@oliviabarbulescu
Instagram · Carousel
@oliviabarbulescu “Are your friends negging you?” Out now on Substack + YouTube, linked in my bio. This was a really painful, but ultimately cathartic piece to write, as I’ve tried to celebrate my successes but been mourning a few friendships. Let me know what you think in the comments. #writer #substack #emergingwriter #womenincomedy
Performance
Video #33953 · Carousel
[01]
A female creator shares a selfie with text overlays explaining that her viral essay, read by 4.3 million people, resulted in the loss of three friendships. The image includes a screenshot as proof of the essay's reach, aiming to tell a vulnerable story about the negative side of success.
[02]
[03]
1.1M112.1×Creator shares viral essay success.@oliviabarbulescu · Social Proof Showcase
197.8K15.1×Creator shows off viral essay success@oliviabarbulescu · Social Proof Showcase
186.8K18.9×Creator shares authentic content strategy@its.sammywu · Vulnerable Monologue
326.9K74.6×Candid selfie with social media advice@floofysocials · Hot Take
598.7K36.3×Creator reacts to woman's video@holistic.grenade · Reaction
351.9K7×Realizing your haters are real@juliabroome · Relatable One Shot
829.5K2.5×Creator's origin story for content@milkytran · Origin Story
1.6M5.2×Creator selfie with recommendation hook@gracebeverley · Statement Carousel
269.9K8.1×Creator shares motivational success story@justinescameraroll_ · Vulnerable Monologue
11.8M4.6×Commentator breaks down influencer drama@daadisnacks · Headlines
121.1K5.1×Follower growth through mindset change@var.aunevik · Vulnerable Monologue
202.7K54×Critiquing influencer social media lies@theoparisi__ · Hot Take[04]
[05]
What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds
Title hook · 45%
I wrote an essay that was read by 4.3 million people.
Verbal hook · 50%
That one success caused three separate friendships to end
Visual hook · 5%
A direct-to-camera selfie with a somber expression is juxtaposed with a statement of massive success, creating emotional intrigue. A highlighted screenshot provides social proof, drawing the eye and adding credibility to the claim.
[06]
Steal this for your own video
My cost me .
[07]
The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back
Hook
The entire first (and only) slide acts as a two-part hook, combining a massive achievement with a shocking personal consequence to create an immediate information gap.
Payoff
The narrative resolution is deliberately withheld from the visual content, functioning as a powerful call-to-action that directs the audience to the caption or a link in bio to satisfy their curiosity.
[08]
The structural pattern this video runs on
Framework
The Success & Sacrifice Hook
Juxtaposes a massive, verifiable achievement with a surprising, negative personal consequence on a single slide. This creates an intense curiosity gap that drives users to the caption or an external link for the full story.
The Verifiable Achievement
Presents a highly impressive and specific success, supported by a visual proof element (like a screenshot), to establish immediate credibility and high stakes.
The Paradoxical Cost
Juxtaposes the achievement with a deeply personal and negative consequence, creating an immediate and compelling story question ('How could X lead to Y?').
The Implied Continuation
Uses a visual cue (an arrow) to signal that the story is incomplete, driving the user to swipe or read the caption for the resolution.
“Are your friends negging you?” Out now on Substack + YouTube, linked in my bio. This was a really painful, but ultimately cathartic piece to write, as I’ve tried to celebrate my successes but been mourning a few friendships. Let me know what you think in the comments. #writer #substack #emergingwriter #womenincomedy
contextual · photo_0
I wrote an essay that was read by 4.3 million people.
contextual · photo_0
That one success caused three separate friendships to end