The Surprising Secret to Writing a Powerful Hook
Capture attention in the first sentence or first few seconds.
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A good hook is everything.
The first few seconds of a video. Or a headline that has your eyes peeled and your brain drooling with curiosity.
Audiences love hooks because of something called psychology.
More like audiences love open loops, status challenges, value paradoxes, and surprises. I’m a copywriter and love writing a good hook on social media, YouTube, or landing pages.
Let’s figure out what makes a good hook.
The Psychology of Hooks
From Mr. Beast on YouTube to Justin Welsh on LinkedIn, there’s a secret magic sauce to everyone’s hook madness.
In other words, they do something that subverts expectations. It’s not boring. Your attention is captured because you haven’t seen it before. It’s interrupting your pattern. And it’s coming for your emotions.
Here’s a breakdown of hooks:
Break expectation
Create tension
Promise resolution
Deliver transformation
Mr. Beast's videos do an exceptional job of this in his titles. For example:
“I Put 100 People Inside of a Giant Circle – Last One to Leave Wins $500,000.”
You’re naturally curious about what happens. That video is teasing so much. You want to know how 500 people fit in a circle, what happens when they leave the circle, and who actually won the $500k.
Here are some examples from Justin Welsh:
“Your success isn’t measured by the car you drive.” - Contrarian Hook
“Having 100% control of your time isn’t just about freedom. It’s about power.” Emotional Hook
“Most people are stuck in planning mode.” - Call Out Hook
While these hooks are great, they aren’t the only way to capture someone’s attention. I’ve found my voice on LinkedIn with a bit of humor. Here are some examples from my LI content:
"One of the best things about being a creator is posting content that gets low engagement and then iterating it six months later and having it get low engagement again." Self-Depreciating Humor
This is the most common copywriting mistake I noticed in 2024:
- Didn't hire Ben Watkins
- Didn't hire Ben watkins
- Didn't hire Ben Watkins
Avoid this mistake at all costs in 2025. - Humor + Relatable Hook
How to Think of Hooks Like Math
Not a lot of people like math, but I’ve learned to love it when it comes to sales and putting two unusual ideas together.
When it comes to hooks, here’s how I would think about it like a math problem:
Hook=(Trigger Emotion+Create Curiosity)×Relatability or Relevance
Here’s how I’d use it with my posts:
Self-Deprecating Humor:
Emotion (E): Humor → “One of the best things about being a creator is…”
Curiosity (C): Builds curiosity by setting up a twist → “...and having it get low engagement again.”
Relatability (R): Creators know the struggle of low engagement.
Equation:
Hook=(Humor+Curiosity)×Relatable Creator Struggle
Maybe that’s too much math. But you understand how it works. That’s how I like to think about hooks and what feels relatable and natural to what I’m writing.
Here are some other ways to think about hooks that I put together:
Open Loops
Create tension
Delay resolution
Force engagement
Status Challenge
Question norms
Promise insider knowledge
Offer transformation
Value Paradox
Present contradiction
Promise resolution
Deliver unexpected insight
The Common Things Behind These:
Challenge assumptions
Promise secret knowledge
Cognitive curiosity or itch
You want resolution
How to Write Hooks Like a Copywriter
You don’t need to be a copywriter to write hooks. You only need to think about what emotion you’re triggering inside people.
Maybe it’s humor. And you’re trying to be relatable. Maybe you’re trying to be contrarian like Justin Welsh or surprising like Mr. Beast.
Whatever you’re trying to do, keep testing out different ideas. Find your voice and what’s relatable and true to you because it will be the most authentic.
And what’s authentic to you will be authentic to your readers.
That’s what makes a powerful hook even more powerful.
When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you 👇
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Thanks for reading!
Ben Watkins
Depreciating humor 😃 It’s so fun and freeing.