POVs, Predictions, and the Power of Social Media Hooks: Why These Storytelling Formats Work

“POV: You’re reading this blog post, and it’s already changing how you think about social media.”

How about, “You don’t know it yet, but you’re about to have a POV on POVs”?

If you’re feeling a little bit curious, you’ve been hooked.

Chances are, if you spend too much time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ll have seen them by now. Maybe it’s someone staring off wistfully while a caption reads, “POV: You just moved across the country and he broke up with you the next day.” Or maybe it’s a clip of a teen dancing in her driveway with the words, “She doesn’t know it yet, but tomorrow she’s going viral.” 

These two formats, the POV and “They Don’t Know It Yet” videos, are currently all over our social feeds for a reason. At heart, they’re little short stories. Sometimes aspirational. Often about overcoming adversity. And most of all, designed to hook you in.

Let’s break it down.

POVs: Not What They Used to Be

Traditionally, with visual content, POV meant “point of view” in the most literal sense. A camera shot from a character’s eyes. On social, it’s evolved into something more interior, sharing the emotional point of view of the participant in text form, superimposed over a video of the protagonist,  where typically not a word’s said.

The POV is an opportunity to experience the unspoken, a glimpse into the creator’s internal monologue.  And that story is almost always a mood: wistful, awkward, triumphant, tragic, or just painfully real. It’s like someone stepped outside themselves to comment on what’s happening in their life—and now you’re reading their thoughts in your own head.

As such, a POV is an invitation to relate. And the fact that you’re reading it, makes it hit harder. It feels intimate. Personal. Almost confessional. Which is exactly why it works. If it connects, the viewer feels like a co-conspirator. 

And if you’re in marketing social, thinking “okay, but how does this help me?” Well, POVs are a masterclass in creating engaging content that’s built to be sharable. It’s part of a shift that social media strategist Sarah Southerland spotted, noting on LinkedIn, that users aren’t looking for truths to agree or disagree with any more. 

“They’re now sharing content because it feels like something they’d do, not because it’s something they believe. That “haha I do that” or “this is so us” moment — that’s what stops the scroll.” She goes on to note that for many, the utility of most content is “to send to group chats, using it to flex personality. Less about the funny lines, and more about writing a story that makes them go “me”.”

It’s the perfect format for a business with a strong founder narrative, sharing the struggles and successes of building something from the ground up. Want people to invest in your narrative?  Share your POVs.

“They Don’t Know It Yet…”: The Hookiest Hook of All

If POV is the internal monologue happening during a moment in time, then “They Don’t Know It Yet” is the foreshadowing. It’s the prequel, with spoilers.

“They don’t know it yet, but this photo is going to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.”

“She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to lose everything—and rebuild even stronger.”

This format sets up a simple, near-irresistible premise: the viewer knows something the subject doesn’t. Instant curiosity. Instant suspense. You’re invested and you want to know more. You want to see the “after.” And in just a few words, you’re pulled into the narrative.

These posts often go viral because they’re miniature arcs of transformation. A before-and-after delivered brilliantly, and with brevity.

Why These Formats Hook Us (And Why That Matters)

In social media, if you’re lucky, you’ve got seconds to get someone to stop scrolling. That’s where the hook comes in. A hook is the line that catches your attention long enough to earn the next few seconds. And these two formats are built around them:

• POV: Hooks you via relatability. “Oh, I’ve felt that.” Or “That’s something I’d do.” And there’s the added bonus of “things that may go unsaid, but are” 
• They Don’t Know It Yet: Hooks you narratively. We’re constructing the story in our heads almost as fast as it’s being shared. Filling in the blanks. Imagining the journey.

For creators, they’re authentic. For brands, they’re a way to show, not just tell, a journey. Whether it’s the story of a startup before its big break, or a customer’s experience with your product before it changed their routine, these formats make space for transformation.

The Takeaway: Tell a Tiny Story

The idea that text would be a scroll stopper would have seemed unlikely not that long ago. But social media tropes are not set in stone. If you’re trying to break through the scroll, don’t just think about what you’re showing. Think about levers you can pull to draw users into your stories. The cause and effect of “POV: this is what happened, and this is how I feel” or the foreshadowing of “They don’t know it yet, but what happens next might be life-changing.” 

The best stories don’t have to be long. But it helps if they start strong.

And that’s the hook.