Hooks that do more than stop the scroll.
The online marketing landscape may have you believing that a hook has the sole purpose of “stopping the scroll” and enticing the viewer to read more. This focus on stopping the scroll rather than providing clarity, connection, and a reason to read, has led to a lack of connection, curiosity, and ultimately, trust.
Ready to write more holistic hooks with substance?
Three key features of hooks and headlines.
When writing content for social media, blog posts, newsletter etc., your hooks are also there to introduce…
a specific topic
its relevance for your audience
the emotional and energetic tone for what’s to come
These elements are interwoven and interdependent in a hook that grounds people in a clear concept and authentic energy rather than simply stopping their scroll.
I like to call these multidimensional, conversational, and holistic kinds of hooks “anchors.”
Anchors are much easier to write than you may think - and they stand out a mile in today’s superficial clickbait culture.
Let’s look at these individually and ground them into an example.
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The power of topic
I glance up from my paper.
Through the sunlit dusty air, I can just make out the clock.
10 minutes remaining.
There are three questions in my English exam. As I turn the page to proofread my final response, my heart bounces like a tennis ball in my chest.
That can’t be right.
In my anxious state, I’d mixed the questions.
Right text. Wrong theme.
Eight minutes left.
I look around the room and take slow exhales to calm my panic.
That’s it. No chance. I’ve failed.
“Not on my watch!” my inner innovatrice jumps up to take the wheel.
She has a plan. And as the final minutes of the test teeter away, she carefully rewords the first sentence of each paragraph and adds a few standalone sentences along the lines of “And that’s how [what I’ve just written] answers the question!”
Ha. I’m certain it’s write-off. After all my hard work.
Six weeks later, the results are in. I score higher in this paper than any other exam!
How is that possible?
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See your hook as a signpost that adds clarity, harmony, and even readability to your writing.
A few years on and teaching writing to university students, I speak of the significance of signposts – markers in your text that remind people of what they’ve just read, indicate where they’re going next, or show how ideas relate to one another. One such signpost is the topic sentence.
When you make the first sentence of each paragraph a clear expectation for the rest, the reader can easily navigate your thoughts. There are no questions as to “how does this relate?” or “what is the sequence of these events?”
Make sure the topic of what you’re talking about is in your hook. This is the difference between a hook like, “I can’t believe I’m telling you this…” or “The number one mistake I see business owners make…”
(which, let’s face it, give us no information or expectation for what’s to come except that it will likely let us down)
and “I’ve often struggled to talk about my new spiritual copywriting community” or “The biggest copywriting challenge for small business owners is…”
See how the topic gives the hook substance rather than superficial “look here” tactics?
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The relevance in context
A hook feels compelling when it details a specific topic, audience, and situation (otherwise known as CONTEXT). It is through this context that your reader finds clarity and relevance (a.k.a. the “ready to read” feeling).
Most hooks do not specify a clear enough context to peak interest.
For example, “My personal formula for overwhelm.”
As a reader, I may be overwhelmed by the number of pairs of shoes in my closet. My disordered bookkeeping. My toddler’s fussy eating. Or even the number of client sessions I have this week.
What does the word “overwhelm” look like or apply to?
How do I know this particular overwhelm is something that affects me?
If you tell me that the “overwhelm” you’re referring to is six months’ worth of bookkeeping that I haven’t had time or motivation to get to…
Now, THAT I can relate to!
So, let’s try that hook again with a more focused topic:
“I know you didn’t plan to tackle 6 months’ of bookkeeping on a Friday afternoon.”
Ouch, you got me!
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The expectation set by tone
So many hooks feel like someone shouting into a void. Perhaps that’s because they feel like they are. When a hook directly addresses the reader (with “you”), it naturally feels more like an engaging conversation than the title of a one-directional speech.
You can compare this concept in the two hooks below. One of which has direct speech (addressing the reader with “you”) and the other keeps things impersonal and general.
“I know you didn’t plan to tackle 6 months’ of bookkeeping on a Friday afternoon.”
vs.
“Many of my clients let their bookkeeping mount up for months before tackling them.”
Remember that your hooks are an opening to a conversation. The person reading it enjoys feeling that you are addressing them and inviting them into a dialogue rather than a lecture. And they also like to feel that you are not putting on a mask and taking to the stage to communicate with them.
See if your hook holds your authentic voice. This means reading it back and asking if you would say this to a friend or potential client in person. If not, the voice is likely more robotic than it is authentic. How would you start this conversation outside of the social media space? What do you really want to say?
The tone you use in the hook also needs to match the rest of the caption.
Because it is the “trailer” or intro leading into it.
If the hook is lighthearted and entertaining, this is the tone people will expect to be continued in the rest.
If it’s fluffy and generic, this is the expecation you set for the rest.
If it makes a big promise or alludes to the sharing of useful information, this is what people will be looking to receive.
A misaligned expectation erodes trust. A fulfilled expectation builds connection.
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Before you click “post”
Check the first line (hook or headline) of your content for…
(a) the topic (what it’s about)
(b) the context (who it’s addressing and what situation they find themselves in)
(c) the tone (your voice, personality, and energy in this particular post).
Watch this video to feel into the energetic difference between an “anchor” and a “hook” in your content.
Just be careful: Giving a topic, context, and tone is not the same as giving away the punchline!
Consider the “story gap”: introduce a topic specific enough for someone to self-identify or find the relevance to their current experience, but rather than completing the thought, leave a space for them to need to read more to have their curiosity, learning, or experience fulfilled.
In other words, don’t let people know everything in the first line, or where’s the allure?
