Cliffhanger Posts on Facebook: The Comment Generator

There are so many of us who live for the thrill of getting Likes on Facebook. There’s even been research about how to get more Likes and Comments on your posts.

Interestingly, there are simple things you can do to increase the number of Likes and Comments you get.

You can add a picture. Who doesn’t love a picture? You can limit the amount of words you post. Make it short and sweet and to the point. Think of the success of #hashtags. Why use 11 words when you can #hashtagit in two or three?

It’s true: We are so visual. Think about how short our attention spans have become.

How many times do you log onto Facebook, your email or anywhere online and the next thing you know you’ve looked at 20 other things except for the thing you logged on to do?

What gets your attention on Facebook?

Think of advertising and the catchy phrases and little quips.

Would you rather read a long paragraph about something or are you more drawn to a great image and small caption?

Years ago, in a communications class, I remember learning the most read things in newspapers were the captions under the pictures. People want things quick and to the point. And this was before we all had the technology we do today.

Think back to some of your own “successful” Facebook posts, even if your Likes totaled just a few dozen.

Something about that post made it more Like-worthy than your other posts. I’m not talking about Big Life Event posts, just your everyday, run-of-the-mill type posts.

cliffhanger posts
Cliffhanger posts (Photo credit: Kylie_Jaxxon)

Facebook cliffhanger posts

There was a period of time in Facebookland where people started writing cliffhanger posts. Cliffhanger posts are when one of your Facebook friends writes something like:

  • Terrible day today.
  • Why are people so mean?
  • Hoping things get better soon.
  • Please pray for me.
  • I hate life.
  • Mean people suck.
  • I can’t wait for next week!
  • Need prayers.
  • Started my new job today!
  • We’re moving!
  • Will this day ever end?

These are just examples, naturally, but we’ve all seen them. Your Facebook friend gave just a snippet of information and left you wondering exactly what is going on. It’s the Facebook post that reads like a season finale: It leaves you hanging.

Have you ever written a post like this?

I did by accident once and was SO embarrassed when I realized it. It was my moving day and at the last minute, with my moving truck outside, I snapped a picture and posted it on Facebook. I wrote something like “Goodbye Cleveland friends. We’ll miss you!”

Basically, I did it because I didn’t get a chance to personally see everyone before leaving.

I meant it as a goodbye to my neighbors and local friends who all knew I was moving. I wasn’t thinking of the rest of my Facebook friends, many of whom had no idea we were moving.

So of course, the first series of questions came in, “Where are you moving?” and I quickly edited my original post to say goodbye to my existing town and listed my new town, in a “Goodbye Cleveland, Hello Sacramento” kind of way.

I was completely mortified I’d written a cliffhanger Facebook post like this because many view these open-ended questions as an obvious cry for Comments, Likes and attention in general.

Naturally, cliffhanger posts will elicit Comments to help, praise, congratulate, and question.

What to do when you see a cliffhanger post?

When you see a Facebook post like this, you are obligated to Comment offering your support and to ask: What is going on?

Or you feel compelled to “Turn on Notifications for this Post” so that you can follow along with everyone else’s Comments, hoping the original poster answers the question before scores of people start commenting.

Naturally, people will start commenting with:

  • “What happened?”
  • “You are a GREAT person.”
  • “Who could be mean to you? You’re so nice!”
  • “You can do it!”
  • “Praying!”
  • “What’s wrong???”
  • “Congrats! Where are you _______ (working, moving, etc.)?”

People proving they are close friends

As long as you have to read on down the Comments to find out what is going on, you will be sure to notice some of the original poster’s Close Friends.

You’ve seen these people. These are the friends who are closer friends than you are to the original poster.

These people will swoop in to Comment with something that demonstrates to all the lesser friends that they know what is going on.

These friends rank higher than you do. They are there, have been, and always will be in full support or whatever. Oh how people love to be “in the know” and better than others.

<Of course, offer your full support to your friends! This is geared toward those who purposely need to set themselves above others.>

So while you are still trying to figure out what went on in the Original Poster’s life, you can be amused at the best friends who are clamoring to Comment quickly, offering their support, writing something that tells everyone else that they already know the news.

They don’t need to learn about it on Facebook like the rest of the commoners.

These people who want to prove they are closer to the Original Poster than you are will post something like:

  • “How did it go today?”
  • “I’ve been ________ you (praying for, thinking about, etc.).”
  • “I knew you could do it!”
  • “Let’s talk again soon.”

An end to cliffhanger posts – thank goodness

Thankfully, soon after all of these kinds of cliffhangers were put out in Facebookland, many articles began to circulate about “What not to do on Facebook.” One of the cardinal sins was one of these types of cliffhanger posts.

Alleluia!

You will still see them occasionally, but they aren’t as common as they used to be.

Sure, we all post stuff like this occasionally, probably not meaning to. But now, it seems people are being more aware of this when posting.

Your Facebook friends will post whatever it is going on, not purposefully looking for dozens of Comments asking what is happening. We no longer have to suffer through dozens of Comments just to find out what the big story is.

Again, Alleluia!

What are some of the best cliffhanger posts have you seen? Do you post them yourself?

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