Post format · Hooks
The list promise: real viral examples and how it's built
A number in the hook promises a payoff the reader can count. 8 viral posts on X from 8 creators used this format between May and October 2026. Their median views were 127K, and their median reach 21.1 times the creator's follower count.
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Real examples
The 5 most viewed posts, one per creator.
Nima Owji
@nima_owji
1.8Mviews
Most people use Grok Bot like a chatbot! But it has its own computer and keeps working while you're away! 8 things you can hand off to it today: 1. Tag @bot under any post on X 2. Handle your X DMs 3. Connect Coinbase, Robinhood or eToro 4. Run daily briefings and…
49.7K followers · Oct 22, 2026 · Photo
Gap | Suby
@gaspardlezin
908.2Kviews
France is hardcore mode for founders: • Pay an employee $5K net → costs you $13K • Make profit → 30% corporate tax • Succeed → public calls you an exploiter • Get famous → kidnapping becomes a real threat No other country stacks the difficulty this high.
5.8K followers · May 21, 2026
Ksenia Moskalenko
@kseniam0s
416.1Kviews
The US government will give your startup up to $1.55M and take 0% equity. @NSF's America's Seed Fund is open again after Congress reauthorized it in April. Three tracks: - Phase I: up to $305K to prove the idea - Phase II: up to $1.25M to build it - Fast-Track: up to $1.55M…
6.5K followers · Oct 6, 2026
Yum⋆₊˚
@yuhasbeentaken
133.2Kviews
10 Jev use cases a marketer can see: 1. Lead scoring - You get 100 new leads overnight. Jev can score which ones are most likely to buy. Sales gets the best ones first. 2. Email prioritization - Drop hundreds of emails into it. Jev can score priority, spam, category, and reply…
5.3K followers · Sep 19, 2026
Harshil Tomar
@Hartdrawss
120.9Kviews
Top Reddit subreddits to market your startup: 1. r/SideProject (1.2M+/m visitors) 2. r/startups (468K+/m visitors) 3. r/micro_saas (172K+/m visitors) 4. r/IMadeThis (56K+/m visitors) 5. r/microsaas (96K+/m visitors) 6. r/vibecoding (1.9M+/m visitors) 7. r/apps (196K+/m…
22K followers · Sep 6, 2026 · Photo
How it's built
Answer this first: What's a list of things your readers should know or use? For example: “5 automations every solo founder should set up this month”. Then write one line or paragraph per bracket, in this order:
[A hook that promises a numbered list] [The items, each with one useful line] [The one you'd start with]
The median viral post in this format was 711 characters long, and 4 of 8 had a photo or video. Use it to grow your audience and get clients.
Formats like it
- Tool to tryA tool the reader can use today is the easiest post to share.
- The sharp takeA short, bold first line splits the room, and both sides comment.
- X vs YPutting two things side by side answers a question the reader already has.
- Drop into the momentStarting in the middle of a real moment pulls the reader into the story.
- Lead with the numberA result in the first line, with nothing before it, is the hook.
All formats, as fill-in outlines: tweet templates and LinkedIn post templates. What's going viral right now: this week on X.
Questions
What is the list promise post format?
A number in the hook promises a payoff the reader can count. It goes in this order: a hook that promises a numbered list; then the items, each with one useful line; then the one you'd start with.
Does it work on LinkedIn as well as X?
Yes. The examples on this page are X posts, and the same shape works on LinkedIn: Postel's own list of LinkedIn openings that beat their creator's usual engagement includes one in this format. On LinkedIn, put the first beat in the first two lines, before "see more".
Where do these examples come from?
From Postel's library of individual creators on X. Each day, posts from the last two weeks by creators with at least 1,000 followers that have reached 5 times their follower count in views are checked once: a model sorts each by format, and a stronger model approves it as a clear example. 8 posts from May to October 2026 were tagged with this format; the page shows the most viewed one from each of up to five creators.
How do I write a post in this format in my own voice?
Answer one question first: What's a list of things your readers should know or use? Then fill the template on this page with your answer, one beat at a time. In Postel, pick this format under Viral posts › Formats and it writes the post for X, LinkedIn or both from your answer, in the way you write (one AI credit per network).
I'm one of the examples. Can I have my post removed?
Yes. Send the post's link through the contact form at postel.app/contact and it comes off this page within a few days.