30:31Build Your Tribe · Listicle
Not Getting Views on Reels? The 11-Step Posting Checklist
A 30-minute walkthrough of the exact sequence to run before, during, and after posting a reel you need to perform.
October 26thThe argument in one line.
Reels that go viral take something your audience assumes is normal and flip it, using a clear stance, a relatable niche detail, or a visual plot twist that is cheap to film.
Read if. Skip if.
READ IF YOU ARE…
- A creator, coach or small business owner who posts Reels regularly and is out of fresh formats that don't need a big production setup.
- Someone who has an audience but can't get views and wants concrete, copyable scripts for a talking-head Reel in their own niche.
- A solo creator who wants one idea to feed several posts, such as a Reel, a carousel and an infographic.
SKIP IF…
- You want Instagram algorithm mechanics or analytics. This is a list of formats, not a breakdown of how distribution works.
- You never show your face or voice and have no appetite for talking-head or hot-take content.
The full version, fast.
Brock Johnson lists 14 Reel formats that are easy to film and adapt to any niche. Most are talking-head frames that flip an assumption, such as de-influencing, five things not worth the money, this is not a squat, and I don't know who needs to hear this. Others are no-talking visual tricks, including fake balloons, eating cardboard, a hidden-message word search, and a coffee reveal. His advice: take a firm stance, front-load the most surprising point, balance broadly relatable with niche-specific, and reuse each script as a carousel or B-roll post.
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00:00 – 00:15
01 · Cold open
Promise of 14 stealable Reel ideas with no long intro.
00:15 – 01:45
02 · Idea 1: Allow me to de-influence you
Talking-head list of things your industry calls normal that aren't, or weird things that are totally normal.
01:45 – 03:45
03 · Idea 2: On-paper tutorial
Overhead shot of writing on paper, with either a voiceover or a cut-out face cam layered on top.
03:45 – 08:10
04 · Idea 3: Five things not worth the money
Why negativity bias favors this format, why to front-load the controversial item, and how to repurpose into carousels.
08:10 – 10:45
05 · Idea 4: Post about AI
Anti-AI stance posts, or the funny plot twist of showing your human mistakes.
10:45 – 11:55
06 · Idea 5: Skit reel
A back-and-forth conversation where you play both characters, per the Jamie Brindle approach.
11:55 – 13:15
07 · Idea 6: This is not a blank
Repeat the same phrase across clips showing things people wrongly think are examples.
13:15 – 14:20
08 · Idea 7: Fake balloons
Hang one-word cards on strings, film upside down, cut the strings so they appear to float up.
14:20 – 17:30
09 · Idea 8: I don't know who needs to hear this
Share a controversial opinion. Includes a sponsor segment.
17:30 – 19:15
10 · Idea 9: Eat the cardboard
Chew a snack while holding a torn cardboard piece, then reveal the written message.
19:15 – 20:40
11 · Idea 10: Fake word search
Hide a short call to action inside a printed word search and film yourself circling it.
20:40 – 22:10
12 · Idea 11: Yes, but
Split the screen between the polished outcome and the outtakes or mess behind it.
22:10 – 23:10
13 · Idea 12: First in my bloodline
Name something you're likely the first in your family to do in your niche.
23:10 – 24:10
14 · Idea 13: Saying X is like saying walk to a dog
Text over B-roll comparing a niche word to the excitement of hearing walk.
24:10 – 25:59
15 · Idea 14: Coffee reveal and sign-off
Write on a cup in Sharpie, fill with coffee, pour milk to reveal the message, then wrap up.
Lines worth screenshotting.
- People pay more attention to a list of things that are not worth the money than to a list of things that are, because of negativity bias.
- Front-load a list Reel with the most controversial item, since saving the best for last only works if viewers survive items one through four.
- Handwriting on real paper stops the scroll because it reads as more committed than digital graphics in an AI-saturated feed.
- A talking-head Reel filmed in a car feels more raw and authentic, which helps it get shared.
- Anti-AI posts perform, and a funnier version works too: announce you made it by hand, then show your mistakes.
- Humor in niche trends comes from being broadly relatable and specific at once. First in my bloodline to post a Reel is relatable but too generic to be funny.
- A hot take only earns comments if some people disagree, so drinking water is important gets nothing while you can go to the gym daily and still not gain does.
- Reels about things people expect to be one thing but aren't work best as fast clip-clip-clip examples, with the explanation saved for the caption.
- Any no-talking Reel that hides its message behind a plot twist makes the viewer read your call to action without noticing.
- One script can become a talking-head Reel, a B-roll Reel, a carousel and a still infographic, which multiplies reach for the same effort.
- The Yes, But format shows the polished outcome next to the failed attempts, which reads as authentic behind-the-scenes.
Flip what your audience assumes is normal
WHAT TO LEARN
Reels spread when they challenge an assumption, take a clear stance, and pair a relatable idea with a niche-specific detail.
- Lists of what is not worth the money outperform lists of what is, because people pay more attention to negatives.
- Lead a list with its most surprising or controversial item so viewers stay long enough to reach the rest.
- A hot take only earns comments if some viewers disagree, so pick an opinion you would actually defend.
- Humor in niche trends needs both broad relatability and a specific detail, or it falls flat.
- Handwritten paper, real objects and visible mistakes read as authentic against a feed full of AI polish.
- A visual plot twist lets you deliver a message or call to action without speaking and without feeling like an ad.
- Write one script once, then publish it as a talking-head Reel, a B-roll Reel, a carousel and an infographic.
Terms worth knowing.
- Trial reel
- An Instagram Reel shown first to non-followers so you can test a format before it reaches your existing audience.
- Negativity bias
- The human tendency to pay more attention to negative information than positive information, which makes not-worth-it lists more clickable.
- Talking head
- A video where one person speaks directly to the camera with little else on screen.
- B-roll Reel
- A Reel built from supporting footage with text on screen instead of the creator speaking to camera.
- Plot twist Reel
- A short video where the viewer expects one thing and something else is revealed, like biting a snack instead of cardboard.
Things they pointed at.
20:40channelyes_but cartoonist account on Instagram
Lines you could clip.
05:30
“If you save the best for last, but no one sticks around and actually makes it till the end, then it's a waste.”
22:10
“Find something that is at the same time relatable and broadly applicable, yet also specific enough that it's going to be funny.”
14:40
“I would never encourage you to do something rude or defamatory, but think about what hills you would be willing to die on and turn that into content.”
Word for word.
Read-along
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story
Today, I'm going to be sharing with you 14 viral Instagram real ideas that are easy to make and that you can steal. No preamble, no long intro. I'm not even going to ask you to subscribe to this podcast just yet.
Let's get right into the ideas. Idea number one is the allow me to de -influence you trend. Obviously, everyone knows what an influencer is.
And obviously, we're all being influenced to buy things all the time. But the allow me to de -influence you trend is kind of taking that influencer idea and flipping it on its head. The basic format of this reel is that it's a talking head style video.
And as a pro tip, if you have access to a car, I'm going to encourage you to film this reel in your car because it makes it feel that much more engaging and that much more authentic and real and raw. But basically, all you have to do is say, please allow me to de -influence you and then state a bunch of things that are not normal, that the industry that you're in has deemed to be normal, or that people who are a part of your space think are normal, or that they're seeing online all the time, but it's in fact not normal.
So if you were in the fitness industry, you could say something like having six pack abs is not normal. Perfectly sticking to your diet, tracking every single calorie that you eat is not normal. Or you could do the inverse of this by sharing a list of things that your audience thinks makes them weird, but it's actually very normal.
For example, if you're a recipe creator, you could say ordering takeout is totally normal. Having cutlery that doesn't all match is totally normal. If you were a fashion creator, you could say having a piece that you haven't worn in months, but you just can't let go of is totally normal.
Having clothes that fit you better on some days and not so good on other days is totally normal. This style of reel, like I already said, is very authentic and real, but it's also super relatable. It makes people feel seen and thus it really increases the likelihood that they share your reel, that they repost and or comment on the reel, thus boosting it and helping you get more views.
Idea number two is the on paper tutorial. And this on paper tutorial stops people scroll because in the world of AI and digital graphics and motion graphics, we're used to seeing things that are digitally edited in and it's often unique. and refreshing to see something written on actual paper.
It also is very genuine and authentic because no two people's handwriting is exactly alike. And it shows a level of commitment to your reel that for whatever reason, people perceive it as a greater level of commitment than just editing in whatever graphics or whatever tutorial it is that you're talking about. So for this on paper tutorial, there's really two ways that you can do it.
One is just to film like an overhead, grab a tripod and film an overhead point of view. of yourself writing out some tutorial, writing out some quote, drawing some diagram on a piece of paper, record yourself doing that, and then record a voiceover after the fact kind of narrating what it is that you're drawing or talking about.
The benefit of that style of on -paper tutorial is that it's a lot easier for you. It's easier to edit. It's easier to put together.
You don't have to worry about talking and drawing slash writing at the exact same time. You don't have to worry about having two different cameras set up. Whereas the second style is a little bit more difficult.
It's the inverse of everything that I just said. But for that reason, it oftentimes can perform a little bit better and get a little bit more engagement. And the idea with the second version of the on -paper tutorial is that you're still filming kind of an over...
overhead point of view shot of yourself drawing on a piece of paper, writing something out, sketching a diagram, whatever it may be. But at the same time, you have a second camera that's kind of like your face cam. So it's pointed at you.
And then in editing, you're going to remove the background from the face cam and kind of make it look like a green screen. Essentially, you're making it look like your talking head video is layered on top of the on paper tutorial. It's a little bit more engaging because it's a little bit more dynamic.
There's a little bit more going on and people can actually see your face and humans are more likely to pay attention to other humans. Idea number three is the five things that are not worth the money trend.
And this trend, as the title implies, is essentially a talking head video where you start by looking at the camera and saying five things that are not worth the money. You could add a qualifier. You could add something like five things that are not worth the money, fitness edition, or Five things that are not worth the money as someone who's been a hairstylist for the last 15 years.
For this post to be successful, I do think it's important that you stick with things that are not worth the money rather than things that are worth the money because basic human psychology tells us that we all have an inherent negativity bias, which simply means in this context that we are more likely to pay attention to the post of things that are not, negative word, worth the money than things that are worth the money.
My recommendation for you as you are planning out this post and as you're making your list of things that are not worth the money, start with the one that would be most surprising. Start with the one that when you say it, people are maybe even going to disagree a little bit. It might even be a little bit controversial for you to say that this thing is not worth the money because that's what's going to get people to engage.
That's what's going to get them to stick around for the rest of the list. There's this school of thought that some social media coaches teach, which is saving the best for last. Putting the most controversial controversial idea or the thing that's not worth the money that's going to get people up in arms as the fifth and final thing on the list because then it gets people to stick around to the end.
But the reality is if number one through four aren't that engaging, they're not that captivating, they're not that controversial, they're not really interesting to begin with, like five things that are not worth the money. Super mega yacht. Okay, well, like no one's going to buy that anyways.
But if the very first thing on the list is immediately engaging or controversial or gets people curious, then they're more likely to stick around. If you save the best for last, but no one sticks around and actually makes it till the end, then it's a waste. So basically front load your list.
When you make this list of things that are not worth the money and as you're planning this post, whatever the first thing is that you list, make that the one that's a little bit controversial. And by the way, quick sidebar, I know that the title of this video is 14 Real Ideas. and all 14 of these ideas are specifically going to be reels first and foremost, they can all be done in multiple formats.
And that's something that I'm always teaching and always preaching at Build Your Tribe, in my membership, the Insta Club Hub, and on my Instagram, is every idea, every post you make can be posted in a variety of different ways. So for example, that allow me to de -influence you idea, yes, I presented it to you as a talking head reel, but it could also be done as a B -roll reel with a simple back.
video of you, and then the de -influencing is just kind of typed out on the screen. It could be done in a carousel format. So the first slide says, allow me to de -influence you, fashion edition.
And then each slide of the carousel is the things that you would otherwise say. It's the sentences of the talking head reel. Instead, it's just typed out in a carousel format that people can swipe through.
That way we take one idea or one script and we use it for multiple posts. Similarly, the five things. that are not worth the money, it could be done as a talking head reel.
It could be done as a B -roll reel. It could be done as a single still image, like an infographic. It could be done as a carousel post.
Again, there are multiple ways to present the same idea so we can get more bang for our buck and more growth with less effort. As a business owner, or even especially a solo entrepreneur, you know that you have to wear about 50 million different hats every single day. You got into the business of working for yourself to avoid working 40 hours a week for someone else.
and now you end up working 80 hours a week for yourself. And especially if you're a service -based business, the whole money side of the business can feel like an entire second job. Especially if you want to look like you're the real deal and you want your invoices to look put together.
And that is where FreshBooks comes in and changes things. No more juggling various different apps for payment, receiving, billing, invoices, random spreadsheets to track everything. FreshBooks has everything in one place and makes it easy.
And it does that because FreshBooks was designed with the way us entrepreneurs and business owners think about money, not the way accountants do. For over 20 years, FreshBooks has been trusted and used by over half a million business owners. Right now, my listeners can get FreshBooks for less than $3 a month for your first four months.
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Again, that's 90 % off. Just $3 for your first four months by visiting freshbooks .com forward slash podcast. Idea number four is to make some sort of post about AI.
Right now, AI is inescapable. No matter what industry you're in, you have likely been impacted by AI and specifically AI content in some way. And so I think that there's two ways that you can approach this post and two ways that you can basically make your own reel about AI without having to make an AI clone of yourself or even use AI yourself.
And you're going to have to choose for yourself based off where your line is, what kind of content you like to make and what your stance is. But the two kinds of posts that I've seen very effective. in the space, not in the space of AI, but in the space of talking about AI recently, is number one.
anti -AI content. Of course, I'm sure you've seen viral posts about no more AI slop or no more AI posters. I know that I've had multiple viral posts recently about not using an AI poster to promote my live conference that took place in September.
I've also had multiple viral posts about anti -AI clones. As someone who teaches business owners and content creators how to grow their brands on Instagram, I'm not a fan of AI clones or to say it another way, fake AI. robot personas that are impersonating human beings.
I'm not a fan of that. And so I've made posts calling out some of these popular AI influencers, and those posts often go viral. So you could consider taking an anti -AI approach and talking about maybe how you are anti -AI or something that is, in your opinion, a disgusting or unpleasant use of AI in your industry.
The other approach is to frame it like it's anti -AI, but to actually make it funny and make it about your human fallacies. So this specific hook that I've seen you... here and my mom did one herself is screw AI or F AI or forget AI I made this with my own hands and they're expecting that they're going to see oh my gosh these beautiful things that a human could make that AI could never make but then the plot twist the funniness of this trend is then the things that you show are your mistakes so my mom had this viral video that was super funny where she was like burning toast and she was destroying things and like breaking stuff and making mistakes and spilling and And it was kind of like, you know, hey, I'm human.
I'm real, right? And it's very genuine. It's self -deprecating because of the plot twist.
It's likely going to get engagement. It's going to grab people's curiosity. And so basically the idea here for number four is to talk about AI, talk about your stance on AI in some way.
And my encouragement, if you are so bold and willing, is to take a firm stance. Idea number five is a skit reel. Now, a few weeks ago, we did an episode of this podcast with Jamie Brindle, who has grown hundreds of thousands.
of followers in the last few months because of his viral trial reels strategy and the specific way that he is optimizing his reels for retention. So if you're struggling to get views, and especially if you're struggling to figure out how to use trial reels effectively, I highly encourage you to go back. It was just a few weeks ago and listen to that episode that I did with Jamie Brindle.
I bring that up now because the specific style of reel that he's been doing over and over again is what is essentially a skit reel. It's a back and forth conversation between two characters. but really you are the person playing both characters.
This style of reel is great because the skit can be used in whatever way you want. It can be used to tell a story. It can be used to teach a tip.
It can be used to highlight a problem or talk about some sort of controversial issue. Whatever the skit ends up being about is really open -ended because conversations can be open -ended and can be about just about anything. So if you haven't already, I highly encourage you to check out that episode that I did a few weeks ago with Jamie, and I highly encourage you to check out his Instagram as a whole because he's a great...
example of a skit creator. Idea number six is the, this is not a blank trend. And the basic format here is a talking head reel where you talk directly to the camera and you say, this is not a blank.
And then you fill in the blank with the same word in multiple clips. So if you were a fitness creator, you could say, this is not a squat. This is not a squat.
This is not a squat. And then you just continually show examples of things that people think are squats, but are not. So this is not only similar to idea number one and number three in that this is also a talking head reel, but it's similar in that we're essentially taking a idea or a collection of ideas that people think are normal or that people expect to be one thing and we're saying they're not.
So again, in idea number one, in the de -influence, we're taking things that people think are normal and we're saying they're not normal. or vice versa. In idea number three, the five things that are not worth the money, we're taking things that people think are worth the money and we're saying how they're not worth the money.
In this idea, we're taking things that people think are examples of a blank in your industry. Examples of what people think are a squat. Examples of what people think are a hook.
Examples of what people think are a healthy dessert. And then we're telling them that these things are not in fact that. If you want to use your caption for this specific idea to kind of outline why it's not in fact a thing like maybe you're going to use your caption to explain why each of these examples is not a squat you could do that but I find that these reels are most effective when the video itself is quick and it's just clip clip clip clip clip example after example after example of something that people expect to be one thing but is in fact not that thing idea number seven looks really cool and it looks really creative and unique but it's actually quite easy to film and it's what I call the fake balloons trend In order to do this fake balloons trend, all you have to do is grab a couple of pieces of cardboard or paper and then write a message with really just one word per piece of paper and then attach some string to the paper.
Then all you're going to do is hold your paper or your cardboard hanging from the string and cut them one by one, but film it with your camera upside down. Then you're going to cut each of the strings one by one, and as you cut those pieces of strings, instead of looking like the cardboard is falling because of gravity, it looks like it's actually floating up out of the screen.
It's fun, it's unique, it's creative, and it's super easy. So simply just come up with a short phrase, a call to action, a quote, or a relatively short message that you could write on these pieces of cardboard and knock your socks off. Idea number eight is the, I don't know who needs to hear this trend.
And the, I don't know who needs to hear this trend has been around for a while. And it is, as the name implies, a talking head reel where you say, I don't know who needs to hear this, but, and then you share some sort of controversial opinion, hot takes, some sort of belief or some sort of message or public service announcement that people in your industry need to hear.
And similar to some of the other ideas that I've shared with you today, I recommend taking a stance here and sharing something that is actually somewhat unpopular or controversial or surprising. If you say something like, I don't know who needs to hear this, but drinking water is important. That video is probably not going to perform that well because everyone knows and everyone needs to hear that drinking water and staying hydrated is important.
But if instead you said something that was maybe a little bit more controversial, like, and I'm just making this up, so don't shoot the messenger here. If you said something like, I don't know who needs to hear this, but you can go to the gym every single day and still not make any gains.
Then people are more likely to feel some type of way about your content. They're more likely to have an opinion, to agree or disagree, to like, comment, save, share, or if they disagree, to at least comment why you're wrong. So I would never encourage you to do something that was rude, crass, defamatory, something that's going to get you canceled.
But I do want you to think about what are some opinions that you actually hold? What are some hills maybe that you would be willing to die on and turn that into content? Back in 2016, when I started my first real online business, I remember that my head was filled with so many what -ifs.
What if no one buys this? What if I'm an imposter? What if there's no market?
What if I can't sell? What if, what if, what if? What if this is all just...
a big waste of time and I'm just banging my head against the wall. But what I wish someone told me back then is just like you can imagine all the negative what -ifs, there are just as many, if not more, positive what -ifs. What if this works out?
What if this is my breakthrough? What if this is what sets me financially free? And thanks to one of today's sponsors, Shopify.
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That's S -H -O -P -I -F dot com forward slash T -R -I -B -E. Real idea number nine is a super fun one that is super easy and it's the eat the cardboard trend. In order to do this, all you're going to need is a marker, a snack of some kind, and a piece of cardboard.
Step one is to write some sort of message, public service announcement, call to action, stat, whatever you want it to be on the cardboard, and then tear off a piece of the cardboard. Then you're going to start the video by chewing while holding the cardboard near your mouth. That will then visually imply that what you're chewing is the cardboard, that that little torn off piece was the actual bite of the cardboard that you just took.
But then after a second or two, you can either take a step back or the videographer, the person who's actually filming you can take a step back. Or if you're using a tripod, it's okay to just kind of like zoom out the video in editing to reveal that. you actually just took a bite of the snack.
Then right after you take a bite of the snack, just turn around the piece of cardboard and reveal whatever message is written. This is another one of those reels that has a little bit of an unexpected plot twist, a moment that people are expecting one thing, but something else happens. It's funny.
It's lighthearted. It's super easy. You don't have to talk.
All you have to do is chew on a snack and you're good to go. Idea number 10 is the fake word search reel. But before I tell you about that one, I want to talk to you about something that is not fake.
I think I need to address the elephant in the room or rather the pionist parrot in the room. Yes, that's Yuki. Yes, that's my pionist parrot.
Yes, he's often in my reels, but he's not often in my podcast because he'll stay still for short amounts of time, but I don't know if he'll stay still for the remainder of this podcast. He's actually been in the room with me the entire time I've been recording today, but he's been off camera, but he was getting a little bit antsy.
So I decided to put him on my monitor right there and we will see. how long he lasts. But yes, he is real.
Yes, he's not fake. He's not AI. He is my little guy.
His name is Yuki. I love him to death. But let's get back into this list.
Idea number 10 is the fake word search. And so what you're going to do for the fake word search is you're going to start by coming up with a very short phrase. We're talking no more than really five words in this phrase.
It's oftentimes best as just a short public service announcement or even a call to action for a sale that you have. Then you're going to hide those words in what looks like a word search. A word search is one of those classic newspaper -style games where there's a lot of random letters.
It looks like it's kind of just a scrambled, jumbled mess of letters. And then it's your job as the one playing the game to find, aka search for, the words and circle them. But because you've created this yourself, there are only the three to five words that you have intentionally hidden in this word search.
Then print it off on a piece of paper. or you could write it out on a piece of paper if you don't have access to a printer, and then just film yourself searching for and finding those words. As you circle each of the three to five words in the word search, the viewer is going to be finding those words at the same time and thus reading them at the same time.
And thus they're going to, without realizing it, end up reading your call to action, your public service announcement, or whatever phrase you ended up coming up with. Idea number 11 is the yes, but trend. And the yes, but trend actually originates from a great cartoonist, a great illustrator who is underscore yes, underscore but.
on Instagram and they have hundreds of posts that are in this yes, but format. And the yes but format is essentially, yes, something positive has happened. We see the outcome.
And then the but is a secondary slide, a second image, or kind of like the behind the scenes, the unseen negative or the unseen downside of the positive. So if you were a recipe creator, you could have the yes half of the screen be the final product, the delicious recipe, and the but half of the screen being all of the outtakes or the messy kitchen.
or the pile of dishes in the sink at the end of creating the recipe. If you were a fitness creator, you could have the yes half of the screen be you successfully PRing or doing your best rep. And the but half of the screen could be all the times you failed or all the times you attempted that weight or that personal record and didn't quite make it.
If you were a fashion creator, the yes half of the screen could be you getting that final shot, the selfie, the great outfit, the great look. And the but half of the screen could be all of the outtakes or all of the outfits you tried on or all of the different versions of this look that you attempted that ultimately didn't work out.
This is a very authentic trend. It shows people behind the scenes and it really shows them the whole picture, pun intended. Idea number 12 is the first in my bloodline trend.
And for this one, all you have to do is think about what are you likely the first person in your bloodline to do that relates to your niche. So if you were a content creator, you are probably the first person in your bloodline to hunt for the specific swoop sound effect that will fit perfectly with your reel. If you are a real estate agent, you are probably the first person in your bloodline to record a video of yourself dancing in front of a house that's for sale.
If you were an accountant for content creators, you could say that you are the first person in your bloodline to explain that you can't write off a ring light. But even though you probably could. So this is just an example.
Again, don't shoot the messenger. Have fun with it. Try a couple different versions as trial reels.
And the goal is to find something that is at the same time relatable and broadly applicable, yet also specific enough that it's going to be funny. For example, if you said, first person in my bloodline to post a reel, yes, that is very broadly applicable because all of us are the first in our bloodline most likely to post a reel, but it's not really all that specific because kind of everyone posts reels.
So find something that's a little bit more specific and tied to your niche. Idea number 13 is the saying walk to a dog trend. And this one is super simple.
Just grab some B -roll of yourself or even just a photo of yourself that in some way relates to your niche and add text on the screen that says, saying blank to me is like saying walk to a dog. And then just fill in the blank with a word or phrase that relates to your niche that gets people really, really excited. That gets them going just like a dog does when you tell them that you're going to take them for a walk.
So if you're a fitness creator, you could say saying Chipotle to me is like saying walk to a dog. If you are a Pokemon card content creator, you could say saying the word restock to me is like saying walk to a dog. If you are a mom content creator, then you could say saying grandma's watching the kids to me is like saying walk to a dog.
Have fun with it. And again, you want to walk that line between something that is broadly applicable and relatable and yet also specifics that it's actually funny and hits home. And the final idea that I have.
have for you today is the coffee reveal. In order to do the coffee reveal, you're going to need three things, coffee, milk of some kind, and a plastic cup. And I guess actually the fourth thing you're going to need is a Sharpie.
On the plastic cup, you're going to write some sort of message, phrase, public service announcement, hot take, whatever it is you want to say. And you're going to write it in that black Sharpie. Then you're going to fill up the plastic cup with the coffee.
When you do that, the black writing will basically become invisible because it's black writing on dark brown coffee. And so it's very, very hard to see. What you're then going to do is film yourself pouring the creamer or the milk or whatever it is into that black coffee, thus making it lighter in color, changing it from that like dark, dark brown into a lighter brown.
And at the same time, it will reveal the hidden message that you had previously written on the cup. You could have fun with it. You could use multiple cups.
You could write a message on the front, have that revealed, spin the cup around, and then reveal a second message on the back. There are a lot of different creative adaptations that you can make to this trend and really any of the trends that I've shared with you today. And that's the final tip that I want to leave you with.
Experiment, have fun with it, try new things, put your own unique spin, taste, and flavor on any of the 14 ideas that I've shared with you today. And if any of them work for you, please report back. I would love to hear from you either in the comment section down below this YouTube video or via direct.
message on Instagram. Shoot me a message or leave a comment on this video and I would love to hear what successes you have had. Thank you so much for watching today.
Thank you so much for Yuki for hanging out with us. Don't forget to subscribe and as always, happy networking.
The Hook
The bait, then the rug-pull.
Fourteen Reel formats in twenty-five minutes, no preamble. Each one takes something your audience assumes and flips it, then asks you to film it with almost no gear.
Named ideas worth stealing.
00:15model
Flip the assumption
- De-influence
- Not worth the money
- This is not a blank
- Yes, but
Several formats share one move: state what people believe is normal or worth it in your niche, then show that it isn't, or the reverse.
Steal forany niche talking-head Reel
05:30concept
Front-load the list
- Open with the most surprising item
- Make it mildly controversial
- Keep the rest short
Put the most engaging item first so viewers stay for the rest, rather than saving the best for last and losing them before it arrives.
Steal forlist Reels and carousels
22:10concept
Relatable and specific
- Broadly applicable
- Niche specific
The best niche humor sits where something is relatable to everyone in your audience yet specific enough to be funny.
Steal forbloodline and walk-to-a-dog style trends
How they asked for the click.
VERBAL ASK
25:20subscribe
“Shoot me a message or leave a comment on this video and I would love to hear what successes you have had. Don't forget to subscribe.”
A soft ask that invites reporting back, with sponsor reads for FreshBooks and Shopify placed mid-video.
MENTIONED ON CAMERA
FROM THE DESCRIPTION
PRIMARY CTAWhere the creator wants you to go next.
AFFILIATECommission earned if you click.
OTHER LINKSAlso linked in the description.
Visual structure at a glance.
