How To Write Hooks That Don’t Suck

Hey there

Welcome back to the 4th edition of the Content Canvas.

The newsletter where we talk about everything and anything content-related

In this week's edition, we're focusing on hooks, headlines, and leads.

So, grab your pen, buckle up, and let's dive in.

The hook or headline is, without a doubt, the most crucial element of any piece of copy. As David Ogilvy famously said, "There are five times as many people who read your headline as read your body copy."

Therefore, you might assume that copywriters would dedicate 80% of their time to crafting headlines.

However, the reality is often the opposite.

Many obsess over creating exceptional content (for good reasons) but then neglect to invest that little bit of extra effort into their headline to make it truly captivating.

...And as a result, it goes unread.

That sucks! So let’s change it

The purpose of a headline is straightforward:

A) Capture the reader's or viewer's attention and halt their scrolling.

B) Create a "curiosity gap" that entices them from the first line to the second, and so on.

Let’s double click on the concept of the curiosity gap for a second.

You might be wondering, "How do I create a curiosity gap?"

Here's my approach: In every piece of copy, your audience will immediately ask, "What's in it for me?"

You need to reverse-engineer this question to create a curiosity gap.

Start by considering: What's the "promise" or "big idea" that my readers will gain from this content?

What's in it for them?

Then, consider how it's framed within a storyline. Is it an entertaining David vs. Goliath story? Or perhaps a "Secrets They Don't Want You To Know" narrative?

Or even a contrarian perspective that differs from the usual?

Whatever it is, the big promise of what the reader will gain needs to be wrapped in a storyline that they'll want to engage with.

That's my strategy for building a curiosity gap.

The Art of Hook-Shitting

Writing hooks is more challenging than running barefoot...

...unless you have a system.

I've learned a valuable exercise called "25 Hooks" that has significantly improved my ability to write powerful hooks, and I believe it can help you too.

It's quite straightforward.

Credits: UpWorthy

Use The Rule of One

If you try to appeal to everyone, you'll appeal to no one. Instead, focus on:

1 big idea

1 captivating story

1 core emotion

1 core benefit

1 call to action

This approach will not only simplify the writing process for each piece of content but also makes it hit harder

Use the Big 4:

The Big 4 are four key emotions you should aim to evoke as early as possible (in the hook or lead) in any writing. They are: Safety, Novelty, Ease, and Significance.

However, these aren't just words to sprinkle into your copy, expecting them to magically influence your customers. They are emotions you want to trigger in your customers' minds by creating vivid imagery.

For example, consider the following ad that highlights the safety of Rolls Royce cars:

"Every Rolls Royce engine is run for seven hours at full throttle before installation, and each car is test-driven for hundreds of miles over various road conditions."

= Driving this car is safe at any speed and under any conditions.

Put your focus where the money is

The hook and the lead are often the only aspects that matter because most people read the headline and the initial few sentences of your copy...

This is where you can get the most value from your testing efforts.

That's why many copywriters focus solely on tweaking the hook and the lead when testing against a control.

Keep this in mind the next time you're revising your sales copy, video sales letters, etc., and concentrate your efforts where they count the most.

A few additional tips to make your headlines more compelling:

• Use specific numbers whenever possible.

• Focus on the first 3 words and the last 3 words.

• Use "you" or names whenever possible.

Resources I found useful this week:

1. The Magical Science of Storytelling

2. 110 techniques of communication and public speaking

3. Tony Robbins & Tom Bilyeu (has nothing to do with content, but just found it really interesting in regards to personal development)

4. Content Creation Tactics for 2024 with Gary Vee

5. 3 things I know about growth (by Shaan Puri) - more marketing/growth related

Thank you for reading along.

That's everything for this week's newsletter.

I hope you found it enjoyable and useful.

If so, feel free to let me know by replying to this email. And if not, please share your feedback as well. I'm looking forward to seeing you next week.

All the best,

Shabir Nudrat