Without a doubt: Writing is my biggest passion. That’s what made me start this whole thing in the first place. When I began posting on social media, I noticed 1 thing, though: even the most beautiful writing doesn’t get traction if you don’t follow specific rules. That made me realize:

What if writing on social media is actually less about writing?

Social media apps — such as Threads — are scrolling apps. People scroll through the app until they see something interesting that stops the scroll. Attention spans are crazy short nowadays, so you mostly have less than 2 seconds to grab the reader’s attention.

And that’s why “just” writing nicely doesn’t cut it. On top of that, you also have to figure out how to make your texts attention-grabbing — aka scroll-stopping. Grabbing attention involves another field that I’m highly passionate about: psychology. So:

Writing online is less about writing and more about Psychology. That realization was the tipping point for me — the moment my content started going viral, pulling in roughly 10 K followers and over 11.5 M views PER MONTH. And it wasn’t just me; I’ve seen dozens of creators hit similar numbers when they followed the same set of rules.

And since I’m all about sharing, here are 8 simple and practical rules that’ll make people forget what scrolling even is and skyrocket your growth:

(okay, that’s a lie — I’m a very greedy person, and I’m gonna stop you from reading any further with my Jedi powers until you send me $5M)

8 scroll-stopping writing rules for social media

Dammit, how could you resist my Jedi powers?? Okay, fine — you might’ve won this time, but I’m gonna get you next time!

1. Add line breaks after every sentence

Paragraphs look chunky and aren’t easy on the eyes. Which builds a barrier in the reader’s brain. The more barriers there are, the likelier they’ll keep scrolling. So leave one empty line between each sentence. Here’s what it should look like:

2. Use slants when writing listicles

Listicles are an awesome way to present a short‑form post. But most people just list their points in random order, which can make the post look chunky. Solution: slants — either short‑to‑long or long‑to‑short. It makes a massive difference. See for yourself:

See how much of an impact it has? The slanted version tripled the engagement! For listicles, rule 1 doesn’t apply cause the bullet points act as visual pattern breakers. And very important: Try to make 1 bullet point fit on 1 line. It creates a much nicer visual effect and increases visibility.

3. Avoid adverbs

We tend to use them to make our writing stronger but they actually have the opposite effect. Avoid these words:

a bit, a lot, often, might be, in a sense, kind of like, easily, usually, instantly, normally, generally, extremely, literally, completely, really, basically, quite, probably, mostly.

4. Cut your text by 20%

This is one of the best pieces of writing advice I ever received. In your final edit, ask yourself:

"How can I cut my word count by 20 % without changing what I’m trying to say?"

It makes your writing clear, precise and powerful. Trust me — there's ALWAYS a way to shorten your writing.

5. Use dashes (“—”)

If you can't keep a sentence short use dashes to add a visual pattern breaker. They keep the reader’s attention. Also, use them in embedded clauses — instead of commas.

6. Write for children

People tend to use complicated words to sound smart. But it’s basically an invitation to scroll past your text. Harsh truth: If a child can't understand it it's too complicated. Remove all academic & niche words — aka no words a reader might have to look up.

Bonus tip: Write like you talk. Would you say this to a friend? If not, don’t write it. Don't sound like a robot — be human.

7. Be clear & confident

People tend to be vague and avoid clear opinions. Cause they want to please everyone. The problem: they sacrifice precision & authenticity. And that’s exactly what makes you stand out. You can't always be yourself AND fit in. Speak your truth, and your real audience will find you.

8. Be a servant of valuable content

Most people write philosophical quotes, boring anecdotes, and fluff content. And get no traction. Every post you write should TEACH your audience. Focus on:

• showing your expertise (degrees, experiences, certificates, etc.)

• personal transformations (weight loss, overcame depression, paid off your massive debt, etc.)

• provide a ton of value for your audience (your niche, writing, growth, branding tips, etc.)

That’s it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out on Instagram @husseinnaji_ or email — my door (aka inbox) is always open. Just reply to this mail☺️

Much love,

Your kiwi-with-the-skin-on-eating friend

Hussein

PS: If you want to see more content, check out my other channels:

• Threads

• Medium

• Bluesky

• LinkedIn