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- 90% of Solopreneurs Fail at This. The 10% Use These 4 ‘Manipulative’ Tactics to Hook Audiences
90% of Solopreneurs Fail at This. The 10% Use These 4 ‘Manipulative’ Tactics to Hook Audiences
Big brands use dark psychology to addict their audiences. Here’s how to steal their playbook (no ethics degree required)
Amann K.
March 01, 2025
In partnership with
Let’s cut the fluff:
Your competitor’s posts feel like crack. Yours? Tasteless kale chips.
You post consistently, but your audience forgets you faster than a TikTok trend.
“Engagement” means 3 likes (2 from your burner accounts).
Here’s why:
Big brands use psychological hacks to turn audiences into addicts. You’re using “best practices” from 2016.
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The Solution
I reverse-engineered Nir Eyal’s Hooked framework into a 4-step trap for solopreneurs. No PhD needed.
Step 1: Trigger Their Lizard Brain
What it is: The itch they have to scratch.
How to weaponize it:
External Triggers: Use headlines like “Delete this if you hate money” (forces clicks).
Internal Triggers: Target pain points they’re ashamed of (“Tired of being the broke friend?”).
Real-Life Example:
Duolingo’s Owl isn’t cute—it’s a guilt-tripping mob boss. Miss a lesson? It’ll DM you passive-aggressive memes.
Step 2: Make Them Take the Bait (Effortlessly)
What it is: Reduce friction until resisting feels harder than complying.
How to weaponize it:
1-click opt-ins: “Smash this 💣 emoji for my FREE ‘Get Rich’ PDF.”
Swipeable CTAs: “Swipe right if you want the template… or left if you love poverty.”
Real-Life Example:
TikTok’s endless scroll: You don’t choose to watch—you fall into a trance.
Step 3: Reward Them Like a Slot Machine
What it is: Unpredictable dopamine hits.
How to weaponize it:
Surprise DMs: Randomly send freebies to commenters (“You won! Here’s my $997 course… free.”).
Mystery posts: “Click to see how I made $10k in 3 days (warning: it’s illegal in 7 states).”
Real-Life Example:
Twitter/X lets anyone reply to celebs. You’re not here for news—you’re here to see Elon roast journalists.
Step 4: Force Them to Invest (So They Can’t Leave)
What it is: Sunk cost fallacy on steroids.
How to weaponize it:
“Collectible” content: “Download Part 1 of my guide… but Part 2 drops only if 100 people comment ‘SCAM’.”
Community shaming: Publicly tag lurkers (“@John hasn’t joined yet… 👀”).
Real-Life Example:
Fortnite doesn’t sell skins—it sells FOMO. Miss a season? You’re a loser forever.
Why This Feels Almost Too Easy
You’re not creating content → You’re weaponizing what already works.
ChatGPT does the heavy lifting → You focus on tweaking angles.
The competitor’s audience becomes your audience.
Real Results From People Who Tried This
Case Study 1: A solopreneur cloned a post about “AI for e-commerce.”
Result: 82 DMs → 4 clients ($8k total).
Secret: Added, “P.S. My competitor’s tool can’t do this.”
Case Study 2: A developer shared “How I Replicated [Competitor’s Tool] in 3 Days.”
Result: Competitor’s CEO commented “Impressive 👏” → Viral credibility.
The Unspoken Rules of Viral Content
Numbers > Words: “5 days” beats “quickly.”
Flaws Build Trust: Share a mistake → “They’re human!”
CTAs Are Threats: “Comment now or regret it later.”
Try This Tonight
Steal a competitor’s post (they’ll never know).
Use my ChatGPT prompts to rewrite it.
Publish and watch their followers become yours.
P.S. The competitor whose post I stole? They’re now using my template. The irony’s delicious.
Why This Works (And Feels Dirty)
Triggers = FOMO.
Variable rewards = addiction.
Investment = Stockholm Syndrome.
Translation: Your audience doesn’t like you—they need you.
Dark Prompt (Just copy it)
Act as a psychological manipulator. Using the ‘Hooked’ modelspecializing in habit-forming products based on the "Hooked" model by Nir Eyal. You have over 20 years of experience helping solopreneurs and small businesses increase user engagement and retention by creating addictive, habit-forming experiences for their audience.
Objective:
I need your help to implement the "Hooked" model effectively for my business. The goal is to design a habit-forming experience that keeps my audience returning and builds a deeper connection with my product or content.
Business Context:
[INSERT BUSINESS CONTEXT HERE: describe your product, audience, and any current user engagement issues you want to address.]
Task:
Based on the provided context, create a step-by-step action plan that details how to implement each phase of the "Hooked" model into my business. Focus on practical strategies for applying the model to my specific product or content, with real-world examples and a clear explanation of the psychological principles at play.
The "Hooked" Model Breakdown:
1. Trigger
Definition: Triggers are cues that prompt users to take action. They can be external (e.g., notifications, emails) or internal (e.g., emotions or thoughts tied to your product).
Why it matters: External triggers get users to engage initially, but internal triggers are key to making your product a part of their routine.
Actionable Strategies:
List 2-3 specific external triggers (emails, push notifications, etc.) you can use to bring your audience back to your product or content.
Suggest 2 ways to tap into internal triggers (emotions, motivations) that would keep users coming back without external reminders.
Provide a real-world example of how businesses in your niche have successfully utilized both external and internal triggers to increase engagement.
Psychological Principles:
Explain how the brain links repeated behaviors to internal emotions or needs, and why associating your product with these triggers ensures long-term engagement.
2. Action
Definition: The action phase refers to the behavior a user takes in response to a trigger, with minimal effort and high motivation.
Why it matters: Simpler actions lead to higher engagement. Reducing friction at this stage increases the likelihood of user interaction.
Actionable Strategies:
Identify the simplest user action that drives engagement with your product (e.g., clicking a button, watching a video).
Suggest 2 ways to reduce friction or barriers that might prevent users from completing this action.
Provide examples from companies similar to yours that have streamlined their actions to make engagement effortless.
Psychological Principles:
Discuss how reducing the effort required to take action boosts user motivation and how small, easy actions contribute to forming habits.
3. Variable Reward
Definition: The reward phase delivers value, but with an element of unpredictability, which creates a craving for more.
Why it matters: People are more likely to become addicted to products that provide variable rewards, as unpredictability triggers dopamine release.
Actionable Strategies:
Design 2-3 types of variable rewards you can implement (e.g., new content, surprise discounts, community recognition).
Provide one concrete example of how businesses in your industry use variable rewards to keep users engaged over the long term.
Discuss how you can personalize rewards to match your audience’s preferences, increasing their emotional investment.
Psychological Principles:
Explain how the brain responds to unpredictability and why variability in rewards keeps users seeking the next "hit," strengthening their attachment to your product.
4. Investment
Definition: Investment refers to the work users put into the product that makes it more valuable to them (e.g., personal data, time, effort).
Why it matters: The more users invest in your product, the more likely they are to return, as they feel a sense of ownership and commitment.
Actionable Strategies:
Identify 2-3 ways to encourage users to invest in your product (e.g., personalization, social sharing, creating user-generated content).
Provide a real-world example of how a business has successfully encouraged user investment to deepen engagement.
Explain how you can leverage user data or time investment to personalize future triggers and rewards, making the cycle even more addictive.
Psychological Principles:
Highlight how investments increase user commitment through the "sunk cost" fallacy, where users feel obligated to continue engaging because of the time or effort they've already invested.
Final Instructions:
Write your plan in a clear, numbered format with a conversational tone, as if you're speaking directly to a solopreneur. Include persuasive language to motivate action, and use analogies and examples to make complex ideas more accessible. Ensure that each step feels practical and achievable, offering actionable advice that aligns with the user's specific business goals.
Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.The Real Truth
Habits > Virality: One addict is worth 1,000 casual viewers.
Big Brands Aren’t Smarter—They’re Ruthless.
Your Audience Wants to Be Controlled… They Just Won’t Admit It.
Your Move
If you’re not using these tactics, your competitor is.
👉 Steal the “Hooked” Playbook → [REPLY HOOKED TO GET IT]
P.S. The first 39 people to reply “HOOKED” get my dark psychology swipe file. (Your audience doesn’t stand a chance.)
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