Writing hooks that stop the scroll

On every social platform, attention is allocated in the first line or first second. The hook is the most valuable real estate in your entire marketing arsenal. Get it right and the rest of the post gets read. Get it wrong and it doesn't matter how good the body is.

What a hook actually does

A hook creates a small amount of productive tension. It suggests there's something inside the post worth the next 5 seconds. The most reliable way to do that is to tap one of a small number of proven patterns.

Nine hook patterns that work

1. The contrarian take

"Everyone says X. I think X is wrong because…" Opens an argument the reader wants to hear resolved.

2. The specific number

"I reviewed 300 small-business websites last year. One pattern killed conversions more than any other." Specificity signals effort and expertise.

3. The before/after

"Six months ago my account had 40 followers. Today it has 22,000. Here's what changed." The implicit promise: actionable insight.

4. The mistake confession

"I wasted $12,000 on Instagram ads before I realized this." Vulnerability + a clear lesson coming.

5. The "you probably" diagnosis

"If your social posts get 20 likes and zero replies, it's probably one of three things." Reader feels seen and wants the diagnosis.

6. The specific scenario

"A customer walked in yesterday and said…" Story beats are the oldest hook in the world and still work.

7. The bold claim

"The best marketing channel in 2026 is still email. Here's why TikTok doesn't change that." Confident, specific, debatable.

8. The question

"What do you do when a customer leaves a 1-star review for something that isn't your fault?" Works best when the question is one your audience actually has.

9. The list tease

"7 words that kill a sales DM. The third one you're using right now." Classic for a reason.

The three hook rules

• Specific > vague. "$12,000" beats "a lot of money." "300 websites" beats "many websites."
• Promise > abstract. Tell the reader what they'll get by reading. "Here's what to do instead" > "here are my thoughts on this topic."
• First five words > everything. On most feeds, the preview is truncated after 5–7 words. Put the hook in those words.

The exercise

Before you publish any post, write three different hooks for it. Usually the third is better than the first. Sometimes you'll realize the post doesn't have a good hook at all — in which case, don't publish it, or rework the angle until it does.