The Art of Writing Good Hooks and Irresistible First lines!

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And if you need help putting together a website, just reach out to me by replying to this email!

Writing Good Hooks!

“The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” — Joyce Carol Oates

Here are two different opening lines:

Example 1: “Content creation is important for brand growth and engagement.”

Example 2: “Your content is boring. That’s why no one is reading it.”

Which one grabs your attention?

Most people would pick the second one.

It’s direct.

It challenges the reader.

It creates an emotional response.

This is the power of a strong hook.

In today’s world, people don’t have the patience for slow introductions.

If your first sentence doesn’t grab their attention immediately, they will scroll past, click away, or delete your email before reading the next line.

The opening line of your content is your most valuable real estate.

If you don’t capture interest within the first few seconds, nothing else matters, because no one will stick around to read the rest.

The good news?

Writing good hooks and compelling first lines isn’t magic.

It’s a skill.

And in this newsletter, I’ll show you the science behind good hooks and exactly how to master it.

The Science Behind an Irresistible First Line

Why do some first sentences make us stop and pay attention while others get ignored?

It all comes down to psychology.

A great first line triggers one (or more) of these reactions:

1. Curiosity – The reader has to know what happens next.
2. Shock or Surprise – It disrupts expectations.
3. Relatability – The reader sees themselves in the story.

Weak openings fail because they don’t engage the reader emotionally. A great hook does the opposite, it pulls them in immediately.

Let’s break down five powerful ways to writing good hooks that hooks your audience every time.

Five Proven Strategies to Writing Good Hooks!

These 5 strategies are proven to hook your reader and I use them quite a bit in my posts.

And if you have been following me on LinkedIn, you would have seen me using some of these in my posts.

So let us get straight in and see these strategies.

Make a Bold Statement

A strong opinion, a controversial take, or an unexpected fact can stop readers in their tracks.

Here are a few examples:

• “Most productivity hacks are useless.”
• “You don’t need more content. You need better content.”
• “The biggest mistake I made in business cost me $50,000.”

Why does this work?

Because it makes the reader think, Wait… really?

The more unexpected the statement, the better. The key is to challenge assumptions without being clickbait.

You will see Justin Welsh using these kind of hooks a lot in his posts. And every one of those posts get a ton of engagement as well.

Ask a Provocative Question

Questions force the reader to stop and think.

If the question is relevant to their problems or interests, they’ll feel compelled to read further.

Some examples:

• “What if everything you believed about success was wrong?”
• “Why do some creators blow up overnight while others struggle for years?”
• “What’s the real reason people aren’t engaging with your content?”

If your question taps into a frustration, curiosity, or deep desire, people will want to stick around for the answer.

This is the easiest of all hooks to write and if you are just starting off, then this is the hook that you should start writing and practicing.

Create an Open Loop (The Curiosity Gap Technique)

Humans hate unfinished stories.

It’s why we binge-watch TV shows, stay up late reading novels, and click on headlines that tease us with just enough information to make us want more.

You can use this same principle in your writing:

• “I used to think I was productive… until I met someone who ran three businesses while working 20 hours a week.”
• “He walked into the meeting, pitched an idea, and left with a $1 million deal. Here’s how he did it.”
• “There’s a tiny shift in how you write that can double engagement. Most people ignore it.”

The key is to leave a gap between what the reader knows and what they want to know.

This gap creates curiosity, forcing them to keep reading.

These kind of hooks are slightly difficult and tricky to write, primarily because it can often look like a clickbait, if you don’t match it up with the rest of your post..

Start With a Short, Punchy Sentence

A long, drawn-out introduction can kill momentum before your content even starts.

Sometimes, a single powerful sentence is all you need:

• “Nobody cares about your content.”
• “I was dead broke when I started my first business.”
• “You’re one sentence away from doubling your audience.”

Short. Direct. Impossible to ignore.

If you can practice and master this one, then this can work amazingly well. In fact, these kind of hooks are the ones that work the best in my opinion!

Tell a Story (But Start in the Middle of the Action)

Stories are one of the most powerful ways to engage readers—but most people start them the wrong way.

Instead of slowly setting up the background, jump right into the action.

Weak opening:

“Last year, I started a business and went through a lot of ups and downs.”

Strong opening:

“I stared at my bank account: $3.47 left. This was rock bottom.”

Weak opening:

“One of the best lessons I’ve learned about success is…”

Strong opening:

“Elon Musk once made a $6 billion mistake. Here’s what he did next.”

The best stories don’t build up to the action—they start with it.

Want Weekly High-Converting Hook Ideas?

Writing a great first line takes time. And sometimes, you need inspiration.

That’s why I’m launching a weekly email subscription that delivers:

• Five high-converting hook ideas every week along with the templates so that you can reuse them in your posts.
• Real-world examples of why they work.
• Breakdowns of each hook so you can apply them immediately.

One email. Five hooks. Every week.

If you want to write stronger openings that grab attention and keep readers engaged, this is for you.

If you are interested, then just reply to this email and let me know and I will consider you for the early bird offer.

Final Thoughts: Never Waste Your First Line

The first sentence of your content is your chance to pull the reader in or lose them forever.

Before you publish anything, ask yourself:

Would this make me want to keep reading?

If the answer isn’t a hard yes, rewrite it.

Because in today’s crowded digital world, a great first line isn’t optional—it’s survival.

I’ve tested these strategies across my newsletter, podcast, blog, and social media posts—and the difference has been dramatic.

And in each of the case, by simply improving the first sentence, engagement increased significantly.

Let’s Put This Into Action – Writing good Hooks!

Take a piece of content you’re working on and rewrite the first sentence using one of these five strategies.

Then, reply and let me know: Which hook style works best for you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Recommended Newsletters

Here are few newsletters that I would recommend that you sign up to if you are interested in learning the art of running a side-hustle:

• Write, Build, Scale – https://sparklp.co/p/40cf6480e8
• Why we buy – https://sparklp.co/p/6d27bbcf8b
• The Book Bub – https://sparklp.co/p/3bcef5f1d4
• The Stacked Marketer – https://sparklp.co/p/5c2039bc2c

Sign up to these and follow them. You will get a lot of information and content for your blog posts, podcasts and even social media posts.

I will share more such ideas in my future newsletters.

I put in about 18 hours every month to create this newsletter, starting from researching to writing and editing it.

So, If you enjoyed reading this Newsletter, I would sincerely appreciate it if you could recommend it to others. You can send them to https://theloudspeakeronline.com to subscribe to it for FREE!

What am I reading?

I absolutely love books and I read a lot.

In fact, I don’t just read a lot, but I also take notes on every book that I read.

I have pages and pages of information in my Notion Second Brain, so that I can find them and use them when ever I need.

I have added some of the newest books that I have been reading, to the Amazon store, so you might want to check it out.

Want to know more about the books I read. You can check it out here!

That’s it for this week!

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