Hook Ads Are Booming—Even in the U.S. Market
What used to be written off as ‘junk’ content is now turning into a global traffic engine.
Take the case of ReelShort—a U.S. short drama platform founded by a Chinese team. Their soap opera-style content has generated over $70 million in revenue. U.S. users are five times more likely to pay than Chinese viewers.
Source: ReelShort
And that’s not the only surprise. On the GoodsFox Top Websites, we spotted another aggressive player—BigGlobalTravel.
Despite claiming to be a travel tips website, this brand runs thousands of ads on Meta using suggestive thumbnails and outrageous, cliffhanger drama copy.
Clickbait Ads, But for What?
BigGlobalTravel is just the front-end.
In the past 30 days, it launched over 2,000 ad creatives on Meta, targeting women over 65 across the U.S., Mexico, Spain, and Italy.
Once clicked, the user is redirected—not to the end of the story, but to another domain like SneakerToast, which is filled with affiliate banners and monetized links.
Multiple Ad Slots on the Page. Source: SneakerToast
Why the detour?
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Ad Review Compliance
The platform blocks low-quality landing pages. BigGlobalTravel uses generic travel content to pass Meta’s ad checks. -
Tracking & Custom Rules
It collects user behavior via embedded tracking and redirects based on region or device type. -
Ban Risk Diversion
If a conversion page gets flagged, the traffic front (BigGlobalTravel) can be swapped easily without penalty.
This is nothing new. TikTok and Rednote also use similar tricks: misleading copy, “drama hooks,” and redirect links.
What is Clickbait Ads?
These clickbait ads thrive on Zeigarnik Effect—a psychological principle where incomplete narratives make users obsess.
Headlines like:
“Camilla finally spoke up, revealing a secret about Diana to Charles..., ‘You have to know… Diana was my—’”
These grab attention immediately, especially in topics like royalty, infidelity, and betrayal—triggers designed to provoke emotion and curiosity.
However, these tactics only work for certain monetization models:
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Affiliate Sites: Paid per click, lead, or sale.
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Low-ticket E-commerce: Emotion-based impulse buys.
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Gray-area Content: Adult, crypto, or quasi-news pages.
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Lead Gen Pages: Capture emails or personal info via quizzes or fake giveaways.
If you’re building a trusted brand with long-term value, don’t use these. These ads are cheap, high-volume, and disposable.
The Algorithm Has No Soul—But You Do
We’re in an era of compressed storytelling. Everyone demands instant dopamine.
Yes, “hook ads” work. But audiences become numb over time. Platforms evolve. The format becomes overused.
BigGlobalTravel’s success lies not in its aesthetics but its structural funnel: clickbait → redirect → monetize.
But if your funnel isn’t airtight—or your audience needs trust to convert—this tactic backfires.
Before copying the strategy, ask:
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Is my monetization direct-response or retention-based?
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Will my audience tolerate clickbait?
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Can I handle volatility and risk?
Remember: Attention is currency. Use it wisely.
