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Writing attention-grabbing hooks
Heyooooo,
How has your week been?
Mine?
Settling down is a full-time job.
The little man started school this week. Plus house viewings, interviews, forms to fill, seminars to attend…gosh!
But, hey,
We’ll take it one day at a time.
Today, let’s talk opening hooks
A few days ago, I came across this brilliant hook on LinkedIn
That is a beautiful way to start a sentence and draw the reader in.
So what’s a hook?
A hook is your opening sentence in your social post or article that attempts to grab your reader’s attention such that they want to read on and complete the article or social post.
Now, go back and read that LinkedIn post again 😀
There are different types of hooks you can use:
Questions
Quotes
Anecdotes
Statistics and more.
But be careful when using a hook. You MUST be able to relate it to the topic you are writing on!
The best hooks make sure your reader’s mind is focused on your article.
So, how do you write a great hook?
Here are four types of writing hooks I often use:
The story hook
Humans love stories, especially memorable ones!
To use this hook, you start your piece with a short story that relates to the topic.
The story can be your’s or someone else’s story. The main point to note here is it must be relatable.
The fact/statistic hook
Facts/statistics are great because they give your readers tangible information that gets them hooked from the start. Impressing your audience with hard evidence is always a great way to start.
But make sure the piece is the sort that allows you to bring in that sort of armory. If you are writing about your last holiday, starting the article with a statistic might seem out of place.
Also, make sure to use accurate and interesting statistics and facts. And, use a CREDIBLE source.
The question hook
People are naturally curious.
So, when we hear or read a question, our brains instantly go into overdrive seeking the answer.
One caveat here- the question has to be interesting and must fit the context of the topic.
The way the question hook works is your reader needs to read the article to find the answer to the question you posed at the beginning.
For example, imagine how your brain would react if I started this piece with: ‘what’s the difference between well-written articles and poorly written ones?’
The declaration hook
A declaration – also called a strong statement – drives a stake in the sand. Here, you make an assertive or bold claim about your topic. This technique is amazing for one reason:
It doesn’t matter if your reader agrees or disagrees!
They need to read your article to see if you validate your claim.
Here’s an example of a great strong statement:
Creating family memories that last a lifetime is more about spending quality time together than it is about spending money.
A little writing challenge
Select two hooks and write a hook for each one. Comment below with your favorite one.
Have fun!
FReebies 🎁
Who wants a gift?
Remember the Swpely extension I shared last week?
Well, I got a custom invite for you folks.
All you need do is use the code DOZ when you sign up here
And you’ll bypass the waitlist.
To recap - If you have trouble keeping great content organized and keeping track of all those links, videos, memes, LinkedIn posts, and podcasts you bookmark, Swpely solves all that hassle with ease.
Content Writing Jobs (Remote/Freelance)
All the best folks. And please share with any of your friends/colleagues who might find this useful 🙏🏾
My biggest takeaway this week 🚀
“Avoid debt
Return kindness
Amplify and celebrate others
Be there when people need you
Bring food
Volunteer
Learn new things
Allow yourself to be loved”
-David Griner
What I’m thinking about?
Living and working in a high-trust environment is an exhilarating experience.
Thanks for reading this far. I am grateful!
Stay safe & sane,
Dozie
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