That little blue "see more" link is the most important piece of real estate on LinkedIn. It's the gateway between your post being read in full or being scrolled right past.
In this guide, we'll break down exactly how the "see more" button works, why it matters so much, and the specific techniques that can help you get 10x more clicks.
Understanding the "See More" Mechanics
The Character Cutoff
LinkedIn shows a limited preview of your post before the "see more" button. The exact cutoff varies by device and context:
- **Mobile (most important)**: ~140-150 characters
- **Desktop**: ~250-300 characters
- **Mobile app vs mobile web**: Slight variations
Since over 60% of LinkedIn users access the platform on mobile, the 140-character limit is your primary constraint.
What Appears Above the Fold
On mobile, readers see:
- Your profile picture and name
- Your headline (truncated)
- Time posted
- The first ~140 characters of your post
- "...see more" link
- **Quality signal**: Your content is worth more of the reader's time
- **Engagement predictor**: Click leads to reading leads to reactions/comments
- **Distribution trigger**: More clicks = more algorithmic distribution
- I stopped..."
- See if your hook gets cut awkwardly
- Optimize word placement for the cutoff
- Preview before publishing
- Find the 140-character point
- Ensure there's a compelling phrase just before or straddling that line
- Adjust wording if needed
- **Impressions**: Total views of your post in feeds
- **Unique views**: People who saw the full post (clicked "see more")
- **View-through rate**: Unique views / Impressions
- **Engagement rate**: (Reactions + Comments + Shares) / Impressions
- **Below average**: <5% view-through rate
- **Average**: 5-10% view-through rate
- **Good**: 10-15% view-through rate
- **Excellent**: 15-25% view-through rate
- **Viral potential**: 25%+ view-through rate
- **More clicks = More engaged readers**
- **More engaged readers = More reactions/comments**
- **More engagement = Algorithmic boost**
- **Algorithmic boost = More impressions**
- **More impressions = More clicks (loop restarts)**
Everything else is hidden until the click. This means your hook—and only your hook—determines whether readers engage.
Why the "See More" Click Matters
When someone clicks "see more," LinkedIn's algorithm interprets this as:
A high "see more" click-through rate is one of the strongest predictors of viral post performance.
The Psychology of the "See More" Click
Understanding why people click helps you optimize for it.
The Curiosity Gap
Psychologist George Loewenstein's research on curiosity shows that humans experience curiosity as a gap between what we know and what we want to know. Effective hooks create this gap.
Creates gap: "I made $1M from a single phone call. Here's what I said..."
No gap: "Want to know how to make sales calls? Here are my tips."
The Open Loop
Storytelling uses open loops—unresolved tensions that demand closure. Your hook should open a loop that can only be closed by reading more.
Open loop: "My co-founder betrayed me last Thursday. I didn't see it coming."
The reader needs to know: What did they do? What happened next?
The Pattern Interrupt
We scroll through LinkedIn on autopilot. To earn a click, you need to break the pattern—say something unexpected enough to make the thumb stop.
Pattern interrupt: "I got fired for being too successful."
This contradicts expectations and demands explanation.
The 10x Framework: Maximizing "See More" Clicks
Strategy 1: The Cliffhanger Cut
Craft your hook so the most intriguing word or phrase gets cut off right at the "see more" point.
Full sentence: "After 10 years of marriage, my wife said three words that changed everything."
What they see: "After 10 years of marriage, my wife said three words that changed eve..."
The word "everything" gets cut, creating extra tension.
Strategy 2: The Incomplete Story
Start a narrative but leave the resolution for after the fold.
Example: "I walked into the meeting knowing one of us would be fired. I didn't expect it to be me."
The reader must click to find out what happened.
Strategy 3: The Unfinished List
Promise a list but show only the first item.
Example: "3 habits that changed my life:
The cut forces readers to click for habits 1 (completion), 2, and 3.
Strategy 4: The Quote Opener
Start with a provocative quote that demands context.
Example: "'You'll never make it in this industry.'
That's what my boss said in 2019."
Readers need to know: Did they make it? Who said this? What happened?
Strategy 5: The Unexpected Comparison
Create cognitive dissonance with a surprising juxtaposition.
Example: "My 5-year-old understands business better than most MBAs."
This statement is surprising enough that readers must click to see the explanation.
Strategy 6: The Bold Claim
Make a claim bold enough that readers can't scroll past without learning more.
Example: "I make $10,000/month from a Google Doc."
The claim is so unexpected that it demands verification.
Strategy 7: The Time-Sensitive Revelation
Hint at something you're about to reveal for the first time.
Example: "I've never shared this publicly before.
Last year, I..."
The exclusivity and vulnerability create click pressure.
Strategy 8: The Counter-Narrative
Challenge a commonly held belief in your hook.
Example: "Hustle culture didn't make me successful. It nearly killed me."
The contradiction between expected and revealed outcome creates tension.
Visualizing the "See More" Cut
Tool 1: HookSnap's Mobile Preview
HookSnap's mobile preview feature shows you exactly where LinkedIn will cut your post on mobile devices. This lets you:
Tool 2: Character Counter Method
Write your hook, then paste it into a character counter. If it's over 140 characters:
Tool 3: The Phone Test
Draft your post, then email it to yourself. Open on your phone and see exactly how it appears—this is your audience's actual experience.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Click Rate
Mistake 1: The Slow Start
Bad: "So I've been thinking a lot lately about what really matters in business, and I think I've finally figured something out. It took me..."
By the time anything interesting happens, the reader has already scrolled away.
Fix: Lead with the insight, then add context.
Mistake 2: The Complete Thought
Bad: "Here's the most important thing I've learned about leadership: always listen before you speak."
When the full insight is visible above the fold, there's no reason to click.
Fix: Save the punchline for after the fold.
Mistake 3: The Obvious Statement
Bad: "Communication is important in the workplace."
This is neither surprising nor incomplete. No one needs to click for more.
Fix: Add specificity, stakes, or surprise.
Mistake 4: The Run-On Hook
Bad: "I've been working in the marketing industry for the past decade and during that time I've learned a lot of lessons about what works and what doesn't..."
This rambles without creating intrigue.
Fix: Tighten to the essential hook elements.
Mistake 5: Starting with Hashtags
Bad: "#sales #business #growth
Let me tell you about..."
Hashtags waste hook space and look spammy.
Fix: Place hashtags at the end of your post, not the beginning.
Advanced "See More" Techniques
Technique 1: The Line Break Strategy
Strategic line breaks can create visual hooks even within character limits:
"I made a decision today.
It might change everything.
Here's what happened..."
Each short line creates anticipation for the next.
Technique 2: The Numeric Tease
Use numbers to imply there's more:
"1,247 rejections.
1 acceptance.
$10 million."
The numbers tell a story arc that readers want to understand fully.
Technique 3: The Dialogue Opener
Start with a snippet of conversation:
"'Are you crazy?'
That's what my wife asked when I told her I was quitting."
Dialogue is inherently engaging and creates immediate scene-setting.
Technique 4: The Incomplete Equation
Present a puzzle that needs solving:
"30 calls. 0 meetings. 1 change. 50 meetings."
What was the one change? Readers must click to find out.
Technique 5: The Borrowed Authority
Reference a respected source but withhold the full insight:
"Warren Buffett's 2-list strategy changed my career. Here's how it works..."
The credibility hook creates trust that the payoff will be worthwhile.
Measuring Your "See More" Performance
What to Track
Benchmarking Your Performance
Based on our data:
Improving Over Time
Track your view-through rate across different hook styles:
Week 1: Story hooks
Week 2: Question hooks
Week 3: Contrarian hooks
Week 4: Number hooks
Double down on what works for your specific audience.
The "See More" Multiplier Effect
The impact of improving your "see more" click rate compounds:
A 2x improvement in click rate can translate to a 5-10x improvement in total post performance.
Putting It All Together: A Checklist
Before publishing any LinkedIn post, run through this checklist:
☐ Is my most interesting element in the first 140 characters?
☐ Does my hook create a curiosity gap or open loop?
☐ Have I previewed exactly where the "see more" cut happens?
☐ Does the cut happen at a point that increases (not decreases) tension?
☐ Is my hook specific, not vague?
☐ Does my hook avoid weak openings ("I'm excited to...", "Today I want...")?
☐ Would I click "see more" if I saw this in my feed?
If you can answer "yes" to all of these, you're ready to publish.
Conclusion: Own the Fold
The "see more" button is both your biggest obstacle and your biggest opportunity. Master what appears above it, and you control whether your content gets seen.
Every post is a chance to practice. Every hook is a chance to improve. Start treating those first 140 characters as the most important copy you write—because they are.
The readers you want to reach are scrolling right now. Your hook determines whether they stop for you.
Make it count.