Hey, how’s it going?

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Have you ever had the feeling that you’ve made a terrible first impression?

Maybe you went to a friend for advice and they told you not to think about it because the other person has probably forgotten by now?

Bad news folks: they WON’T.

It turns out that first impressions do matter. In fact, research suggests that it takes our brains less than 10 seconds to form a solid opinion about someone or something.

This is especially important when it comes to creating content for the internet.

Your content might be the Mona Lisa of our generation, but without a solid opener (a.k.a. the hook) that entices readers, no one’s going to invest the time to discover it.

So in today’s newsletter, I’m going to share with you some of the best hook writing practices that I’ve learned over the years to ensure your hooks ALWAYS stop the scroll.

Let’s get into it.

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💭 Thought of the week

Let’s put things into perspective.

Every single day…

→ Over 2 million posts go live on LinkedIn.

→ 3.7 million new videos are uploaded to YouTube.

→ 500 million tweets are sent.

It goes without saying that people have A LOT of content to choose from.

So how can you make people stop to scroll specifically for YOU?

If 10 seconds (or a couple of lines) is all you’ve got, how can they convince somebody that your content is worth their time?

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Best Practices for Hooks ✍️

1. Cut to the chase: Always assume that people won’t read past the first line of your post. So that first line better be DAMN GOOD.
   
   As a rule of thumb, avoid wordiness and beating around the bush — include the keyword in the first few words so that readers know what they’re in for. And of course, present it in the most impactful way you can think of:

2. Use cliffhangers: Have you ever read a book or watched a TV show in which every episode leaves you in so much suspense you have no choice but to keep reading/watching?
   
   That’s exactly the same effect you want to create with your hooks.
   
3. You want the first lines to draw readers in more and more. Here are the types of sentences you can use to achieve this effect:

3. Cut the fluff: On the internet, you won’t get extra points for trying to sound like a scholar.
   
   So avoid fancy jargon and use simple language that can be understood by virtually anyone.
   
   Think simple, not clever.

4. Frame it as an ‘easy win’ or a bargain: Chances are your audience is short on time, money and patience.
   
   So make it clear how they can benefit from your content:

5. Make it specific: The perfect hook answers the who, the what, and the why.
   
6. This might not always be possible, but you want to answer at least one of them every time:

I could share more tips but this email is getting long… reply to this email if you found this useful and I’ll make a Part 2!

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🎁 Like these tips?

Here’s a free download of my Ultimate Hook Writing Cheat Sheet:

Download for free now 🎁

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💡 A perspective to consider

Follow the win-wins in life.

This is one of my favourite mantras that I’m always reminding myself of. Here’s an example:

Moving to an exciting area may mean paying higher rent, but what if over the course of a year you bring in more income from feeling more energised?

Live a life of abundance. Follow the win-wins.

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❤️ Content I LOVED

📹️ Twitter - Naval’s advice on how to get rich (5-minutes)

- “You get rewarded by society by giving it what it wants, that it doesn't know how to get yet.” Check out the full video for more.

✍️ LinkedIn - The Ultimate Content Creation Cheat Sheet by ME

- This is a shameless plug but a post of mine went viral leading to 1000+ new LinkedIn followers and 300+ newsletter subs in a day. Study why it worked 🚀

📸 Instagram - “Look inward” by Yung Pueblo

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✍️ Quote of the week

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'You can't change the people around you, but you can change the people around you."

Unknown

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