The perfect hook: how to start every post
Why the hook decides everything
The first 2 seconds decide everything. Keep reading or keep scrolling. The feed doesn't give you more options than that.
You can have the best tip in the world. The most helpful guide. The most exciting story. If your opening is boring, nobody will ever find out.
I analyzed over 200 viral posts, on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. And found 5 hook formulas that work across platforms.
Formula 1: The contrarian opinion
"Everyone says X, I say the opposite."
Example: "Content calendars are a waste of time. Here's what I do instead."
Why it works: people stop when something contradicts them. The brain wants the resolution. "Wait, why is he saying that?", and they keep reading.
Formula 2: The number
"3 things I wish I had known earlier."
Example: "I burned €500 on ads. These 3 mistakes were to blame."
Why it works: numbers make promises concrete. "Tips" is vague. "3 tips" is tangible. And a number tied to a loss ("burned €500") triggers loss aversion.
Formula 3: The story
"6 months ago I had 200 followers."
Example: "Last year a client sued me. Here's what I learned from it."
Why it works: stories are humanity's oldest means of communication. We're wired to follow stories.
Formula 4: The question
"Why do some creators earn 10x more than you?"
Example: "What would you do if your Instagram account got banned tomorrow?"
Why it works: questions switch the brain on. You can't ignore a good question, you have to think about it.
Formula 5: The cliffhanger
"I made a mistake that almost cost me everything."
Example: "This one email brought me €12,000 in revenue. Here it is."
Why it works: open loops. The brain hates incomplete information and wants the resolution.
The meta trick
Your hook has to open a gap. Raise a question the reader wants answered. No gap? No click.
Always write the hook first. Then the rest. Not the other way around. And test different hooks for the same content, because often it's only the opening that makes the difference between 50 and 5,000 views.
FAQ
How long should a hook be?
A hook is the first one or two lines of your post. It has to be short enough to be fully readable in the feed preview. More than two sentences usually water down the effect, because the gap opens too late.
What makes a hook bad?
A bad hook doesn't open a gap in the reader's mind. Sentences like 'Today I want to show you something' give away right away what it's about and kill the suspense. If nothing stays open, there's no reason to keep reading.
Do I need to write a different hook for every platform?
No, the five hook formulas work across platforms, on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. The basic mechanism, opening a gap in the reader's mind, is the same everywhere. The differences lie more in tone and length, not in the basic formula.
How do I find out which hook works best?
The most reliable way is to test several hooks for the same content and compare the results. Often the opening alone decides the difference between a few views and thousands. Without a test, your choice is pure guesswork.
What is loss aversion and why does the term come up with hooks?
Loss aversion is the human tendency to weigh losses more heavily than gains of the same size. A hook that names a specific loss, such as lost money, targets this mechanism on purpose. That explains why phrases like 'burned €500' often get more attention than neutral phrasing.