When a video turns into a sales pitch halfway through, do you keep watching? Most people don’t. We’re trained to scroll the second something feels like an ad.
Think about it. Why do we go on social media in the first place? It’s usually to:
- Be entertained after a long day,
- Learn something new, and
- Stumble upon a fun surprise or inspiration.
We’re not there to get bombarded with commercials or pitches. So when a post smells like an advertisement, viewers quickly move on.
Yet many creators still treat their social profiles like digital billboards or product pages. They constantly push promos and mistake their content for commercials. In doing so, they forget that social media is meant for relationship-building at scale. And you wouldn’t try to buy your way into a real relationship, would you?
Instead, you’d invest in the relationship: you’d show up consistently, you’d show you care, and you’d put in the time. The same goes for your audience. You can’t buy their trust or attention with ads; you have to earn it by providing genuine value.
Case Study: Jigsaw Health’s Viral Transformation
Just look at the transformation one supplement brand, Jigsaw Health, achieved by adopting this relationship-first mindset. They had been pouring huge budgets into ads across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more overspending on visibility that never translated into real connection. Their team worried, “If we don’t constantly talk about our supplements, how will people even know we sell them?”
But the key to Jigsaw’s growth wasn’t pushing more products. It was shifting to give value to trusted health experts. We helped them integrate viral-friendly content formats like engaging “How Much Sugar Is In Your Product?” demos that educated and entertained their audience. And soon enough, their organic content took off. Jigsaw’s videos attracted 10 million views and brought in 10,000 new followers organically, without spending a single ad dollar.
“We’ve learned a new skill, how to go viral on purpose…We used to think it was just luck, but now we have a repeatable process.”
That’s the point. Ads might buy some impressions, but creative content formats earn real attention. Attention leads to trust, and trust leads to sales. In other words, you can’t buy your way into virality, you have to build it.
Want help with your social media strategy? Connect 1-on-1 with Hook Point's team here to see if we are the right fit to work together.
