What is a hook and how do you write them?
“On social media, you have around 8 seconds to grab someone’s attention. The average attention span on social media has decreased due to increased competition for users’ attention” And even though that’s one of the most depressing statistics I’ve read in a long time, it makes sense. If you think about the way we use social media, our phones and the nature of marketing our brains are constantly battered with information every day. Deciding what’s relevant to us is harder because there are so many messages to sort through. This means that you have to work harder in your content and everything rides on that first sentence or headline.
Social media marketing is for getting their attention, content marketing is for keeping it.
Social media is great but it can’t do all your marketing for you and what I mean by “social media marketing is for getting their attention, content marketing is for keeping it” is just that. Social media is for getting someone’s attention and then you have to decide where you want to redirect that attention. But the first job is getting the attention and that’s what hooks are for. I don’t particularly like the phrase “hook” because I think it has a negative implication, like we’re hijacking people’s brains or getting their attention with bad intentions but “hooks” are what people generally talk about in marketing so we’ll stick with it for the purpose of this blog. My preferred term is “WIIFM” or “what’s in it for me?” In essence, why should I read this post, blog or email or watch this video. What will I get out of it? What’s the benefit to me? Human beings won’t do anything that doesn’t benefit them or make them feel good, you might not like that or agree with it but it’s how it is. And with 8 seconds to get that across you’ve got no time to waste in making it clear what the pay off is.
What is a hook?
If you want your audience to read your content you have to give them a reason. In email marketing your hook goes in the subject line, in a social media post it’s the first sentence, in a blog it’s the title and on a video the hook is in the first sentence and or the thumbnail. The hook is the first thing people see, read or hear. It’s what gets their attention and it’s why they keep reading, listening or watching.
What makes a great hook?
What makes a great hook will largely depend on your audience but for a hook to work it has to be relevant to your audience and specific. Don’t tell people what they already know and Wishy Washy won’t cut it. The people with the best hooks are taking risks. They’re trying out different things to see what works and they know that not everything will.
7 types of hooks you can start using in your content
- Curiosity
Eg. Let me tell you secret about email marketing
Effective hooks promise us information that we think we need. They make us curious – 99.9% of the human population are nosey bastards so if you promise to share a secret or spill some tea people are going to read on. There’s a lot of chat online from other copywriters and marketers who say that “I’m pleased to announce” or “I’m excited to share that” are boring hooks that no-one cares about but I disagree. Most of the time the announcement is boring and not relevant to me but I still want to know what it is because I’m nosey. Don’t underestimate the power of nosey.
- Emotion
Eg. During my first keep in touch day after a year long maternity leave my manager said “the woman we had in covering your post was amazing, now you’re back we need you to up your game and start delivering the goods” I was devastated.
Hooks that work make us feel something. Generally speaking, emotions are relatable. Unless you’ve been diagnosed with alexithymia, you experience emotions. Emotion draws us in because we know what it feels like. We can empathise with it and we begin to feel it with you or can imagine how you felt.
- Funny – people just want to laugh
Eg. Opinions are like arseholes, you probably shouldn’t get your out unless someone specifically asked for it
This works as a hook because it’s funny and it’s true. It’s also very relevant to my ideal clients who find it hard to show up online because they’re worried about being judged. The hook addresses their fear and gives them something to think about. It may also embolden them to show up which is ultimately what I’m trying to do with my coaching and mentoring.
- Unusual
Eg. No-one needs coaching more than the person who doesn’t think they need it at all but those people make the worst clients
Remember what I said about having 8 seconds to get someone’s attention. In order to do that you have to stand out. You have to say things other people aren’t saying. This type of hook requires some courage but this strategy won’t fail to get you noticed.
- Factual
Eg. “Some executive and corporate coaches are charging up to £1,000 or more per session; still think you’re too “expensive”?
Sharing the latest industry statistics or insights relevant to your audience sends a strong signal about who your content is for. If your opening sentence is “30 million men in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction” I know it’s not for me.
- Polarising
Eg. “Coaching should be a regulated industry with standardised qualifications, here’s why”
The purpose of marketing is to attract customers to your services. But not all people are customers. To be effective in time and cost your marketing should have a push/pull effect. Push the wrong people away and pull the right people towards you. If you try to appeal to everyone your messaging will be boring, bland and easy to ignore. When you polarise your audience you divide them into “interested” and “not interested”. The sooner you do that, the better for them and for you. I see many copywriters polarise their audience by stating very clearly where they stand on things like email marketing or cold direct messaging. When you polarise your audience they can make a decision very quickly about whether or not they want to carry on reading or listening to what you have to say. The more they see and hear of you, the more ready they become to buy.
- Direct
Eg. Do you wish more people would open your emails? Then do this.
Direct is exactly what it says it is. It addresses the problem and promises a solution. I love being direct in my content. I’ve grown a loyal following who describe my style as fluff and bullshit free. They know exactly what they’re going to get when they read my content and work with me. Direct hooks are easy to write if you know your ideal client well, you know what they’re struggling with and you understand the outcomes they’re looking for.
All marketing is an experiment. You have to test your messages on your audience and pay attention to what content performs well. Not all hooks will work for your audience but the more you have a go the more you’ll begin to understand what works for you. Final reminder, hooks are designed to get a specific person’s attention. The better you understand your ideal client the better your hook will work.
I help executive, leadership and transformational coaches grow their businesses by helping them get better at marketing themselves. If you don’t know what to say or how to say it or if you’re struggling to get traction online I can help. I’ll show you how to stand out in a crowded industry by creating clear, compelling marketing messages, and you’ll feel amazing doing it. Book a discovery call here