Writing Blog Intros That Use Strong Hooks

Bad writers wait too long to get into the good stuff. You can think of your title, subtitle, and first few sentences as a sales funnel. Even after somebody's opened your piece, you need to persuade them to keep reading. Here's how you can write better intros: 1) Surprise: Create Suspense You don't need as many words as you think. Sometimes, it only takes one sentence to capture a reader's attention. These one-sentence hooks work particularly well for thrilling and suspenseful pieces. • "On two separate occasions, I've woken up to an intruder breaking into my home after midnight (years apart and in different states)." • "I wanted to strangle mother but I’d have to touch her to do it." — Loretta Hudson • “Every time I see it, that number blows my mind." 2) Insight: Teach the Reader Though these ones are a little bit longer, it doesn't take long for the reader to learn something, and that spark of insight launches them into the piece because they come to see the author as an authority. Both the examples below make the reader say: "Hmmmmm..." • Everyone knows that to do great work you need both natural ability and determination. But there's a third ingredient that's not as well understood: an obsessive interest in a particular topic. — Paul Graham • During a regular dive in the sea, Alexey Molchanov can go 131 meters deep (or about 43 stories) while holding a single breath for nearly five minutes. In that period, his body experiences more gravitational stress than an astronaut during a launch into space. — Polina Marinova Pompliano 3) Set the Scene A few sentences is all it takes to throw the reader into the story. You don't need many words to create a narrative arc, and the words you do choose set the frame for the rest of the piece. • Steamboat Willie put Walt Disney on the map as an animator. Business success was another story. Disney’s first studio went bankrupt. Later cartoons were monstrously expensive to produce, and financed at onerous terms. By the mid-1930s Disney had produced more than 400 cartoons – most of them short, most of them liked, and most of them losing money. Disney and his studio were nearly broke. — Morgan Housel • On February 10, 2002, in a New York State prison cell, the bestselling author and twice-convicted killer Jack Abbott hanged himself with an improvised noose. That same day, the body of the man I murdered washed ashore on a Brooklyn beach in a nylon laundry bag. My reason for connecting these events is to account for my crime. — John J. Lennon To hone your knack for writing introductions, study stand-up comedians. Note how quickly they set the frame for their jokes. They rarely need more than 1-2 sentences to set the scene and make the audience laugh. Your introductions don't need to be funny, but they should be captivating, and you don't need many words to do that.

I’ll admit it—I’m as guilty as anyone of forgetting to use a hook, let alone perfecting it! But if there’s one thing my own research has shown, it’s that without those strong hooks, even the best posts can fall flat. On social media, if you don’t capture attention within the first few words, your message might be lost. That’s where a powerful hook comes in. Here’s how to craft hooks that make people stop, think, and engage: 1. Ask a Bold Question Start with a question that taps into your audience’s challenges or curiosity. “Are you tired of creating content no one reads?” “Ever wonder why some brands make you feel something?” 💡 Why It Works: Questions create instant engagement by inviting readers to pause and reflect. They want to know if you have the answer. 2. Share a Surprising Stat or Fact Lead with a jaw-dropping fact to grab attention: “90% of people never get past the first sentence of a post. Let’s change that.” “Only 2% of companies leverage storytelling in their marketing—are you one of them?” 💡 Why It Works: A surprising stat makes readers curious, creating a “wait, really?” moment that compels them to keep reading. 3. Create Curiosity with a Cliffhanger Leave a gap that urges them to read more: “I made this one mistake in my career, and it cost me… a LOT.” “Want to know the one thing I wish I’d known before launching my business?” 💡 Why It Works: Cliffhangers activate our need for closure, keeping readers glued to your post. 4. Use “If You’re…” Statements to Target Your Audience Directly call out your audience with phrases like: “If you’re an entrepreneur struggling to scale, read this.” “If you’re tired of networking that leads nowhere…” 💡 Why It Works: This immediately speaks to those who relate, drawing in the right readers for your message. 5. Add a Twist on Common Advice Challenge the typical approach to spark curiosity: “Forget everything you know about personal branding. Here’s what works.” “Stop doing this one thing if you want to boost engagement.” 💡 Why It Works: Contrarian advice stands out, making readers stop to see why your perspective is different. 6. Use Relatable Statements Start with something that makes people say, “That’s me!” “Working late again? You’re not alone.” “Ever feel like you’re talking to a wall when you post?” 💡 Why It Works: It creates instant connection by validating shared experiences. I’m keeping these in mind because, as I’ve learned, a strong hook is your best chance at grabbing attention and inviting readers into your world. What’s your go-to hook strategy? Share it below! 👇 #SocialMediaStrategy #LinkedInTips #ContentCreation #MarketingEssentials #StopTheScroll #SmallBusiness #MarketingTips #Entrepreneur

Sometimes I stare at a blank screen for 2 hours perfecting one hook. Obsessive? Maybe. But those hooks created over 150k likes for clients this year. The first 40 characters are everything. Here's how to write great ones: 1. Metric Shock - Stop scrolls with startling numbers "300M jobs will evaporate in 5 years." The brain can't ignore massive numbers. Use exact figures, not ranges. Make it feel urgent, immediate, threatening or exciting. 2. Dialogue Vignette - Create mini movies in their minds CEO: "Fire the VP." ME: "How long is your sales cycle?" These micro-scenes put readers IN the room. They see the conversation happening. Use short, punchy exchanges. Real words real people would say. Make the conflict visible. 3. Time-Boxed Brag - Compress your origin story "In 44 months we hit $20M ARR." Time + outcome = instant credibility. Shows you've done something worth listening to. The tighter the timeframe, the more impressive. Always lead with the transformation, then explain the how. 4. Walk-Away Story - Signal values by rejecting opportunity "We walked from a $580k contract because..." Nothing builds trust like showing what you WON'T do for money. Pick stories where you chose principles over profit. The bigger the reward you rejected, the stronger the interest. 5. Mini-List - Promise immediate tactical value "7 ways to cut CAC in 2025" tells readers EXACTLY what they'll get. Keep it under 10. Be specific about outcomes. Lists get saved, shared, and screenshot constantly. 6. Framework Reveal - Share your proprietary method "Our 3-layer VP framework for outbound" suggests you have a system others don't. People love structure. They want YOUR proven process. Name it something memorable. Make them feel they're getting insider access. 7. Match the hook to your content type Use Metric Shock for industry breakdowns and predictions. Dialogue Vignettes for leadership lessons. Time-Boxed Brags for case studies. Walk-Away Stories for culture content. Mini-Lists for tactical advice. Framework Reveals for methodology posts. LESSON: My clients and I have used these 6 archetypes to generate 150k likes this year. After dozens of tests, here’s what I’ve seen: Metric Shock drives shares. Dialogue Vignettes spark comments. Mini-Lists get saved more than anything else. These aren't theories. They're what the data shows. Will every hook go viral? No. Will proven archetypes like these outperform random attempts? Pretty much every single time. So study these 6 templates. Apply them tomorrow. Watch what happens.

𝐀 60-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭 Most people lose readers in the first line. Not because their content is bad, but because their hook is forgettable. Here’s a quick framework you can use right now: 1. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 Instead of telling everything upfront, create an open loop. ✅ Bad: “Here are tips for productivity.” ✅ Good: “The 3-minute routine that doubled my focus.” 2. 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬 Numbers make your promise feel tangible. ✅ “How I got 78 leads from a single post.” 3. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞 Hooks work when they tap into what your audience wants or struggles with. ✅ “Why your content isn’t landing (and how to fix it).” 4. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 The best hooks are between 7–10 words. Enough to spark curiosity without giving away the punchline. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. The hook decides whether your content lives or dies.

I was sitting in a class full of 45 people. Everyone was talking to each other. So lost in gossip, they’d miss a dinosaur walking in. A situation a teacher would call a fish market. It was that chaotic. Suddenly, one of the backbenchers stood up. And he said, “There’s one thing none of you know about our topper.” Everyone turned. We all wanted to know what he would say next. We were hooked. Desperate to hear. And that’s why I say: To write good posts, you need great hooks. No matter how good your content is, if the first line doesn’t grab attention, no one sticks around to read the rest. 5 Tips to Write Irresistible Hooks: 1. Flip a belief, then prove it Say something that challenges what your audience believes. It makes them stop and ask—“Wait, what?” That’s when you’ve got them. Just make sure you back it up with logic or a story. 2. Share a highlight, not a summary ❌ “Here’s how my trip to Bali went.” ✅ “I almost drowned in Bali because I trusted a stranger.” Start with the most interesting moment, not a recap. A great hook pulls people into the story. It doesn’t explain the whole thing upfront. 3. Keep it as short as possible “I cried in the middle of a meeting today.” Short. Personal. Long intros lose attention. Hooks should punch fast. 4. Use contrast to grab attention Juxtapose two opposite emotions or situations: “I was smiling. But inside, I was falling apart.” It creates tension. It makes people curious. It makes them stay. 5. Say something unbelievable, but true “This ₹30 dish got me a ₹3 lakh client.” The more unbelievable, the better. Bonus Tip 6: Say what they’re thinking “Every time I take a break, I feel guilty.” The best hooks feel like they wrote it. When your words echo their thoughts, you win attention. Remember: Great posts don’t start with introductions. They start with emotion, surprise, or truth. Your hook = the doorway to your story. Make it sharp enough… and they’ll have to step in. Follow for more FREE #PersonalBranding and content tips. Need help with branding? I'm just a text away.

I analyzed what my top 5 posts had in common (each got 2500+ reach & 100+ comments) The results were surprising - All of them were formatted. - Had a clear A → Z breakdown process. - Spoke to my ICPs pain & gave solutions. - Written in simple & 5th grader's language. But 1 thing stood out every single time: Hooks Here are my top-performing hooks & why they worked 1). “I went from having 0 to 40+ comments on my posts” Why it worked? → Numbers → It shows an inspiring transformation. → Numbers interrupt the word pattern. → The results are relevant for people in my niche. 2). “How to create 1 weeks content in 2 hours?” Why it worked? → Inlcuding "How to" → Highlights what people will gain from the post. → Promises & delivers a solution everyone wants. → Builds trust because they follow you for your expertise. 3). "Struggling to create content on LinkedIn?" Why it worked? → Asks a question → Makes it relevant for those struggling in my niche. → Shows their problem is understood & heard. → Makes people recognize & accept their struggles. 4). “I didn’t want to write this post today” Why it worked? → Vulnerability → Hints a story & people love to listen to stories. → Relates to people who have felt the same way. → It’s not the typical positive, motivational start. 5). “The only writing rule I blindly follow as a ghostwriter” Why it worked? → Includes “I” → People feel they’re getting knowledge directly from you. → Shows you’re sharing valuable info that’s helped you. → Makes readers more curious about what it is secret. TLDR: Add a number in the hook "How to" for giving a solution Ask a question Include "I" to Vulnerability to challenge the status quo Your hooks are the first line people see. Write them like your life depends on it. P.S. Which element have you tried in these?