch every episode of Bringing Simplicity Unfiltered on our YouTube channel.
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