heyDominik

Your caption might be killing your Reels, views and the algorithm might hate you for it.

Let's say you craft the perfect hook, set up a question that is so intriguing that the viewer is like:

"If I don't get this answer now, I will delete Instagram, divorce my wife and start a new life as a ranch boy".


But, because they're dying to know the answer, they open the caption.


And you answered the question right there. You gave it away.


They got what they came for. Video over. The viewer is satisfied. Swipe. Bye.


This happens constantly.

The creator sets up intrigue in the hook, then explains everything in the caption because they want to be "helpful."


But being helpful in the caption is killing your watch time.


The curiosity gap you create in your hook? That question needs to stay open until the final seconds of your video.


The caption should do one of two things:
- Add context that makes them MORE curious (without answering)
- Contain your call-to-action (comment trigger, weird stuff, etc.)

Never the answer.


Think about it from the viewer's psychology. They're on Instagram.

They have infinite content. Their thumb is ready to swipe.


The only thing keeping them on your video is an open loop. A question they need answered. Something that makes them go crazy if they won't know the answer.


The second that loop closes, either from you saying it OR them reading it - they're gone.

And the algorithm will see you suck =)

1 week ago | [YT] | 38

heyDominik

I'm hosting a free live workshop exclusively for artists & creatives 👇

I'll share the entire new roadmap on how to make your content BLOW UP in 2026.

Times are changing and I've worked with some of the best performing artists and creatives on the platform. On Sunday I'll share the whole game plan for you to replicate

When: 🗓️ Sun, Feb 1st | 9am PST / 12pm EST / 6pm CET

Reserve your spot here: heydominik.com/workshop?community=aws

We'll also have an open ended live Q&A chat at the end.

If you're not registered, you won't get in (+ you won't get access to the recording)

See you Sunday,
Dom

PS: Normally I only take on artists as part of my 1-on-1 mentorship - but we've been working on something awesome - I'll show share it on the workshop

1 week ago | [YT] | 48

heyDominik

Controversial opinion: Content pillars are overrated (at first)

I just saw a Reel with 250k Views in my Feed: "how I got 1M followers on Instagram."

"Step 1: I used Hooks. Step 2: I used Content Pillars" 🤡

Duh...

Now here's what I think nobody ever mentions:

Content pillars are the RESULT of research and posting.

Not the starting point. It's like buying all your furniture before you have an apartment. Been there. Not the smartest decision I made.

So, if you're early in your journey or you want to trigger the algorithm again:

- Go broad (within your niche)
- Test everything
- Gather data
- Double down
- See what works

Only THEN you'll discover your pillars. They emerge from what performs. Not from what looks good on a strategy doc.


I used to teach content pillars in week 1 on my Cohort.


Now I don't introduce them until people have posted 15-20 times.


Because theory and practice are different. What works on paper might flop in reality. Like Google+. Anybody remember that?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 23

heyDominik

Most Instagram Creators & Businesses have no idea their profile has a conversion rate.

And it's secretly impacting your algorithm & reach.

Because when people come to you and STAY to watch more - the algorithm knows your viewers are satisfied, leading to more views and higher algorithm rating.

However, if people come and most don't hit the follow button or watch more, you'll be flagged as a low quality account.

And the spiral of doom starts. Lower reach, worse leads, everything feels off.

But luckily, there are a lot of ways to increase that rate, here's a quick overview:

First, calculate your profile conversion rate:

New followers ÷ profile visits × 100

If it's under 5%, you have some major leaks.

That could be in your Bio & Profile itself, or your content strategy as a whole.

If it's between 10 - 20%, it's average - but room to improve.

If it's between 20 - 30%, your brand alignment is strong and you should be able to scale and make good money with your account.

Anything higher than that is either crazily good, or some Viral Reel skewed things around.

Point being, the fix here is not just changing your bio with some crappy formulaic bio that everybody does.

It's fixing the whole big picture and content strategy.

I'll make some video about this soon, and tomorrow in my free CreatorClub newsletter I'll show you some ways to increase that rate almost instantly.

If you want to get it, make sure to do it before tomorrow (Jan 18, 3PM EST). Otherwise you won't get it.

CreatorClub Newsletter: heydominik.com/club?community=C0117


See you soon
D

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 30

heyDominik

I had a Reel get 3,000 views last month. Total floperoo.

Made $1,800 from it.


Same month, 13k views on another one → $10,500.

Meanwhile I've talked to so many people with 500k views who can't sell a $27 ebook.


The difference isn't luck. It's knowing what game you're playing at each stage. After all, you wouldn't hang pictures before the wall is up. Cause it doesn't work.


Here's a quick breakdown on what to focus on when (let me know if I should create an in-depth video about this with examples, etc):


0-500 views:
Stop trying to go viral. The algorithm needs data. You probably need practice. Where to point the cam. What about lighting? Think: do people recognize I'm serious, or just a random low quality content creator?


500-2k views:
Research your industry obsessively. Know what's hot, who's hot and find a gap you can fill to stand out. (I just hosted a private zoom workshop where I talked about this - it's online for 48 more hours here on this channel before I take it off)

Then, focus 85% of your energy on hooks and get that skip rate down. This is the only way to grow fast.


2k-10k views:
Start moving traffic to your email list. Not just for safety, but also infinitely make people engage with you more by sending them super valuable emails.

Instagram doesn't pay you, your email list does.

10k-50k views:

Double down on what's working. Analyze all the data to build your 100k roadmap. You already got all the data to unlock it.

Build an offer worth $2k+, not a $27 ebook and scale to $50k+ months. I'll have more content about this and emails, etc on my second, business focused channel soon.

Which stage are you at right now


(Btw, if you want help installing this whole system for you, Cohort 8 starts Jan 15. Check my latest live to learn more)

1 month ago | [YT] | 41

heyDominik

AI broke something fundamental for creators. And most don't realize it.

It's not about fake content flooding the internet.
It's how people consume now.


Every piece of content gets filtered through "Is this even real?". You're under general suspicion. Phony until proven otherwise.

Doesn't matter that you're legit.


People scroll faster. Trust slower. Engage less publicly. Likes used to be reflexes. Now they're weighted decisions. You don't want to be someone that publicly likes a low effort AI post, do you?


The creators who get this are shifting their entire approach. Less chasing reach.

More building trust over time. Interesting times are ahead of us, my friends.

1 month ago | [YT] | 37

heyDominik

Instagram growth (any short-form content) isn't about luck. It's about fixing these 8 things:

Audience: Nobody cares about you. Make your content ONLY about them,
Hook: You have 0.5s. Not 3. They need to instantly get it's about THEIR needs.
Consistency: NOT "post every day". Consistent quality that sets you apart.
Signature Content: Random content builds viewers. Signature content builds buyers.
Analytics: Stop being emotional and accept your content sucks, based on data.
Content Quality: Good lighting, set-design and fonts styles that look clean
Community: Reply to every single comment. They will remember.
Patience: accept it will take a while until things catch up. You are not entitled to anything.

Bonus tip: stop with the AI generated content crap. the bubble is about to burst

1 month ago | [YT] | 68

heyDominik

Most creators never think about WHERE they position their camera.

Below eye level = Professional, authoritative, expert vibes
(Use for: tutorials, educational content, "serious" topics)

Above eye level = Intimate, relatable, friend vibes
(Use for: vlogs, personal stories, casual chats)

The secret? CONTRAST. Mix both to keep people engaged.

Been doing this for 8 years. Still works every time.

2 months ago | [YT] | 51

heyDominik

Repost your content like this to get 100x more Views on Instagram 👇

Most Instagram creators struggle with creating NEW content every single week. They don't realize they're sitting on goldmines.

Here's the play:

- Take a video from 2-3 months ago
- Change ONLY the hook (3 variations)
- Post as trial reels
- Let algorithm pick the winner
- Post to main feed
- Literally REPOST one video without changing a thing additionally.

You just got 5 posts from 1 idea. Zero extra filming.

On average my clients get 3x the engagement with 80% less work.

2 months ago | [YT] | 36

heyDominik

Do you add TEXT to your hooks at the very start, or later?

3 months ago | [YT] | 22