Mastering the Art of the Social Hook with Melissa Rosenthal
Melissa Rosenthal has spent her career mastering the art of attention—first at BuzzFeed, then at Cheddar, ClickUp, and now as CEO of Outlever. She was at the forefront of shaping viral content before the LinkedIn feed we all know existed.
From inventing the hook that made BuzzFeed’s content irresistible, to breaking LinkedIn with viral video at Cheddar, to turning ClickUp’s employees into organic LinkedIn machines, she’s rewritten the rules on how B2B companies show up online.
But here’s what you wouldn’t know from her LinkedIn profile—Melissa has a deep passion for Japanese culture, something that’s reflected in her Instagram more than her LinkedIn. Whether it’s the aesthetics of Japanese design, her interest in traditional craftsmanship, or her travels to Tokyo, she brings the same attention to detail and storytelling to her work in content and branding.
The old playbook—boring, corporate, forgettable—is dead. Here’s how Melissa helped build a new one.
How BuzzFeed perfected the art of the hook
“The hook makes or breaks your content,” Melissa says. She learned this firsthand at BuzzFeed, where her job was to engineer attention—figuring out how to craft headlines that made people have to click. Her team didn’t just write headlines; they tested, optimized, and reworked them until they were impossible to ignore. It was a data-driven process, where the psychology of curiosity played a major role. “People don’t engage with content unless they feel like they need to know what happens next.”
But she’s quick to warn: curiosity is different from clickbait. “Clickbait kills trust. If you don’t deliver, you lose people forever.” The key is to open a loop that the audience wants to close, without misleading them. Shhe applies the same principles to LinkedIn. The best-performing posts create an emotional or intellectual hook—something that stops the scroll and makes people invest in the outcome. “If you can get someone to stop scrolling, you’ve won half the battle. The rest is making sure they stay.”
The video strategy that took over LinkedIn
Melissa was early to the LinkedIn video revolution—before most people even realized video belonged on the platform. “At Cheddar, we were getting tens of millions of engagements before anyone thought video could work on LinkedIn,” she recalls. They weren’t just posting clips—they were telling stories in a fast-paced, visually engaging way that forced attention. The network was built for text, but they proved that video, done right, could dominate.
The reason? Video builds trust faster than text. People connect with faces, voices, and energy—not just words. “There’s an intimacy to video that text can’t replicate. It makes you feel like you know the person speaking.” Now, video is making a comeback on LinkedIn, and she sees it as an unfair advantage for those who embrace it. “If you’re not experimenting with video, you’re missing out. The algorithm is rewarding it again, and most people still aren’t leveraging it the right way.”
Why your own story beats another Steve Jobs post
“We don’t need another Steve Jobs story,” Melissa says. “We need your story.” The worst thing you can do on LinkedIn? Sound like everyone else. “The most successful creators share experiences only they could have.” That means being specific, personal, and real. Too many people fall into the trap of repackaging generic advice, rather than sharing what truly sets them apart. “If you’re regurgitating the same startup lessons as everyone else, you’re forgettable.”
Instead, she advises focusing on what makes your experience unique—the hard lessons, the unexpected wins, the moments that shaped you. “The most valuable content comes from lived experience. If you can share something that only you could say, you’ll stand out without even trying.” People value those who bring fresh perspectives, not those who repeat old ones. “Stop writing what you think people want to hear. Write what only you can say.”
How to measure LinkedIn’s impact without guesswork
LinkedIn’s impact isn’t always easy to track—but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Unlike paid channels, where attribution is straightforward, LinkedIn requires a more qualitative approach to measurement. “Most executives don’t realize how much LinkedIn influences the sales cycle because they’re looking in the wrong places.”
Melissa’s advice? Just ask. “If you’re not tracking ‘How did you hear about us?’ in sales calls or demo forms, you’re missing attribution.” But beyond that, she points out that LinkedIn’s true value isn’t just about direct response—it’s about long-term brand awareness and influence.
“People won’t always click a link or fill out a form, but that doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention,” she explains. On that note, she cited brand awareness studies, a method most B2B companies ignore. If you’re not measuring how often your brand is being recalled in your category, you’re missing a massive piece of the puzzle. For Melissa, the key takeaway is that LinkedIn is a long-term brand-building machine.
Forget Virality and Focus on What Matters
“Going viral is a sugar rush,” Melissa says. “It feels good, but does it actually drive business?” Most people chase engagement numbers. Melissa chases relationships. Virality is not the goal—business impact is. “You don’t need 10,000 likes. You need the right 10 people to care.” The best LinkedIn strategy isn’t about hacks—it’s about consistency, trust, and posting with purpose.
“Every post should have a reason,” she says. “If you’re just posting to chase engagement, you’re wasting your time.” Instead, she focuses on sustainable audience-building, ensuring that her content fosters conversations, not just impressions. “A post that starts a real dialogue is worth more than a post that racks up empty likes.”
Until Next Time, Stay Connected
For those pondering LinkedIn, Melissa’s advice is simple. Just start. “You don’t need a perfect strategy. You just need to get comfortable sharing. Once you do, it gets easier.” Start small—sharing a lesson, an opinion, or an observation once or twice a week. Over time, the process becomes natural.
She’s spent her career proving that attention isn’t an accident—it’s engineered. The takeaway? Boring content is a snooze. Authentic, story-driven content wins the day. If you’re still playing by the old rules, it’s time to rethink everything.
If Melissa’s insights resonated with you, follow her on LinkedIn here. And don’t forget to check out the Outlever too.
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And if you need help with your LinkedIn strategy, connect with your host with the most, Brad Zomick, on LinkedIn! Send him a DM and let him know what’s holding you back—whether it’s finding your voice, crafting scroll-stopping content, or building a strategy that actually drives business results. He’s here to help you get LinkedIn Famous!