Formal phrasing of outcome question to create curiosity.
What occurs when is just question with better formality
It works because it hits three triggers: curiosity, formality, and investment. The what occurs creates curiosity. The when creates formality. The you creates investment. People see "What occurs when you change your posting schedule" and think: "I want to know what occurs. I want to know the outcome." They click because what occurs when feels engaging—even when the outcome is standard. It's not about being clever—it's about making questions feel formal.
Real-World Examples
About this hook technique
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Start Hooks SessionAbout Experiment & Hack Hooks
Experiment & Hack Hooks work because people want to see what happens. When you ask "what occurs when," you create curiosity. Not because they're smart—because they're human and want to know outcomes. These hooks don't need to be clever. They just need to create curiosity. The "what occurs when you [action]" hook does exactly that—it makes questions feel formal.