8 Hooks to Try That Keep People Reading

You’ve probably heard that the first line of your content matters. It does. But. the good news? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you create content.

Most of the time, I’m rotating through the same handful of hook formulas. I just change the topic depending on what I want to talk about.

Here are eight hook formulas you can adapt to almost any topic.

1. The “Things I was wrong about…” Hook

I love this one because it immediately creates curiosity. People want to know what changed your mind.

Examples:

• 3 Things I Thought Clients Wanted… But Didn’t
• 5 Things I Thought I Needed to Grow My Business
• 3 Marketing “Rules” I No Longer Follow

This works especially well if you’ve learned something the hard way or changed your opinion over time.

2. The “Nobody Talks About…” Hook

Some of my favorite posts start this way because they feel like you’re letting someone in on an honest conversation.

Examples:

• Nobody Talks About This Part of Being Self-Employed
• Nobody Talks About How Hard It Is to Stay Consistent
• Nobody Talks About What Happens After You Go Viral

Sometimes people don’t need another tip. They just want someone else to say, “Yeah… this part is hard.”

3. The “Things I Wish I Knew…” Hook

This one never seems to get old.

People love shortcuts, especially when they’re learning something new.

Examples:

• 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business
• 7 Things I Wish I Knew About Marketing
• 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Earlier

Think about the advice you’d give the version of yourself who was just getting started.

4. The “No One Talks About How Hard It Is…” Hook

This hook works because it makes people feel seen.

We’ve all had those moments where we wonder if we’re the only one struggling with something.

Examples:

• No One Talks About How Hard It Is to Price Your Services
• No One Talks About How Hard It Is to Stick to a Budget
• No One Talks About How Hard It Is to Stay Consistent With Content

If you’ve experienced it, chances are someone else has too.

5. The “I Tested It So You Don’t Have To” Hook

I don’t know about you, but I love when someone saves me time.

Whether it’s a new app, an AI tool, or a different workflow, this hook tells people you’ve already done the experimenting for them.

Examples:

• I Spent 100 Hours Testing This So You Don’t Have To
• I Tried 5 Content Planning Methods
• I Tested Every Canva AI Tool

People appreciate someone willing to go first.

6. The “Here’s What Happened…” Hook

Results make people curious.

Whether the outcome was good, bad, or completely unexpected, people naturally want to know the rest of the story.

Examples:

• Here’s What Happened After 90 Days of…
• Here’s What Happened When I Posted Every Day
• Here’s What Happened After Raising My Prices

Just be specific. The more specific the situation, the more interesting it usually becomes.

7. The “One Decision…” Hook

I like this one because it reminds people that big changes often come from one small choice.

Examples:

• This One Decision Doubled My Savings
• This One Change Saved Me Hours Every Week
• The One Marketing Decision I’d Make Again

It makes readers wonder, “What was the decision?” And that’s exactly what keeps them reading.

8. The “If You’ve Ever…” Hook

This is one of the easiest ways to help someone immediately see themselves in your content.

Examples:

• If You’ve Ever Felt Financially Behind…
• If You’ve Ever Wondered What to Post…
• If You’ve Ever Felt Like Giving Up…
• If You’ve Ever Overthought Your Content…

When someone reads the first line and thinks, “Yep, that’s me,” you’ve already done a lot of the work.

Hopefully this helped and the next time you’re stuck wondering how to start your post, don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Pick one of these formulas, make it your own, and start writing. You might be surprised how much easier creating content feels once you stop trying to reinvent the first sentence every time.

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