Back then, I used to write copy that had <5% open rate even after pouring out my heart into what I wrote.

Sadly, this is the fate of 78% writers. They put in so much effort into creating valuable content and it still gets avoided like a plague.

Some email notifications make me pause, process, and click open.

Like, I would be so curious that I’ll drop whatever I’m doing to read it, and only till I take a good look, would I have peace…

Now, that’s what a good hook does. It captures your reader’s attention and keep them locked in.

Attention is the new currency and if you’re short of this, you’ll be leaving so much money on the table.

With the low attention span of people on social media, you have just 3 seconds to get them to click or lose them to your competitors.

That’s the reason why some businesses drive traffic and close numerous sales, while some are barely surviving.

If your content isn’t getting any views nor engagements, it’s not because your content is bad, it could just be that your hook isn’t good enough.

I began studying what actually makes people stop and read.

The results?

Mind blowing, I got better engagements, more shares, and my posts reached a larger audience allowing clients to find me and reach out to me.

Here are what people had to say about my hooks…

I’ve also put together 137 hot hook templates that you can use anytime, the link is at the bottom of this post.

I know you might be thinking “How do I write good hooks?”

The truth is you don’t need to be a good writer to write good hooks, you don’t even need years of experience, all you need is willingness to learn and courage to practice.

The 6 Hooks Structures That Consistently Works.

These are the exact frameworks I fall back to again and again when writing copy.

Each of them creates a different kind of curiosity.

1. The Contrarian Hook

This hook challenges something that people believe to be true.

The brain will demand an explanation whenever a statement disrupt expectations. E.g.,

• “The marketing advice quietly ruining your growth…”

• “The problem isn’t your content, it’s your positioning.”

It works because people want to know why you disagree.

2. The Specific Result Hook

Numbers make claims realistic. It does something to the brain, by making the brain pause to digest the information.

Now, let’s compare these two results…

• “How I grew my audience…”

• “How I gained 5,577 followers in 90 days…”

The first hook is very weak and won’t grab your audience attention, but specific numbers in the second hook create credibility and curiosity.

Your audience want to know “How did that happen?”

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3. The Mistake Hook

People are naturally wired to avoid mistakes. Whenever you highlight one, they immediately check themselves, to see if they are making it.

Eg;

• “The silent mistake ruining most landing pages.”

• “3 copywriting mistakes that quietly kill conversions.”

It works because readers want to make sure they’re not the ones doing it wrong.

4. The Pattern-Interrupt Hook

The aim of this type of hook is to disrupt normal content patterns.

More like, it’s very unexpected, your readers wouldn’t see it coming.

E.g.,

• “I regret learning copywriting the hard way.”

• “I know a lot of people will come for me, but…”

• “This might offend many people, but…”

People pause when they see something unusual, and that pause is what gives your content/copy an upper hand.

5. The Curiosity Gap Hook

This type of hook is a teaser. It reveals a part of a story and hides the rest of it.

More like enticing a cat with a mice or milk.

E.g.,

• “I changed just one thing on my landing page and you won’t believe what happened next…”

• One small copy tweak doubled my response rate and I can bet that you never thought of it.”

The brain hates incomplete information, it won’t stop till it’s satisfied.

That’s why it works

6. The Problem-Reveal Hook

This hook exposes a hidden reason behind a common frustration.

E.g.,

• “Your website doesn’t have a traffic problem. It has a clarity problem.”

• “Most copy don’t fail because it’s bad, it fails because the offer is weak.”

Why it works?

When your readers recognize the problem, it’s only natural to keep reading to find the solution.

How I Actually Write My Hooks (My Simple Step Process)

When writing a post, I rarely settle for the first hook.

Honestly, what takes my time the most when I’m writing copy is my headline, sub-headline, and hooks.

That’s the most crucial part of a copy and I don’t play about it.

I draft up to 10 different variations and I test each of them.

I first of all ask myself these 3 questions:

1. Does this create curiosity?

2. Is the benefit obvious?

3. Would I stop scrolling if I saw this?

If it doesn’t answer all three, I keep refining till I get the best.

Because once the hook works, most of the heavy lifting is done.

N/B: You can also ask AI for ideas and suggestions. Don’t just do copy and paste, refine it to be what a human will quickly respond to, because that’s who you’re writing for.

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My Single Hook Formula

While studying what makes people stop and read, I noticed that most strong hooks followed this exact pattern.

Curiosity —> Specificity —> Relevance

I’ll show you an example…

• “Why most websites fail to convert and the one thing they keep missing.”

Curiosity: Why they fail

Specificity: Websites

Relevance: Conversion problem

These three points pull people in, and that’s our goal.

Quick Exercise For You

Just to know if you’ve been following up and if you actually get it…

Take a piece of content you’re currently working on or you’re about to publish and rewrite the hook using these formats:

• Contrarian

• Mistake

• Result

• Curiosity gap

Once you do this, you’ll notice that some hooks create more tension than others.

That tension is what drives attention, and attention is the new currency.

Don’t lose money on the table!

As Promised, here’s your 137 irresistible hooks that get you scroll-stopping attention.

Get 137 Irresistible Hooks

About the Author:

Hi bestie 👋

I’m Ruth, the creative mind behind Rue Writes to Convert. Two years ago, I ditched my 9-5 to gain both financial freedom and explore life on my own terms.

As a copywriter and marketing strategist, I built this space to help you grow your business using words and strategic content that connects and converts while sharing every step of this journey with you.

I’m so glad you’re part of this community ❤️

Let’s keep in touch:

📧 Need help with conversion or any other marketing-related issues? Reach me via ruthnche115@gmail.com

📞 In need of strategy, clarity, and positioning to help you upscale? Book a 30 minutes clarity call with me.

🔗 On LinkedIn? Let’s vibe…

💬 Ask me anything, I’ll respond ASAP

Thanks for reading!

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