How to Write a Good Hook That Catches Your Readers’ Attention

Written by Alexandra
Written by Alexandra

Content Manager at SocialBee

No matter the type of content you usually make, learning how to write a hook is essential for the success of your work.

Adding a captivating hook to your content is like putting beautiful shining lights on a Christmas tree. It may not be more important than the text itself, but it’s the reason people stop and pay attention.

With so many distractions trying to grab your reader’s attention from the very beginning, it’s quite challenging. But luckily, there are some practices out there that are a guaranteed way to attract readers.

And today we are going to talk about one of the most important ones — how to write a great hook.

Download the Editorial Calendar Template!

Plan your content strategy effortlessly across multiple marketing channels.

Editorial calendar template

What Is a Hook?

A hook is an opening statement represented by the first sentences of a text. The purpose of learning how to write a hook is to grab readers attention and make them curious about what you have to say next.

If you don’t capture readers’ interest from the beginning, chances are, they will not going to continue reading your text.

PRO TIP: Write the hook after you’ve finished the whole text. In this way, you will have a deeper understanding of the topic. This will help you to create a relevant, creative, and impactful hook that truly emphasizes the message of your text.

How to Write an Engaging Hook: Tips and Examples

Although there are multiple ways you can create an engaging hook, we have chosen the most effective techniques that will not only bring you more readers but will also immerse them into your writing style.

Here are seven tips to write effective hooks:

  1. State a fact or a statistic
  2. Share inspiring quotations
  3. Add a question hook
  4. Tell a story
  5. Make a statement
  6. Start with a metaphor
  7. Don’t forget about the title

Let’s get started with a few examples of effective hooks perfect for your writing work!

1. State a Fact or a Statistic

Sometimes reality is the most captivating source of information. 

Based on the topic you are writing on, you can search for a fascinating fact that will hook your readers and make them curious about your content.

See the hook here: How To Go Viral On Social Media Based on Real Examples 

For instance, if you are writing a persuasive essay, open with a striking statistic that will surprise your readers and motivate them to educate themselves on the matter.

The most important aspect of a statistical hook is its validity. So, make sure to link to reputable sources that don’t spread false information. Moreover, by opening with reliable facts, you reinforce yourself as a trustworthy source of knowledge.

Here are some reputable sources you can use to search statistical data:

The fact you choose to present as a hook must be strongly related to the topic you are writing about, and also it has to emphasize your point of view.

For example, if you’re writing a hook for an article about the use of mobile devices, you can start with a statistic from DataReportal like this one:

“According to a 2021 study conducted by DataReportal, the average time spent daily using mobile devices on a worldwide scale is four hours and 10 minutes.”

2. Share Inspiring Quotations

There have been hundreds of inspiring quotes throughout history from legendary people that made an impact in their field. So why not benefit from their influence and use them as great hooks?

See the hook here: How to Build a Successful Social Media Content Strategy in 1 Month 

Opening up with a quotation is a guaranteed way to start strong, as you add an already famous saying to your text. Also, it can show your readers that you are aware of the main personalities that contributed to the evolution of a certain field. And as a result, you gain a sense of appreciation from your audience for doing your research.

The same principles that we applied for statistics are the same we need to consider when choosing a quotation. More exactly, the quote needs to:

  • Be in its original form
  • Complement your body of work 
  • Bring value to your text

Furthermore, quotes have the power to inspire people and evoke an emotional response from your readers. At the end of the day, this is what any writer wants to achieve through their work, no matter what content they publish.

Let’s say you are writing hooks for a guide about branding. A great way to make use of quotations is to look for influential words from famous figures in the industry. In this case, we chose a quote from Scott Cook, founder of Intuit and eBay director:

“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is. It is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook

3. Add a Question Hook

Starting your text with an intriguing question can spark interest from your readers because you tease a piece of knowledge without actually providing the answer. In this way, you benefit from the curious human nature and determine them to read your work to find out the answer to your initial question.

See the hook here: Instagram Stories: Increase Your Website Traffic with Instagram Swipe-Up Feature 

Moreover, even readers that know the answer to your questions will be interested in your content. Why? Because they want to test and solidify their knowledge.

To make sure you capture the interest of as many readers as you can, avoid yes or no questions, and go for open-ended ones that require a more complex answer.

For example, let’s imagine you have to create an email copy to promote your dermatology clinic. You want to determine your recipients to read your email, so you have to start strong. As a starting point, ask a question your target audience is interested in.

It can be something along these lines:

“What are the three most common mistakes people make during their skincare routine? 50% of our customers are unaware of the habits that negatively impact the health of their skin. And you might be one of them.”

4. Tell a Story

Storytelling can bring a magical touch to your texts. It not only attracts your reader’s attention, but it also makes your text stand out.

Starting your article with a short story will hook readers and make your writing work memorable. Just think about the most important lessons you learned as a child. Most of them were all tied to a fascinating personal story you never forgot.

See the hook here: Internal Marketing VS External Marketing: What’s Best for Different Business Types and Sizes 

Even as adults, stories still have an indescribable power over us. That is why the most influential brands have created a narrative around their business. Coca-Cola, Apple, and Nike are some of the most known brands that tell a story through their advertising as a way to create a more important meaning than their products.

However, you don’t have to write a novel, a short creative paragraph is enough to captivate your audience. The secret is to create a story that makes sense in the context of your article and actually communicates the main point of your text.

You can get creative and create a hypothetical situation that you know your audience will relate to or talk about a relevant experience from your life that is relevant to the message you want to get across.

Let’s say you are a business coach and you want to motivate your small businesses to invest in their future. So, you decide to write an article. To create a connection with them, you choose to start by telling the story of how you became passionate about business coaching.

Here is an example of how it could look like:

“When I first came back from London, after two years of not seeing my family, I was emotional and nostalgic. I just finished my business studies and all I wanted to do was to celebrate with my dear ones. 

So, I hurried to my favorite bakery where my family and I used to go every Sunday. But instead of seeing the delicious baked goods that made my childhood magical, I saw an out-of-business sign and an empty shop.

I couldn’t believe it. I was so sad that such an important piece of my community was now missing.

At that moment I realized what I wanted to do for the rest of my life — helping local businesses strive in a society dominated by big chain corporations.”

5. Make a Statement

Starting off with a strong statement can set the tone of your text. By doing this, you establish yourself as a confident and outspoken writer that your readers can trust.

This idea can work as an essay hook as well as an article hook. All you have to do is customize it for the context you are in.

See the hook here: Use This Instagram Growth Service to Grow Your Followers Organically 

For a statement hook to work, the rest of your text should resonate with your initial remark. In a way, it’s similar to a hypothesis in a research paper — you have to work to prove its validity.

Furthermore, such a hook can have a polarizing effect on your readers. Some of them will disagree, and others will share your opinion. But no matter their views on the topic, they will be intrigued by what you have to say. Either to validate their reasoning or to see how you support your claim.

Let’s imagine you are writing a hook for an article about why businesses should develop a social media presence.

You could begin with a statement like this one:

“Social media is the most significant part of your marketing strategy”

6. Start with a Metaphor

Using a metaphor in the first sentence of your text is a great way to intrigue your readers. Why? Because you challenge them to look at a topic from a different angle by making an unexpected comparison.

See the hook here: 5 Ways to Make Your Social Media Accounts More Secure 

Although a good metaphor relies on a surprising comparison, it still needs to make sense. At the end of the day, you want to make your readers agree with you.

If you were to write an article about social media tools, here is a hook idea you could use:

“A social media tool is like a helpful assistant. It takes over smaller tasks to make your job easier while increasing your productivity.”

7. Don’t Forget About the Title

Today we focused more on good hook examples, but let’s not forget about the main element that determines your audience to start reading your content — the title.

Without an engaging title, the hook doesn’t have much impact. Therefore, you first need to craft a powerful title if you want your audience to give you a chance.

Here are some steps that will help write effective titles: 

  • Use numbers (e.g. The 10 Steps You Need to Follow to Achieve Social Media Success)
  • Add action words like accomplish, build, convert, generate, get, succeed
  • Include powerful adjectives such as beautiful, best, free, persuasive, essential
  • Incorporate words with emotional impact: easy, secret, instant, new, instant, best, worst
  • Address the reader (e.g The Mistakes You Make During Your Skincare Routine) 
  • Try to keep the ideal length of six words or 60 characters
  • Include the main keyword of your article for better SEO

If you are unsure about your title’s performance, you can use the MonsterInsights headline analyzer to see your overall score.

Bonus: Promote Your Work on Social Media

Don’t let your writing work go unnoticed—use social media channels as a way to attract readers and raise awareness about your blog posts, narrative essays, guides, or any other type of content you want to share with the world.

You can even use a social media scheduling tool like SocialBee to automatically generate a new social post whenever a new article is posted on your blog. All you have to do is connect your RSS feed to SocialBee and a new post will be created for you to share on social media.

Add RSS Feeds to SocialBee

Connect all your social media channels to SocialBee, import your RSS feed, and cross-promote your content with ease.

Start your 14-day free today!

SocialBee blog CTA box visual

Promote Your Content on Social Media with SocialBee!

Create posts, publish, analyze, engage and collaborate, all from SocialBee.

Improve Your Hook Writing Process

We know how much thought and effort you put into your content. For this reason, we wanted to emphasize the importance of learning how to write a strong hook, so that your audience doesn’t miss out on what you bring to the conversation.

Focusing on the first couple of sentences of your text is crucial when you think about what is at stake — the choice your audience makes in the first seconds of reading your content.

Today’s tips can work on all types of content creation, from blogging to essay writing and more.

So, whether you are looking to improve your essay hooks or write a killer thesis statement, feel free to experiment with today’s hook ideas to engage your readers immediately.

Once you have your content ready, don’t forget to share it across your social media profiles so that your followers know when you post a new article.

A great way to share and reshare your evergreen content is to use social media management tools like SocialBee. Create, edit and schedule posts to promote your blog and generate more traffic for your website than ever before.

Start your 14-day free trial today and see if SocialBee is a good fit for you!

Download the Editorial Calendar Template!

Plan your content strategy effortlessly across multiple marketing channels.

Editorial calendar template
Manage your social media with SocialBee: publishing, AI assistance, Canva magic, analytics, unified inbox, and more.
SocialBee supported social media platforms logos
14-day free trial, no credit card required

Article written by

Article by

Alexandra
Alexandra

Content writer at SocialBee

Related articles

Level up your social media game with exclusive resources delivered straight to your inbox

SocialBee calendar popup visual

Out of post ideas? Get our social media calendar

Access 500+ content ideas, post examples, and Canva templates.

Use SocialBee’s Free AI Post Generator to create content for your social media profiles.

Use SocialBee’s Free AI Post Generator to create content for your social media profiles.

🎙️ Customizable tone of voice ❤️ Several variations to choose from 📄 1,000 pre-made AI prompts